Shaping Europe’s security architecture: With or without Türkiye
The recent transformation of Europe’s security architecture has reemphasized the traditional security dimension in Turkish-European relations. The European security and defense architecture is facing one of the most significant turning points and challenges of the post-Cold War European geopolitical order.
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Breaking the bond: Trans-Atlantic dispute over values
The heated debate between the United States and its trans-Atlantic allies reached a peak when U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. stake in Ukraine’s economy is “a better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that has not fought a war in 30 or 40 years.” Although Vance later stated that he did not “even mention the U.K. or France,” his earlier comments had already drawn reactions in London and Paris; particularly, veterans in the United Kingdom accused him of being disrespectful to the memories of hundreds of U.K. troops who died alongside the U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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U.S. President Donald Trump continues to make scandalous statements regarding the future of Gaza. His remarks about the expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have sparked outrage worldwide. These statements were followed by comments about “an announcement on the annexation of the West Bank within a month” and later, “the transfer of Gaza to the U.S.” and “its reconstruction.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited various countries on different continents in the last month to attend the summits of six regional and global international organizations.
The Middle East region has been in political instability since the eruption of the Arab insurgencies and revolutions in 2011...
This book examines the century-long transformation of Turkish foreign policy, with each chapter dedicated to analyzing different regions and explaining the priorities and strategies of Türkiye within the context of its historical transformation.
World War III knocking on the door
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has been insistently warning the whole world that the Israeli atrocities in Palestine, especially the Israeli attacks against senior Hamas officials in Lebanon and Iranian targets in Syria, may spread the ongoing war in the Palestinian territories to the entire Middle East. Fidan pointed out that the attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian proxy Houthi militants show the scale of the tension in the region. He warned the related regional states and global powers that if they did not deter Israel, the war could spread to the region. And the regional war will end in a way that every regional state will lose.
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Türkiye's growing engagement with China
The recent visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to China marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Turkish foreign policy within the shifting strategic landscape of Eurasia. As Türkiye aims to balance its strategic partnerships and expand its influence, this visit underscores crucial discussions and potential impacts on foreign policy.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent visit to Iraq could mark the beginning of a new chapter in the longstanding relationship between Türkiye and Iraq. During his visit to Baghdad, Türkiye and Iraq signed a strategic framework agreement that addresses a variety of issues, ranging from security to economic cooperation. This agreement represents the culmination of nearly a year of productive high-level discussions between the two countries. Furthermore, President Erdoğan’s first visit to Iraq since 2011 has established new connections between Türkiye, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, enhancing the region’s geo-economic landscape.
Under the strategic framework agreement for joint cooperation, which the two countries inked in Baghdad, their bilateral relations have been elevated to the level of strategic partnership with a “qualitative leap.” The Turkish and Iraqi governments created a road map for future cooperation. Their commitment to solving problems and elevating their cooperation to the highest level rests on the “win-win” principle. Accordingly, the Turkish delegation, which included eight Cabinet ministers, focused on a broad range of issues, including counterterrorism, cross-border waters, security, the defense industry, trade, health care, communication, education, energy and transportation.
The Middle East rang in the new year with assassinations and terror attacks. Saleh al-Arouri, the deputy leader of Hamas' political bureau, was assassinated in Beirut last Tuesday. The following day, two bombings in Kirman, Iran (for which Daesh has claimed responsibility) killed 103 people. As those attacks shifted everyone’s attention to Israel, Iran and Hezbollah pledged to exact “revenge and a heavy price.”
