The Syrian crisis is not something that can be handled solely through Turkish efforts; the region's biggest problem needs to be confronted by both external and internal stakeholders

Turkey and the United States are setting up a joint operations center at Şanlıurfa in Turkey under a recent agreement. That U.S. European Command (EUCOM), as opposed to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), commanders are involved in negotiations reflects both sides' commitment to the deal.

Pentagon officials continue to maintain the same dysfunctional and hostile policies against Turkey. They are now using Turkey's purchase of the S-400 air defense systems from Russia as a pretext to pressure and threaten Turkey. The Pentagon's recently resigned chief Patrick Shanahan had warned his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar about economic sanctions and the abandonment of military cooperation between the two NATO allies.

It is now almost a ritual of U.S. administrations to escalate tension with Iran. At least in the last three administrations we have seen similar forms of escalations between the two countries. During the Bush administration, Iran became part of the axis of evil and there were speculations and rumors that if things do not go so terribly in Iraq the next target will be Iran.

In the absence of an agreement with Turkey, a hasty U.S. withdrawal from Syria won't solve any problems but rather fuel the present conflicts in the country

The Trump administration remains confused and divided over Washington's imminent withdrawal from Syria. Most recently, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the Middle East in an attempt to reassure U.S. allies, who are concerned that the U.S. withdrawal will serve Turkish and Iranian interests.

The U.S.' past is full of wrong decisions and miscalculated operations in Syria, but President Trump's withdrawal decision is obviously not one of them

Turkey's military footprint in Syria and Ankara's support to the moderate opposition are directly related to the safe return of most Syrian refugees from Turkish soil to their own lands

Cooperating with Turkey is the most rational way for President Trump to successfully implement his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria

No one was shocked by U.S. President Donald Trump's expression of solidarity with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) last week.

The Iraqi government must behave responsibly and take non-violent measures to overcome its ongoing problems; otherwise, the current protests may lead to political turmoil soon

One of the most discussed issues in Washington, D.C. nowadays is the Iran strategy of the Trump administration.

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

Regardless of what coalition forms in Iraq, the new government will face the problem of ensuring political stability, government control over non-government groups and encouraging normalization among different ethnic and sectarian elements

In Iraq's first parliamentary elections since the defeat of Daesh, which resulted in nationalist victory, Iran and the United States were the biggest losers

Turkey's determination on the Jerusalem issue outdistances the Arab countries that no longer see Palestine as a priority

Insight Turkey has just published its special focused on Gulf affairs. The articles of this issue analyze the disputes in the Gulf, disagreements within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the existing conflicts in the region.