With the world's attention diverted by the Russia-Ukraine war throughout the year, the Middle East was not at the top of the international political agenda in 2022

As we bid farewell to 2022, let’s take a look back at the most defining moments of the year

This issue of Insight Turkey covers a wide range of topics while providing an insightful analysis of regional developments, with a particular focus on the Middle East, with pieces on the recent protests in Iran, the political instability in Iraq, COVID-19 impact on Palestinians, and the EU. Additionally, our last issue of 2022 includes insightful pieces on energy rivalry in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

There is no doubt that Türkiye has assumed the most influential role in the international arena since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That role has two aspects. First, the Turks managed to take one of the few positive steps amid the Ukraine crisis by facilitating the grain deal and a prisoner exchange. Indeed, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s diplomatic achievements attracted plenty of global attention in 2022. Secondly, Türkiye made attempts at conflict resolution whilst seizing geopolitical opportunities created by the Ukraine crisis better than any other country.

President Erdoğan’s handshake with Egypt's el-Sissi eliminated a symbolic obstacle; yet, intelligence services and diplomats will have to engage in additional diplomatic contact to further the normalization process between Ankara and Cairo

President Erdoğan’s pledge to continue nurturing Türkiye’s external relations after next year’s elections seemed like a message to the West

We asked the leading Iran experts in Turkey and around the world to analyze the reasons behind the protests in Iran, the demands of the protestors, the Iranian administration’s attitude, the likely future of the protests and their impact on Iran. We present the assessments of those experts below.

Hardly anyone is surprised by the Greek public’s concerns over Türkiye in this climate of fear. Such concerns or fears have been at the heart of Greek politics for many years.

As Türkiye learns to use its soft power along with its military might, it continues to pursue a successful foreign policy and a role as a regional leader

Western countries have always supported the oppressors instead of the innocent and unsurprisingly, it is no different when it comes to the Greek violence against Turkish Cypriots

Alaa Qaddum, 5, had dreams that were cut short by an Israeli missile while playing with her friends to the east of Gaza.

Erdoğan gave a speech on five key messages on the top items on Türkiye’s foreign policy agenda to clear up people’s confusion

What kind of Türkiye does Iran prefer? Which Türkiye can satisfy Iranian regional expectations?

We are confident that this issue of Insight Turkey entitled “Rethinking Environmental Security in Türkiye and Beyond” will present timely studies regarding environmental security, a complex and increasingly important issue for Türkiye and the world.

Türkiye has pursued normalization with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel and Saudi Arabia over the last two years, which enabled that country to strengthen its bilateral cooperation with the participants of both summits.

Starting the end of 2020, the Middle East has witnessed an unprecedented de-escalation among its key regional rivals. Several major players, including Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Israel, the UAE, and Qatar, have been reaching out to one another to reconcile and normalize relations, thus signaling a regional reset

U.S. President Joe Biden paid a three-day official visit to the Middle East between July 13-16 in order to renew its engagement with the region and strengthen its strategic partnership with the regional allies.