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 …
Read More »CENTCOM chief arrives in Israel, discusses Iran, Hezbollah with military brass
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 …
Read More »Erdogan’s base unfazed by U-turns as Turkey prepares to host Egypt’s Sisi
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 …
Read More »Turkey’s Erdogan, Fidan talk economic ties with China’s foreign minister
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 …
Read More »Turkish intelligence eliminates terrorist behind 2021 forest fires
Turkish intelligence eliminated Özgür Şoreş, the Türkiye officer of terrorist group PKK/KCK-YPS, codenamed Özgür Alparslan, with an operation in northern Iraq, security sources said Saturday. Şoreş, responsible for the terrorist group’s activities in Türkiye since 2019, was also the founder of Children of Fire initiative responsible for numerous forest fires …
Read More »Russo-Turkish Relations: The ‘Indivisible Security’ Principle Is No Longer Binding
I recall vividly the latest NATO Summit that took place in Vilnius and was given a lot of coverage on the Russian TV. As a result of digesting daily news I can instantly visualise a huge gathering of Western politicians, military officials and diplomats. Within that sizable assemblage one could …
Read More »Türkiye’s Syria Policy after Erdoğan’s Win
Since the Syrian uprising began in 2011, Ankara has been drawn ever deeper into the crisis. Its approach will likely hold steady for now. But the choices it makes next matter for the fate of millions of Syrians. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s re-election has allayed fears among many Syrians …
Read More »Erdoğan’s Most Eminent Men: Turkey’s New Spymasters
Turkey’s two key appointments are new foreign minister and former intelligence chief, Hakan Fidan; and the newly-appointed intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalın, also an Erdoğan confidant. Both men have interesting and impressive careers. How both of them have become the only two people who make policy and share power with Erdoğan …
Read More »Trouble in Paradise? New Disputes Cloud Russia-Turkey Relations
As the Turkish president shifts his focus toward Kyiv, he is essentially testing Moscow’s new red lines. How firmly is Russia prepared to react in a situation where it is simultaneously fending off a Ukrainian counteroffensive and recovering from the Wagner mutiny? Following his hard-fought victory in the May presidential …
Read More »Turkey’s Erdogan arrives in Saudi Arabia, first stop on Gulf tour
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his three-day Gulf tour, which includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, will focus on economic cooperation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Jeddah on Monday, embarking upon his first regional tour after his reelection last May as Ankara scrambles to …
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