The main issue on the table during the Erdoğan-Putin summit was the increased regime and Russian attacks on Idlib and Afrin. These attacks were jeopardizing the terms of the deal that was reached in 2018. Both leaders confirmed their willingness to maintain the existing status quo in Syria and work together to restore security and stability in the war-torn country. Both Moscow and Ankara are more pressured than ever to find a political solution in Syria due to the enduring costs and potential security risks of the Syrian civil war.
More
It is time to look at Turkey-Russia relations from the perspective of an 'early response to great power competition' rather than the classical balance-of-power approach.
More
Turkey just entered a period of renewed debate on the Kurdish question, when the way we talk about that issue, too, will be the subject of discussion.
The PKK terrorists' execution of 13 unarmed Turkish citizens in Gara, northern Iraq, will remain the subject of heated political debate for some time. The debate could have an impact on Turkey's foreign policy if it builds on the political consciousness that awakens following events of this nature and supports our fight against terrorism – rather than the opposition’s accusations.
The reaction of politicians to the execution of 13 Turkish citizens by the PKK terrorist group demonstrates the challenges Turkey faces in its counterterrorism efforts. It is deeply saddening that opposition parties would rather look for a scapegoat than join the nation in condemning the terrorists who shot abductees in the head.
Last week an act of terrorism shook Turkey to its core. A total of 13 Turkish citizens kidnapped by PKK terrorists in previous years were executed in the Gara region of northern Iraq.
With its anti-terror operations, Turkey thwarts emergence of terror corridor near its borders, says think-tank chief
More
Turkey's legitimate campaign in Syria needs further steps to establish terror-free areas in the region
More
With Parliament back from summer recess, Turkey's political scene is heating up. The Good Party (İP), part of the opposition-led Nation Alliance, announced that it will leave the alliance if the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) joins it.
Some words are capable of designating more than what they seem to mean. The word alliance, which has become a cornerstone of Turkish politics in recent months, is one such example. In the wake of the July 2016 resistance and Turkey's transition to a presidential system, the ability to form and maintain alliances emerged as a key skill in the political arena.
If Russia and Turkey can make the Idlib deal work, their cooperation in Syria will mean the two countries have crossed a strategic threshold
With just two weeks left until the June 24 elections, Turkey has been preoccupied with an agreement with the United States on Manbij and a military operation against the terrorist organization PKK's command center in northern Iraq.
Regardless of what coalition forms in Iraq, the new government will face the problem of ensuring political stability, government control over non-government groups and encouraging normalization among different ethnic and sectarian elements
Ankara is getting ready for a military operation against the threat of a terror corridor on the Syrian border, dispatching military convoys to southern cities, hitting PKK/PYD targets in Afrin
Turkey's cooperation with Iran in Iraq and Syria will likely set new developments in motion across the Middle East
The neo-medievalism in regional geo-politics enforces passing alliances and unlikely groupings in several areas in the Middle East
The AK Party's insistence for dynamism and change will help refresh itself in the new period under the leadership of Erdoğan
The Turkish Army’s bitter experiences, such as the PKK’s recent attack near the Çığlı military zone, highlights the unanticipated consequences of shortfalls and limitations in countermeasure abilities against MANPADS, and draws attention to the need to strengthen capabilities for detecting, locating, identifying, and defeating targets through UAVs.
If the conditions are favorable, Turkey might follow the course of military cooperation with Russia until the end, regardless of whatever reactions it bears the brunt of from the NATO side.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s visit to Ankara last Tuesday is important for the current state of Turkish-Iraqi relations. The visit focused on trade and security, and these are two crucial areas for both countries