The next U.S. administration is more willing to work with Russia and work on eliminating Daesh threats. However, there is still some ambiguity about the extent of cooperation and whether there will be any joint effort to resolve the crisis in Syria

Iran is trying to establish its own area of influence before Trump is sworn in and points to Iran as the main other in the Middle East

The rise of populism on the back of anti-immigrant sentiment and protectionism slowly eradicates the West's liberal credentials

If the conditions are favorable, Turkey might follow the course of military cooperation with Russia until the end, regardless of whatever reactions it bears the brunt of from the NATO side.

Germany recognizing the 1915 Armenian incidents as genocide is another strategic move to push Turkey in a corner for the sake of the EU, with no regard for the chaos in the Middle East - proof that the EU is ideologically blind

The United States' failure to manage the Arab Spring revolutions coupled with its failure to enforce its red line following the Ghouta chemical attack raises questions among Saudi Arabia's ruling elite about Washington's reliability as an ally

The arrest of Iranian-Turkish businessman Reza Zerrab in Miami does not give any message as thought by the Turkish opposition - it only shows that a U.S. attorney did his duty

The deepening crisis in the Middle East increases the value of Turkey's friendship, which the United States and others are trying to win back. In turn, Turkey cares very little about being liked. The country's leaders are completely focused on national interests.

The overdue EU attempt to find a solution to the Syrian civil war and its resulting crises, aided by Ankara, is an opportunity for European values to end the ambiguity of its stance

Having lost control of Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon to Iran by turning on the Muslim Brotherhood during the Arab Spring revolutions, Saudi Arabia now seeks to regain its influence over the Middle East.

At the regional level, Iran will continue to aggressively pursue opportunities to increase its influence, at least until Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which are distressed by U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East policy, are no longer troubled U.S. allies.

The Obama administration, knowing that the cease-fire would not last, started talking about Plan B in order to strong-arm Moscow into some kind of commitment.

Iran's sectarian expansionist policy forces the Turkish government to back the Saudi government. However, Turkey, as the only country able to prevent the power struggle between the two countries, is aware of the dangers of a possible sectarian war and thus calls the two countries to reconcile.

Although abounding in energy sources compared to other regions, the Middle East suffers from the increasing significance of the energy market in shaping the nations' foreign policy in the 21st century.

The crisis between Ankara and Moscow that started after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet that violated Turkish airspace is about to enter a critical phase.