The YPG is the Syrian arm of the outlawed PKK that has been fighting against the Turkish state for years, so it is impossible for Ankara to accept any presence of these militants near its borders

It is time for Turkey and European countries to end the tense relations of the last four years and establish more transparent, realist, rational and pragmatic relations.

France, one of the two founding partners of the EU, lagged behind Germany in the past several years due to problems in its economy, but domestic politics is trying to strengthen its diplomatic posture with its young and visionary president.

The Turkish leadership is not alone in their pursuit of normalization.

Clearly, the Trump administration's threats were intended to prevent the U.N. General Assembly from voting overwhelmingly to support a resolution sponsored by Turkey and others.

As a result of the U.S.'s reluctant policy on Syria, other countries are obliged to bypass it and take the lead for the sake of their national interests

We need to see that a big, malevolent game is being played. Of course, regional countries' faulty strategies, steps to save the day and especially elites' efforts to gain ground in domestic politics catalyze foreign powers' manipulations and interventions. However, it is indisputable that the region is currently facing a new policy of disintegration plotted by foreign powers.

The growing rift between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which recently caused Lebanese PM Hariri to resign, will soon impact others in the region, too

Despite the push to present Meral Akşener, the chairwoman of the newly established İYİ Party, as an alternative candidate against President Erdoğan in the run up to the 2019 presidential elections, Professor Duran thinks this will not translate into results, as a true candidate for the opposition parties is yet to be identified

Washington has no way to come to a mutual understanding with Ankara without changing its current policies that pose a threat to Turkey's national security.

The current crisis with the West is structural and genuine. But the talk about Turkey turning its back on the West is used for operational purposes.

This crisis is a major test for the future of the relations. The two, as NATO allies, need to work together in order to stabilize the conflicts in the Middle East and prevent security risks.

The conflict between the U.S. and North Korea has prompted some other crises in East Asia, dragging the whole region, with the involvement of other countries, into an unstoppable chaos

The crisis in North Korea has already influenced every country in the region, changing the equations and balances among the governments

There is a smear campaign that started ahead of the April 2017 constitutional referendum that aims to prevent Erdoğan's re-election in 2019

Operation Euphrates Shield, an overdue incursion that ended in success, clearly took the Turkish military's technical capabilities to the next level and strengthened Turkey's ties with local partners