Eurasia

Turkey’s beleaguered Kurds weigh new strategies after Erdogan’s win

The key question following the vote is whether the alliance between the HDP and the main opposition Republican People’s Party and its Table of Six partners can endure. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s electoral victory is roiling the country’s Kurdish movement, with its most popular leader declaring from jail that …

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Tech Giants At War In Ukraine – Analysis

Global tech giants are shaping the future of warfare. Today, when wars are increasingly turning hybrid, governments and militaries are struggling to field the right hi-tech platforms that are critical to securing a state against hybrid threats. The Ukraine War illustrates the crucial role played by the tech giants that …

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Iran: Heroic Flexibility Returns

[“Supreme Guide” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] has decided to perform what he calls “heroic flexibility” in foreign policy in the hope of focusing on a slow but steady suppression of dissent at home. In a speech last week, he said he was applying the tactic of “taqiyeh” (dissimulation), a theological concept, …

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Biden Is Not Serious about Ukraine Defeating Russia

[G]iven the unconscionable delays that have affected other commitments by the Biden administration to provide Kyiv with advanced weapons, concerns remain about whether the aircraft will actually arrive in time to make a material difference to Ukraine’s war effort. Procrastination and equivocation have been the key watchwords of Biden’s response …

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Just War and Just War Theory

One of the most disputed topics with regard to the concept of war is the idea of a Just War – a war held to be founded on the principles of justice in principle caused and conducted in the name of humanity like, for instance, self-defense or protection of minority …

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The Politics of Erdogan and Western Anxieties

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become the longest-serving leader in the history of the Turkish Republic. He has been a controversial yet dominant figure in Turkish politics since 2003 holding various positions including prime minister and president. In the runoff election held on May 15, neither Erdogan nor his opponent, Kemal …

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Turning the Page: Saudi Arabia’s New Diplomatic Approach

The Arab League meeting earlier this month was one of the more interesting in the last couple of decades, mostly due to the host, Saudi Arabia, using it for messaging the West, particularly on Israel and Syria. More recently, Riyadh has engaged in new diplomatic moves towards Canada, a country …

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The Art of Tasseography: China–Russia Relations as Viewed from China

Analysis of Beijing’s relationship with Moscow tends to focus on official statements and diplomatic behaviour. But what do Chinese experts have to say about the matter? And how might they be advising their government? The dynamics of Beijing’s relationship with Moscow remain as opaque as the inner workings of the …

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Overcoming the Challenges of Transitional Mobilization

Nonviolent action can be a powerful way to bring about peaceful transitions from autocratic rule to democracy. But even when initially successful, movement leaders often face significant challenges, from frustrations that grievances are not addressed quickly enough to counterrevolutions aimed at restoring the authoritarian status quo. This report examines two …

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Dislodging Putin’s Foothold in the Balkans

With the West focused on Ukraine, Russia is taking the opportunity to nibble away at NATO’s borders and to sow discord. The impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the Balkans can only be understood by considering Moscow’s malign influence in the region from a broader perspective. While Russia has …

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