European Sky Shield Initiative | Capacities, Criticisms, and Türkiye’s Contribution
The European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), spearheaded by Germany, emerged in response to escalating missile threats, particularly from Russia, following Moscow’s aggressive actions in Ukraine
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Türkiye as an emerging actor in global energy politics
For almost 100 years, the security of energy supply has been a crucial part of the agenda in most countries. To increase supply security, countries must diversify their energy sources, supply routes and suppliers as well. As a country highly dependent on imported energy resources, Türkiye has been cautiously trying to take these critical steps for nearly 20 years.
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Donald Trump has made a fast start to his second term as the president of the U.S., the strongest state in the world. Naturally, not only Americans but also the world's states and nations immediately reacted to this government change. One day after the inauguration of Trump, the leaders of the two rival countries, namely Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, held a virtual meeting.
The debate on Turkish foreign policy's "axis," "strategic autonomy" and "normalization" policy was recently revived by Parliament's approval of Sweden's NATO membership, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Cairo trip and Türkiye joining the European Sky Shield Initiative.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict threatens to spread across the region and exacerbate great power competition. As United States military bases in Iraq and Syria come under drone attacks more and more frequently, a U.S. destroyer in the Red Sea shot down cruise missiles that the Houthi rebels in Yemen fired at Israel – harassing fire from Iran’s proxies.
The non-Western world viewed U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel as unconditional support for that country’s heavy bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip. Blaming Hamas – “the other team” – for the killing of more than 500 Palestinians at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, the U.S. President neither shared any evidence nor talked about forming an international committee to investigate what happened.
Quran burning amid Qurban Bayram and Erdoğan's message to the West
Sweden made headlines in Türkiye again this week by permitting yet another Quran burning under police protection on the first day of Qurban Bayram, also known as Eid al-Adha. That heinous act took place near a mosque in Stockholm, as had another burning in January, and had absolutely nothing to do with freedom of expression. Quite the contrary, it was a hate crime targeting Muslims and an obvious act of provocation.
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Türkiye’s Call for International Assistance and the International Community’s Response
Natural disasters, wars, and economic collapse tend to seriously undermine social order and make it impossible to address even people’s most basic needs. During such periods, it becomes difficult for communities to feed themselves, find shelter, receive medical attention, relocate, and communicate with others. Individuals and communities have provided emergency assistance to such individuals, without expecting anything in return, to address basic needs like food, shelter, and medical treatment throughout history.
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‘Samarkand and New York summits have shown Türkiye’s determination of following an independent, diversified and global-scale foreign policy’
