Eurasia

Erdogan is MENA’s most popular leader, Arab Barometer finds

Turkey’s promotion of cultural heritage, including through its tourism and entertainment sectors, is one reason for Erdogan’s popularity. However, the perception of the Ottoman legacy is gradually shifting from one of praise to one of condemnation toward Turkish policies. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains MENA’s most popular leader, according …

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Afghan towns brace for economic and security upheaval as US bases prepare to close

Over the last 20 years, Bagram and other towns in Afghanistan became dependent on the sprawling U.S. military bases nearby for their economy and their security. In a few months, they may not have much of either. The flow of discarded goods from Bagram Airfield slowed to a trickle last …

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No Guarantees on Afghanistan After Troop Pullout, Says Top Biden Aide

No one can say with any certainty what will happen in Afghanistan once U.S. President Joe Biden withdraws the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 U.S. troops by September 11 to end the country’s longest war, a top White House official said Sunday. “I can’t make any guarantees about what will happen …

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US can build military facilities in Norway under new defense cooperation pact

The U.S. and Norway signed a revised defense cooperation agreement Friday that will allow the Americans to build facilities at three airfields and one naval base in the country. The agreement comes amid continuing concerns of Russian military activities along NATO’s borders, including in the Arctic region. Facilities will be …

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Afghanistan withdrawal plan could involve small troop surge

The Pentagon is pulling out its old Afghanistan drawdown plans and reworking them for a Sept. 11 deadline, per President Joe Biden’s announcement of the end of Operation Resolute Support on Wednesday. The 2,500 troops deployed to that country may see some back-up arriving to help with removing equipment, shutting …

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Turkey ‘neutralizes’ 9 PKK terrorists in northern Iraq

Air operation carried out in Metina region, says National Defense Ministry Turkish security forces “neutralized” nine PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, Turkey’s National Defense Ministry said on Monday. The terrorists were neutralized in an air operation in the Metina region, the ministry said on Twitter, also sharing footage of the …

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Libya’s Expanding Proxy War May Be the Ultimate Test of NATO’s Resilience

With Egypt reportedly on the brink of invading neighboring Libya, and troops from Chad said to be on their way north to join Gen. Khalifa Haftar in his fight to topple the internationally recognized government in Tripoli, what was already a complicated proxy war could soon become Africa’s first full-on …

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How Many Bridges Can Turkey’s Erdogan Burn?

Since his sweeping overhaul of Turkey’s political system in 2017, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cemented his near-total control over the country. Despite the worst electoral setback of Erdogan’s career in the Istanbul mayoral election in June 2019, as well as a tailspinning economy exacerbated by the fallout from the …

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A Seven-Year Fuse Blows Up Czech-Russian Relations

It is hard to know what is most surprising about the fatal depot story: the timing, the scale of the Czech response, or the operation itself. It can be disconcerting to discover you have been at war for seven years. The Czech government’s announcement that Russia was behind an explosion …

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Turkey’s Tightrope Between Russia and the United States

One question has been irking Turkish commentators since January: why won’t U.S. President Joe Biden speak to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan? All the key world leaders have had phone conversations with the new U.S. president—Russia’s Vladimir Putin included—but Turkey’s president has been given the cold shoulder. Erdoğan must …

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