Fear and loathing in the Middle East

Two prominent regional powers in the Middle East made headlines this week for entirely different reasons.

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Fear and loathing in the Middle East
Implications of the Khashoggi case for Middle Eastern politics

Implications of the Khashoggi case for Middle Eastern politics

The killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a well-known Saudi journalist, an intellectual and a contributor to The Washington Post, will be remembered as a milestone for Saudi Middle Eastern policy.

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The Helsinki summit between presidents Trump and Putin reaffirmed that Russia, not the United States, is the top dog in Syria

Conflictual and exclusivist foreign policies are simply zero-sum games; the normalization of politics in the Middle East requires balanced relations among regional states

French President Emmanuel Macron paid an official visit to Washington to meet his American counterpart Donald Trump.

Washington should find a way to cooperate with Ankara as Trump steps toward creating a more homogeneous and hawkish administration on diplomacy, national security and the economy

Turkey and the Middle East's emerging geopolitical void

A new way of Arab nationalism based on more radical sectarian discourses is currently being promoted by Mohammed bin Salman and his partners with the help of the U.S. to further fuel in the Middle East

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Turkey and the Middle East's emerging geopolitical void
Iraq and the Middle East 15 years after the US

Iraq and the Middle East 15 years after the US invasion

The American invasion of Iraq can be demonstrated as a textbook example of how to kill a state and destroy a population, if not a nation.

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The storm of polarization in the Middle East looks far from an end. At this point, the various players are not even trying to hide their true intentions, which used to be kept to themselves or in private circles.

The ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, particularly the escalation of the Syrian war, can be seen as an indication of the restart of a cold war

The U.S.'s approach to the crises in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Yemen and Palestine since 2010 has been about its experience of the hegemonic crisis.

By having indoctrinated Trump in the controversial Jerusalem decision, Pence has made a fair amount of opponents in the Middle East

“Reclaiming the Region: Russia, the West and the Middle East,” is the last issue for 2017, which has been a very successful year for Insight Turkey. As with the previous issues, we trust that our readers will find this issue informative and constructive!

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

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.

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.

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 reappearance of discourse on ‘moderate Islam', possibly with on the U.S. administration's request, cannot be a solution in the fight against extremism

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