Mending Turkey-US relations

It is becoming more and more apparent that the relationship with the U.S. will dominate our foreign policy agenda in the upcoming years. This issue is not only limited to the widening rift in bilateral relations over the recent period but essentially related to the changing strategic calculations of Washington and Ankara.

More
Mending Turkey-US relations
Syria safe zone may be 'safe zone' for Turkey-US relations

Syria safe zone may be 'safe zone' for Turkey-US relations

While many focus nowadays on the S-400/F-35 tensions taking place in Turkish-American relations, another issue, namely Syria, is being discussed at the highest levels among officials from the two countries. For the last eight years, the divergence of policies in regards to the crisis in Syria has become one of the most significant irritants in bilateral relations.

More

New developments fuel tensions between Washington and Ankara. Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's promises to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the phone, no problem has yet gone away. Quite the contrary, the foreign policy establishment and Congress continue to try and undermine bilateral relations.

For the last several years one of the most frequently written topics in regards to U.S. relations with its allies have been the future of its partnership with Turkey.

Turkish-American relations are strained again ahead of the delivery of S-400 air defense systems from Russia. In their Moscow meeting at the beginning of the week, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the plan to deliver the first set of S-400 air defense systems to Turkey in early July.

The Middle East has been experiencing turmoil since the Arab Spring uprisings and revolutions. A process of counterrevolution started with the military coup in Egypt in 2013. Much of the regional mayhem stems from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi-led efforts to reverse the democratization process initiated with the Arab uprisings and discourage any popular demands.

US keeps pressuring Turkey against Russian S-400 deal

US suspends F-35 program with Turkey to protest what Turkish officials call 'done deal' for purchase Russian S-400s

More
US keeps pressuring Turkey against Russian S-400 deal
How to tackle the remnants of Daesh

How to tackle the remnants of Daesh

As the last remaining Daesh territory is on the verge of elimination, a worrying number of Daesh militants, mostly women and their children, have surrendered themselves to the People's Protection Units (YPG).

More

Which natural resources did the YPG seize control of after its engagement with the U.S.? What is the extent of YPG-controlled natural resources and what is the YPG’s energy trade capacity? How important are these resources?

When the French and the British carved up the Middle East, the Golan Heights was part of the French mandate. It was not part of the Palestinian territories, where the Israelis claimed their authority. And after the mandate was abolished for the current nation-states, the Golan Heights was naturally left for Syria.

In the last few weeks, we have seen an intensification of debates about Turkey's S-400 purchase in the Western media.

In the last few years, it has become commonplace to question the future of the alliance between Turkey and the U.S. Some pundits emphasized the various disagreements between the two countries to indicate that the alliance has weakened and does not have the same strategic weight it used to have in previous decades.

The United States mounts pressure on Turkey over its decision to purchase the S-400 air defense system from Russia. The Turks already told Washington that the S-400 purchase was a done deal, yet U.S. officials keep trying.

Turkish and American officials are actively working to coordinate the status of eastern Syria after the withdrawal of American troops. President Donald Trump previously announced the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria.

The most recent regional crisis erupted in South Asia after the Indian Air Force crossed into Pakistani air space in order to hit Kashmiri armed groups. The story of the crisis goes back to the end of British colonialism in the subcontinent.

The United States is revising its decision to exit Syria. Washington initially hoped to complete the withdrawal by April or, at the latest, the summer months. Yet the White House announced last week that 200 U.S. troops would remain on the ground for an unspecified amount of time to promote peace.

On the condition that both sides engage in sincere negotiations, Ankara-Washington relations can easily get back on track again in a very short period of time

The U.S. withdrawal from Syria is turning into a major debacle. Washington's superpower status enables it to exploit the disequilibrium in military might to invade other nations..

Each crisis with Ankara has more significant repercussions regarding the future of Washington's relations with its other allies. In other words, what happens between Turkey and the U.S. does not not stay between Turkey and the U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump is eager to declare victory against Daesh, yet his military commanders express concerns that the terrorist defeat might be short-lived.

In fact, potential cooperation between China and Russia is mentioned as one of the significant threats for U.S. foreign policy. Of course this is the perspective of the U.S. and it is possible to read most of the decisions given by the U.S. administrations in the last few years in accordance with this changing threat assessment and perception.