Turkey, Russia and Iran's in detail discussions to find a solution to the Syrian civil war in Sochi may discomfort those whose policies only aim to deepen the crisis

Needless to say, the Turkish government will probably consider the second scenario an effort to meddle with the 2019 elections in Turkey.

In the midst of the Saudi-Iranian polarization, that is promoted by many to stir up new troubles in the Middle East, Turkey seeks to pursue a balancing policy

When Daesh first emerged, the U.S. chastised Turkey for condoning it. However, while Turkey was fighting on the ground in Azaz, Jarablus and al-Bab, the U.S. did not provide enough air support.

Everyone seems to agree that Turkey-U.S. relations are going through a rough patch. Throughout history, there had been ups and downs in bilateral relations. However, the problems between Ankara and Washington at a time of global uncertainty and deepening regional conflicts are indicative of a different kind of structural crisis.

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 2019 elections are too critical to be "left" to Turkey's domestic politics alone. We cannot expect European capitals, which blatantly developed an attitude against the April 16 referendum, and the Gulf States, which acted implicitly, to remain silent in these elections.

At the heart of the AK Party leadership’s courage lies their ability to actively and rapidly respond to political circumstances and trends. To be clear, this isn’t just about pragmatism necessitated by facts and needs.

Turkey's expectations from Germany are very clear: To support Turkey in its fight against terrorism, and to end its support to the terror groups fighting against Turkey. Let us leave aside the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) and even the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and speak only of the PKK.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is considering either incorporating the KRG peshmerga into the Iraqi military or keeping it as a minor local force. It is very obvious to what extent this recession troubles the KRG, which has tried to realize self-governance since 1991. It is safe to say that the situation has traumatized the collective memory of Kurdish nationalists.

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

The neo-medieval order in the Middle East creates brand new challenges for policy makers as national, sub-national and trans-national actors are involved in some of the most sophisticated conflicts simultaneously.

The current crisis with the West is structural and genuine. But the talk about Turkey turning its back on the West is used for operational purposes.

Turkey rightly desires to maintain a respectable and equitable relationship with the U.S. and would not accept to be bullied for anything

The idea of "strategic partnership" - let alone what President Obama once hailed as "model partnership"- means little, if anything at all. At this point, Turks of all political backgrounds are convinced that Washington is being hostile toward their country.

Turkish-U.S. relations are going through neither a structural crisis nor conjectural tension. I think relations are experiencing structural tension.