There is no other country in the world other than Turkey that is fighting so many global terrorist organizations at the same time, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said Sunday. In his speech at the iftar dinner held on the occasion of the 177th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish …
Read More »Can Erdogan coax Assad into dialogue?
Hopeful that the Ukraine war will tip the scales to its favor in Syria, Turkey is taking escalatory steps on the ground on one hand and testing the diplomatic waters with Damascus on the other. The Ukraine war has thawed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s chilly ties with his Western …
Read More »Erdogan plays to base with criticism of Tunisia
By slamming the dissolution of Tunisia’s parliament, Erdogan may have emboldened his ideological allies from the Ennahda party, but his criticism might backfire to further isolate political Islam. Non-interference in domestic affairs and ending support for the Muslim Brotherhood have been two major conditions that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan …
Read More »Amid Russia-Ukraine War, Turkey Worries About Floating Mines In Black Sea
As Turkish military dive teams this week safely defused their third floating naval mine in Turkish waters since March 26, some maritime experts said the explosives still pose a threat to Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait. On March 19, Russia’s FSB intelligence service said 420 naval mines were drifting freely in the …
Read More »Orban’s big win in Hungary bears lessons for Turkey’s staid opposition
What’s left of Turkey’s presidential system may be further eroded if Erdogan follows in Hungary’s “illiberal” footsteps. Diplomacy has been termed “the art of deceit,” but few doubt that Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was anything but sincere when he phoned Hungary’s Viktor Orban today to congratulate him on his …
Read More »Turkey can conduct evacuation from Mariupol by sea: Defense Minister
Turkey can provide ship support for the evacuation of civilians and injured Turkish and other nationals in Mariupol through the sea, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on April 3. “In this context, our coordination with authorities of the Russian Federation and Ukraine continues,” Akar said. Ankara has conveyed its request …
Read More »Ukraine war boosts Erdogan’s ‘new Atlanticism,’ but for how long?
Turkey’s westward focus may complicate, or complement, Ankara’s previous priority of Eurasia. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has swung the pendulum for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from the “Eurasianism” that ultimately lies in his heart back to Turkey’s traditional “Atlanticism.” He and members of his Cabinet are going out of their …
Read More »West Africa and Turkey forge new security relations
Turkey is not a new actor in Africa but is an increasingly important one. Its presence in West Africa has aroused widespread attention and even concern. Talks about win-win policy and equal partnerships seem positive, especially as existing collaborations on peace and security, such as with France, haven’t produced the …
Read More »Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey yield respite but no ceasefire
Turkey played host for the second time as peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine resumed today. Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed in Istanbul after a two-week pause today. It’s the second time the sides have met in Turkey, which has sought to position itself as an honest broker …
Read More »Turkey Discovers Armed Mines From War in Ukraine Floating Off Coast
Turkey on Monday found a mine floating off of its coast near Bulgaria and Turkish defense officials were working to defuse it. It is the second mine deployed by Ukraine in the Black Sea to halt the advance of Russian troops to be discovered floating off of Turkey’s coast in …
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