Türkiye will hold a historic election that could influence both regional and global power balances. Under the leadership of President Erdogan over the past 20 years, Türkiye has faced significant challenges and achieved important successes. When looking at Türkiye's role in the international arena, we have seen that it has been managing regional conflicts and global power struggles with its own foreign policy will. The election will have critical results not only for domestic political developments, the economy and security, but also for foreign policy.

Considering the devastating effects of new-generation weapons, global powers cannot launch direct wars against each other. Therefore, they prefer to engage in indirect battles, as the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, did during the Cold War. Their proxies fight each other; they control the tide of the war from behind closed doors by procuring military equipment and by providing economic and financial assistance to wage war.

Today, we are living in a systemic transition period in which the world is experiencing an international systemic crisis. Deep uncertainty and instability have been dominating the global system. The rivalry between global powers has been intensifying every day. Unfortunately, there is no established international order and no stable relationship between even members of the same alliance. Most hostilities and friendships are temporary; relations between any two states can change quickly.

The two countries’ relationship had deteriorated with the pro-status quo Arab countries after the Arab insurgencies and revolutions erupted in 2011. As a result, the Middle East states were divided into two camps: pro-change and pro-status quo coalitions. However, after the consolidation of the status quo in the region and new dynamics of the area, the regional states have begun to normalize their relations with the rest of the region.

President Erdoğan has been working on 2 projects at once as he asserts that Türkiye would undertake a ground campaign against the terrorist groups in northern Syria 'at the most appropriate time' and that he may meet Syria's Bashar Assad 'under the right conditions'

Tehran is facing severe political, economic and social problems domestically such as the negative impacts of the long-time U.S. sanctions, poverty, unemployment, drought, migration and growing uneasiness among different segments of society

'The Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian Ports' was concluded at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace on July 22, with Turkey and the United Nations serving as mediators.

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.

The visit had global-level dynamics. On one hand, both countries want to decrease their respective dependencies on global powers and need to cooperate with one another. On the other hand, they want to increase their global autonomy. They have begun to instrumentalize a global power against the other.

Türkiye’s influence has been growing, globally and regionally, as a balancing power. In this sense, Ankara must refrain from becoming a party to regional polarization while remaining active in the region.

Ankara hopes to be a balancing factor in the region that generates security and stability.

'One could expect normalization between Ankara and Riyadh to occur as quickly as the process between Turkey and the United Arab Emirates'

Israeli violence sees no limit in Palestine, with Muslims attacked, Islam targeted and international human rights violated

As the Russia-Ukraine war resumes and the tension in world politics deepens, we are starting to hear more about the discourse of a 'new Cold War'

The question of sanctions could be a good way for Turkey and the U.S. to start repairing fractured relations amid the new dynamic

Turkiye's regional prominence in the Black Sea region, and substantial strategic and commercial ties with Russia and Ukraine have given it an advantage in facilitating peace talks between the two countries

To make sense of the Turkish president’s visit to Uzbekistan and its implications for bilateral relations as well as regional affairs, we hereby present the opinions of five leading experts.