Abstract: Despite dominating the headlines for almost a decade, surprisingly little is known about the Islamic State’s internal organization. After the declaration of the caliphate in June 2014, the organization’s center of gravity rested in the offices of the caliph and the spokesman and the Delegated Committee. Yet, with the …

Introduction: Maritime tensions between Greece and Turkey, rendered in opposing mythologies of national sovereignty, are nothing new. The hostility between both states dates back to their founding periods. These conflicts have typically taken the form of a dormant conflict with periodic flare-ups. As a result, the causes fueling the present …

Pakistan’s security landscape has become increasingly volatile, as evidenced by the recent spate of attacks on military bases and law enforcement officers. A newly emerged group, Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), has claimed responsibility for a brazen assault on a military base in Northern Balochistan, resulting in casualties among soldiers. This attack …

China and Pakistan share a strong and enduring relationship that has evolved into a threshold alliance over the years. Established in May 1951, their diplomatic ties have transformed into a deep friendship and partnership, spanning various areas of cooperation. The bond between the two nations strengthened during Pakistan’s tumultuous early …

Rivalries between great powers, even for regions like the Illyrian Empire, go deep into the twilight of history. For a long time, the competition for dominance in this region was between the big ones such as the USA and the USSR; whereas today the USA, Russia, Turkey and China face …

High-level visits and conversations between US and Israeli military leaders suggest that military cooperation continues despite the deepening rift. The head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) overseeing all American forces in the Middle East, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, met Wednesday in Tel Aviv with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, just …

According to unconfirmed reports in Turkish media, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi might even arrive in the Turkish capital as soon as Thursday. A decade ago, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Egypt’s strongman “a brutal killer” and vowed never to shake hands with him for overthrowing and jailing Mohammed …

Despite the growing rapprochement between Ankara and Beijing, conflicts, long mistrust and economic rivalry will likely limit the extent of cooperation between Turkey and China, analysts believe. Paying the highest-level visit from Beijing to Ankara since 2011, China’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hakan …

Summary:In the aftermath of the earthquake in northwest Syria, humanitarian crises from water scarcity to displacement will only be exacerbated by climate change and political challenges. Regional and international negotiations need new frameworks to manage the disaster. Key Themes A decade of violent conflict has created widespread vulnerabilities throughout Syria, …

At the Konstantinovsky Palace in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin held his first meeting with Dilma Rousseff, President of the New Development Bank (NDB), established by the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) in 2015. Rousseff, the first woman to lead the bank, was appointed to head it …