Second-wave of chaos in the Middle East
There are two countries that enjoy the deepening chaos of the Middle East. One is Russia, which has increased its influence by filling the gaps left by the U.S. after 2015. It has achieved regional power that affects the balances with a relatively limited military presence.
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Forced restructuring of leadership in Saudi Arabia breaches tradition
It seems that a strong power struggle among the grandsons of King Abdulaziz ibn Saud will determine the future of the country. The killing of his two grandsons and the confiscation of financial assets of leading businessmen for sure will have implications for Saudi politics in the near future.
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In retrospect, this neo-medieval order did not emerge by happenstance or as a result of sporadic developments, but as a result of a deliberate, flexible and long-term regional transformation strategy conducted by the U.S. and its interlocutors.
The crown prince's grip on power, which has received the blessing of the United States, Israel and the Gulf, has been accompanied by powerful rhetoric of reform, a new vision, development and fighting corruption.
In particular, the successive U.S. administrations made it clear that their quest to promote "moderate Islam" was ingenuine at four points:
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
A Comeback for Moderate Islam in the Middle East?
The reappearance of discourse on ‘moderate Islam', possibly with on the U.S. administration's request, cannot be a solution in the fight against extremism
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US's Middle East Policy behind Ankara's Axis shift
Expecting Turkey's engagement with the U.S.'s Middle East policy, which damaged Ankara's interests, particularly by the infamous partnership with the YPG, would be in vain and very irrational
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The U.S. identified a new priority: The containment of Iran. Having secured the support of Israel and several Gulf countries, the U.S. president recently unveiled a new, strongly-worded Iran strategy. And he refused to certify the Iran nuclear deal to compel Congress to take action.
Trump's new strategy on Iran and the nuclear deal is likely to also have a huge impact on U.S. allies in the region
The already existing confusion among the U.S. allies is because of Trump always taking the wrong steps while dealing with them
The Trump administration, which is still completing its first year, has so far not produced any result other than consolidating Moscow in the Middle East.
Turkey's cooperation with Iran in Iraq and Syria will likely set new developments in motion across the Middle East
Trump’s foreign policy and security team members more or less agree that Iran constituted a major problem for the region.
The neo-medievalism in regional geo-politics enforces passing alliances and unlikely groupings in several areas in the Middle East
KRG officials will try to drive a wedge between Turkey and Iran by making the case that they do not pose a threat to Iraq's neighbors
Barzani is likely to discover that he committed an existential mistake when the chain reactions from his drive for independence begin to emerge
The reaction from the U.S. administration does not provide any indication of the steps that the administration may take regarding the referendum process.
In the face of two nationalist waves reaching its shores, Turkey must now take well-thought-out steps.
In terms of safeguarding regional stability, the key issue is protecting the territorial integrity of even the most fragile states in the Middle East through collaborative efforts
This analysis outlines the main drivers of the relationship between Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government.
