The F-16 issue and the mutual trust problem

After Sweden's NATO membership was approved in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), reports emerged that President Biden sent a letter to Congress seeking approval for the sale of F-16s. These developments indicate that we are nearing the conclusion of the long-debated F-16 issue. If the sale goes through, it could somewhat alleviate the deep-seated distrust that has plagued Turkish-American relations for some time. This distrust has made what should have been a routine arms deal between two NATO allies such a contentious process. Overcoming this hurdle would be beneficial for both countries, but it's still too early to declare the start of a new era. The potential sale of F-16s could pave the way for a new chapter by reducing mutual distrust.

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The F-16 issue and the mutual trust problem
2024 A challenging year lies ahead

2024: A challenging year lies ahead

The events of 2023 have significantly diversified potential geopolitical and strategic scenarios for 2024.

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Hamas initiated a large incursion into some Israeli cities last weekend, which has led to a new cycle of violence in Palestine. So far, around 900 Israelis have been killed and more than 2,600 people wounded. In addition, Hamas has taken more than 100 people, including many soldiers, as hostages. On the Palestinian side, about 700 people were killed by the Israeli security forces, and several thousands of people were wounded.

There are two main milestones in restructuring Saudi Arabian foreign policy in the post-Cold War period, namely, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Arab insurgencies and revolutions that erupted in 2011. These two significant developments have vastly changed regional and global balances, leading to the redefinition of Saudi foreign policy preferences.

This week, the book "The Last Politician," authored by Franklin Foer, sheds light on President Biden's first two years in power and his approach to domestic and foreign crises. Foer, who had relatively broad access to White House officials, emphasizes that Biden is the exact opposite of "anti-politician" figures like Obama and Trump, lacking Washington experience. With extensive Senate experience, Biden is a persistent politician who seeks compromise with his political rivals, standing against the prevailing notion of viewing Washington politics as something negative. In American politics, where politicians who promised to "drain the Washington swamp" have often gained an advantage, Biden stands out as one of the recent politicians demonstrating that classic compromise politics can be successful.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo focused on managing trade issues between the two countries during her four-day visit to China. Following her meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao, Raimondo announced the creation of a joint forum to reduce tension. She emphasized that the Biden administration would not compromise on national security by advocating for restrictions on chip exports. Raimondo's visit marked the first by a U.S. Commerce Secretary to China in five years and followed visits by Secretary of State Blinken in June and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in July. It is clear that the Biden administration is continuing its economic struggle with China while attempting to reduce rising tensions to safeguard American economic interests and capital in the country.

Republican candidates grapple with escaping the shadow of Trump

The candidates competing to clinch the Republican Party's nominee for the 2024 presidential election faced the voters in the first debate of the primary season on Wednesday night. Former President Trump, who is significantly ahead in public opinion polls, did not participate in the debate, allowing the other candidates to vie for attention. Former Vice President Mike Pence and former UN Representative Nikki Haley delivered standout performances in the debate, where Trump's influence was felt on almost every issue. Although these two candidates had served in the Trump administration, they refrained from directly criticizing the former president, even though they garnered applause from the audience, many of whom had paid to attend.

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Republican candidates grapple with escaping the shadow of Trump
The limits of US-China economic rivalry

The limits of US-China economic rivalry

The intense global economic rivalry between the US and China is leading to a fierce competition, particularly in the advanced technology sector. While Washington imposes measures to limit the export of high-tech products to China, Beijing is not sitting idle. A recent example is Intel, the giant US computer chip producer, retracting its decision to acquire Israel's semiconductor chip manufacturer, Tower Semiconductor. Intel had initially planned to acquire Tower to remain competitive in chip manufacturing and had obtained approval from American authorities. However, after waiting for 18 months without approval from Chinese authorities, Intel was forced to announce the cancellation of the acquisition. Intel, which generates 27% of its global revenues from China, avoiding jeopardizing this relationship, demonstrates how complex the economic battle between the US and China has become.

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Keeping in mind that Bolton’s threat has zero impact in Turkey, one can conclude that his real aim is to fuel doubts about election security.

What is the background and significance of the Turkish foreign minister’s visit to Washington? What are the differences and similarities between the two countries’ Ukraine policies? Will the U.S. sell F-16s to Türkiye? What is Türkiye’s position on Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership? What is Washington’s view on Türkiye’s engagement with the Syrian regime?

In this article, I will briefly analyze some conventional and unconventional issues of 2022 and underline the increasing political crises in Western countries, all of which lead the world to a more chaotic period.

We asked the leading Iran experts in Turkey and around the world to analyze the reasons behind the protests in Iran, the demands of the protestors, the Iranian administration’s attitude, the likely future of the protests and their impact on Iran. We present the assessments of those experts below.

Under the current circumstances, it seems impossible for the U.S. to discover a new kind of engagement that would contain Russia and China in the Middle East as well as address Iran’s problems with Israel and the Gulf. It is highly likely that the fresh diplomatic efforts by Washington, which cannot even appreciate Türkiye’s balancing and stabilizing/securing role, will prove to be a complete waste of time.

The US decision to grant an exemption to India, which procured three times as many S-400 missile defense systems as Turkey, caused dismay in Ankara.

As a provider of security and stability, Turkey has the potential to become the balancing power in the Gulf region

On October 31, 2021, during the G20 Summit in Rome, President Erdoğan is going to meet with U.S. President Biden. This will be their second meeting in a couple of months after Biden came to the White House.

Unless the U.S. policy toward Iran changes, it seems difficult for the EU and its member states to open a new page in relations with Iran

America has reached the peak of its loss of power and authority, a decline that started on Sep. 11, 2001, and that has culminated in the Taliban's recent takeover of Afghanistan. After this process, it is now a question of how the balance of power in the world will shift

It was clear that there was a positive atmosphere in the speeches made at the NATO summit, but will the positive atmosphere captured at the meeting continue in the next period for Turkey-U.S. relations?

How are the bilateral relations since the new U.S. administration took office? What are the potential topics to be discussed? What can be expected from the summit?