Israel's Ambitions and the Brewing Fight In the Middle East

Even if the ongoing row around Al-Aqsa Mosque ends peacefully, new tensions fueled by Israel for its interests will continue appearing

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Israel's Ambitions and the Brewing Fight In the Middle East
The Cause of Al-Aqsa as a Matter of Honor

The Cause of Al-Aqsa as a Matter of Honor

The endemic conflict in Jerusalem indicates that the days of 'Pax-Ottomana' have passed, but the emotional attachment of Turks and Muslims to the cause of Al-Aqsa as a matter of honor is here to stay

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Unfortunately, the ambitions of regional powers stop them from addressing pressing problems. The Qatar crisis is a case in point.

SETA Foreign Policy Studies Director Ufuk Ulutaş said that the recent Gulf crisis is an attempt to redesign Middle East politics and it is not about the alleged support of terrorism by Qatar, but rather a result of Qatar following its own terms in regional matters.

The current crisis is a prelude to Qatar's disciplining, the deeper polarization between Iran and the Gulf and the undermining of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas

In order to become a key player in the Middle East again, Washington needs to repair its damaged relations with Ankara

Normalization to Proceed Despite Terror

Normalization in Turkish foreign policy to proceed despite terrorist attacks

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Normalization to Proceed Despite Terror
Turkey-Israel Deal an Opportunity to Resolve Region's Chronic Problems

Turkey-Israel Deal an Opportunity to Resolve Region's Chronic Problems

The Turkish-Israeli agreement, which is a historical step for the region that has reached a dead end, brings many vital projects to better Gazans' lives

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The two countries may find some areas in which to work together in the changing region. There are already many speculations about the possible positioning of this normalization in the changing balance of power in the Middle East and shifting alliances.

Keeping in mind that Turkey and Israel could launch mutually beneficial joint projects, including a pipeline to export natural gas to European markets, why is Netanyahu's government reluctant to shake hands with Turkey?

The policymakers in Ankara are required to accomplish a structural transformation program for socio-economic development, while fighting a low-intensity war in the southeast and overcoming the international repercussions of the crisis with Russia. Not an easy job for sure. But then, who said that politics was an easy job?

Although abounding in energy sources compared to other regions, the Middle East suffers from the increasing significance of the energy market in shaping the nations' foreign policy in the 21st century.

Civil wars in Syria and Iraq are reshaping the Middle East, followed by issue-based alliances, thinking ahead and working on multiple scenarios.

Qatar and Turkey are mutually dependent on one other in stabilizing their domestic politics and normalizing the region.

Prof. Efraim Inbar - whose works on Turkish-Israeli relations deserve much credit - recently wrote an op-ed piece "An open letter to my Turkish friends" in The Jerusalem Post in which he paints a grotesque picture of Turkey's new foreign policy vision and domestic political developments. It misleadingly confines the multi-dimensional Turkish foreign policy vision to politics of ideology that is reminiscent of the Cold War years.

One often gets this question from academics and experts: What will be the framework of international relations in the 21st century? Will it be determined by "hard instruments" such as energy, security and population?

During a visit to the United States that preceded President Barack Obama's visit to Turkey, Ahmet Davutoglu, chief advisor to Turkey's prime minister, stated that "Our approach and principles are almost the same, very similar to the US on issues such as the Middle East, Caucasus, Balkans and energy security.

Al-Jazeera invited almost a dozen Turkish scholars and journalists to its Fourth Annual Forum last month in Doha. It was the first time so many Turkish participants attended. Why did al-Jazeera invite so many Turks to an event focused on the Arab world? More generally, why do people in the Middle East pay attention to Turkish perspectives on their affairs?

After back-to-back visits to Turkey by US Middle East envoy George Mitchell and secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Ahmet Davutoglu, a top adviser to Turkey's prime minister, predicted that Turkish-American relations were about to enter a golden era

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's walkout in the midst of a discussion on Gaza in Davos won him millions of supporters not only in Turkey, but around the world. With his bold position on the Middle East peace process, Erdoğan has the Arab and Muslim streets behind him. 

The birth pangs of a new human geography and geographic imagination are being felt across the Middle East. As the ethnic and sectarian models of cultural and political identities are being questioned, new patterns of cultural affinity and association are emerging with a new sense of shared history and common geography.