Despite quiet talks between the two rivals, base opening and military exercises show Sissi not ready to accept Erdogan’s overtures Egypt sent a firm message to its regional rival Turkey this week, flexing its military might even as it engages in steps meant to calm tensions between the two Sunni …
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Abducted From Kyrgyzstan, Educator Orhan Inandi Paraded in Turkey as a ‘Terrorist’
Turkish President Erdogan, who previously denied knowing anything about Inandi, announced his “capture” by Turkish intelligence. Three weeks after reportedly replying to an inquiry directly from Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov that he did not know Orhan Inandi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lauded the “genuine and patient” work of the …
Read More »Drone Attacks on Military Installation Rattle India’s Security Establishment
If a Pakistani hand is found behind the recent drone strikes, it could impact the nascent India-Pakistan peace process. In the early hours of June 27, two explosive-laden Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) crashed into the Indian Air Force (IAF) station at Jammu in the Indian union territory of Jammu and …
Read More »South Korea’s ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ Dilemma
South Korea’s reticent response to the U.S. Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy has been in the spotlight, producing mixed perceptions. South Korea’s geopolitical climate is dominated by the nuclear threat posed by North Korea but Seoul is also concerned about China’s growing assertiveness. Embracing the U.S. FOIP rhetoric would …
Read More »A hybrid war to replace Afghan ‘forever war’?
The British newspaper Daily Telegraph did some kite-flying in the weekend that London is considering open-ended deployment of a contingent of elite special forces to Afghanistan “ to provide training to Afghan units and deploy with them on the ground as advisers.” At the same time, the New York Times …
Read More »Pro-Kurdish lawmaker released from Turkish prison after five-day delay
Pro-Kurdish lawmaker Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu was finally released from prison Tuesday, five days after Turkey’s Constitutional Court ruled his rights had been violated in his detention. Pro-Kurdish lawmaker Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu was released from prison Tuesday. Turkey’s Constitutional Court ruled on July 1 that his rights were violated in his …
Read More »Turkey’s anti-PKK assault leaves Kurds more divided
Turkey’s unremitting assault against the PKK is destabilizing Iraqi Kurdistan, weakening the rebels on the one hand while bolstering support for them among disaffected locals on the other. On Nov. 16, 2013, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan presided over a mass wedding in the Kurds’ informal capital, Diyarbakir, amid piercing …
Read More »Kyrgyzstan denies role in Turkey’s rendition of Gulen-linked educator
While the Kyrgyz government has denied helping Turkish intelligence services kidnap a Turkish-Kyrgyz educator, rights groups say it’s unlikely that he could have been taken otherwise. Kyrgyz authorities have denied claims that they conspired in the kidnapping by Turkish intelligence services of a Turkish-Kyrgyz educator who went missing from Bishkek …
Read More »Mozambique Could Become Africa’s Next Piracy Hot Spot
On March 24, Ansar al-Sunna, a militant group linked to the Islamic State, launched a bloody attack on the coastal town of Palma, in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, leaving at least 61 dead and scores more unaccounted for. The assault, which lasted more than a week and took place …
Read More »Why Piracy Is a Growing Threat in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea
In early May, a high-speed boat pulled alongside the Rio Mitong, a Panama-flagged cargo vessel, just off the coast of Equatorial Guinea. Using ladders to board the ship, a group of assailants kidnapped two crew members, taking them back to the shore, where they subsequently held them for ransom. Another …
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