Although the checks and balances mechanisms in modern liberal democracies have increasingly diversified, the most effective means for accountability and controlling leaders is still the ballot box. Of course, free, fair and competitive elections are not the only condition for a regime’s pluralistic and libertarian rule, but it is a prerequisite.

The two countries’ relationship had deteriorated with the pro-status quo Arab countries after the Arab insurgencies and revolutions erupted in 2011. As a result, the Middle East states were divided into two camps: pro-change and pro-status quo coalitions. However, after the consolidation of the status quo in the region and new dynamics of the area, the regional states have begun to normalize their relations with the rest of the region.

In particular, earthquake-resilient housing retrofitting or reconstruction needs massive additional funding schemes, as public or individual funding mechanisms could never be sufficient. In addition, millions of private properties or residential buildings built before 2000 require urgent strengthening or rebuilding.

The 2023 presidential election in Türkiye, which will pit the presidential candidates of two major alliances against each other, created a state of great intellectual and ideological mobilization. With the distinction between “us” and “them” forming the backbone of politics, polarization becomes inevitable. Indeed, polarization becomes more intense and widespread due to the presidential system giving rise to alliances and the Nation Alliance uniting around "anti-Erdoğanism" after two decades.

We will implement all principles of modern urbanization in resilient, smart, and climate-friendly cities. The survivors have lost their relatives and loved ones. They suffer a great deal and we suffer with them. We will heal their wounds. We will build new homes for them as quickly as possible to alleviate their pain to some extent.

the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes will be at the top of Türkiye’s political agenda ahead of the 2023 elections. On the campaign trail, voters will closely monitor each party’s vision for relief efforts, comparing the government’s proven crisis management skills with the opposition’s potential performance. Right now, the electorate can make that comparison.

It is necessary to uphold the sense of solidarity, which emerged among states after the earthquakes. Last but not least, one would hope that the humane way of thinking can triumph over the idea of interest and exploitation in international relations. This is a time to focus on moral values and solidarity – not realpolitik.

Natural disasters, wars, and economic collapse tend to seriously undermine social order and make it impossible to address even people’s most basic needs. During such periods, it becomes difficult for communities to feed themselves, find shelter, receive medical attention, relocate, and communicate with others. Individuals and communities have provided emergency assistance to such individuals, without expecting anything in return, to address basic needs like food, shelter, and medical treatment throughout history.

There is no doubt that the Turkish Red Crescent remains a prioritized civilian entity due to its historical origins, institutional past, and capacity, but it cannot represent the entire civilian domain by itself in this day and age. As such, a mechanism for disaster management should be put in place that ensures the readiness of all official and civilian resources and the effective use of those resources for a rapid response.

Türkiye must teach everyone everywhere – whether they go to kindergarten or college or are part of professional networks in office buildings or factories – about “uninterrupted earthquake awareness” and treat earthquakes as a “question of national security.” Unfortunately, our country has periodically suffered from local relationships that undermined the political process with their “influence” and “pressure.”

On top of the long-term impact of climate change, the coronavirus pandemic started in 2020 and continued for approximately two years. Subsequently, the Russia-Ukraine war took a toll on agriculture and food supply security. Just as those negative repercussions were weakening, Türkiye experienced massive earthquakes – one of the worst disasters in world history – in winter conditions. The country was compelled to raise a Level 4 alarm to heal the wounds and request international assistance.

Türkiye just experienced massive earthquakes in February. We must never forget this catastrophe – which has been described as the “disaster of the century.” We have all witnessed how devastating the earthquake was. May Allah protect our country from such disasters in the future. The Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) mobilized in the disaster’s immediate aftermath and, under the leadership of our esteemed minister, started operating in the quake zone.

In the wake of the great disaster that Türkiye has experienced, we are trying to heal each other’s wounds, mitigate each other’s suffering and rush to each other’s aid as a nation. We are compelled to highlight the economic impact of what happened in the devastation’s immediate aftermath while our memories and pain are still fresh. It is necessary to state and acknowledge that any attempt to restore and improve the “living standards” of Turkish citizens must rest on this assessment within the framework of the basic idea that the economy is supposed to serve the people. Universally speaking, economics is the science of allocating scarce resources optimally and we need its accumulated experience and principles more than ever amid crises.

The meetings held by the Turkish delegation during their visit to Washington earlier this week once again showed how necessary constant dialogue is due to the busy agenda of Turkish-American relations. Apart from bilateral issues, Türkiye and the United States need to step up their efforts in order to work together on regional and global issues. It is no secret that there are issues where the two NATO allies do not agree or, worse yet, pursue opposing policies. However, many challenges such as hot war, food crisis, energy, great power rivalry and climate change make it all the more necessary to focus on shared interests.

Türkiye’s pro-opposition circles have launched an excessive public perception campaign for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) chairperson and presidential candidate. The conservative parties that are part of the “table for six,” the opposition bloc that nominated Kılıçdaroğlu, and pro-CHP media personalities and authors lead that effort. Specifically, they refer to the prominent opposition leader as a mujtahid and draw parallels between him and Mahatma Gandhi to support his claim of being calm, collected, compromising, democratic and inclusive. Their praise for Kılıçdaroğlu comes with accusations against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – whom they see as the complete opposite.

The edited volume combines two broad objectives. First, it intends to present an alarming and innovative perspective on climate change through case studies from around the world. Second, it will provide a new perspective on migration from the perspective of global and regional dynamics that force people to migrate. With a special emphasis on Türkiye’s climate change policy and its organizational capacity to meet new challenges that have emerged, especially after its successful response to the massive influx of Syrian refugees, the edited volume overall aims to inspire international organizations and governments to find long-term solutions to this dynamic process.

This book aims to present different dimensions of environmental security and their impact on international politics. Well-known scholars from Turkey and abroad reflected on recent trends on environmental security and at the same time the environmental policies of several actors, with a special attention on Türkiye.