Security concerns are the sole motivation for the Turkish military, which is about to launch a counterterror operation in northern Syria

The future of the YPG is the top priority for Ankara since the beginning; therefore, unless the U.S. stops challenging Turkey on this matter, their bilateral relations can never get back on track

The CHP leader has launched his party's campaign for upcoming local elections, seeking to form a strong alliance, but tough days are waiting for him as his rivals, the AK Party and the MHP, are still strong enough to defeat his party

The same day the congressional elections took place in the U.S., the State Department announced that it would offer rewards for information leading to the arrest of three major PKK figures, namely Murat Karayılan, Cemil Bayık and Duran Kalkan.

Turkey has said it is resolutely committed to clearing the YPG terror threat from northeastern Syria and recently shelled YPG positions along its borders. Experts say Ankara will no longer wait around for the Manbij deal and will take any necessary steps to address the issue

Now both sides have to compete against each other in a civilized manner and manage the risk of the former members of the Nation Alliance cooperating.

The Khashoggi affair is a stark reminder for the White House of how important a partnership with Ankara is in order to be engaged with developments in the Middle East

If Ankara and Berlin can overcome the challenges of recent years, a new strategic partnership could be in the making

resident Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be in New York this week to hold a large number of bilateral meetings and address the United Nations General Assembly. Provided that Erdoğan speaks right after U.S. President Donald Trump, it will be interesting to compare the two leaders' remarks.

If Russia and Turkey can make the Idlib deal work, their cooperation in Syria will mean the two countries have crossed a strategic threshold

However, the latest crisis in Syria can actually help revive relations, but only if the U.S. and Turkey can establish a meaningful conversation, effective channels for dialogue and the intention to work together toward common objectives.

Regional and global actors cannot reach common ground in order to end the Idlib crisis, signaling that the Syrian civil war will most probably get worse in the future

One of the most significant unknowns in Washington for the last seven years has been the Syrian policy. The inconsistency between rhetoric and policy, the absence of a strategy and indecisiveness were considered the pillars of the U.S. position

Earlier this week, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan along with a large delegation, including myself. The top two items on the agenda were the economic integration of the Turkic world and the fight against the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ).

Turkish and U.S. officials need to find ways to stop the ongoing crisis from deepening and prevent the years-long strategic partnership from completely collapsing

Two years have passed since the attempted coup of July 15, which was a serious attack on Turkey's state, society and democracy.

While long distance has been covered against Daesh on many fronts, war is still far from complete