Turkey

Israel-Turkey rapprochement complicates Ukraine mediation efforts

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seem to be competing for a mediator role between Russia and Ukraine, but are they? Jerusalem has been cautious these past few days over Israel’s mediation efforts between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, first …

Read More »

Will Erdogan draw lessons from Putin’s Ukraine mistakes?

As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan watches Russian forces flounder in Ukraine, he may be rethinking his own ambitions — or concluding that Turkey is in a better spot than ever. Turkey’s diplomatic isolation was the focus of excited punditry in recent years. But today, Ankara is running out of …

Read More »

Turkey’s pro-Western policy reversal reveals Erdogan’s dilemma

Turkey’s position over the Russian invasion of Ukraine ​​has resonated as a pro-Western shift in Ankara’s foreign policy, but Erdogan needs to go the extra mile. Turkey is no longer the isolated country it was 21 days ago. The ruthless Russian invasion in Ukraine that began Feb. 24 has changed …

Read More »

Turkey, Greece agree to improve ties amid Ukraine conflict

Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdoğan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed in talks on Sunday (13 March) to improve ties, despite the long-running disagreements between the two NATO members, Ankara said. The Turkish and Greek leaders met Sunday in Istanbul mindful that the burgeoning conflict in Ukraine looms larger than …

Read More »

Turkey and the UAE are getting close again. But why now?

In the decade since the Arab Spring, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been locked in a rivalry, taking diverging positions on Egypt, Libya, and Qatar, to name just a few issues. The political tension greatly impacted their economic ties and reduced investment activity. However, Turkish President Recep …

Read More »

Israel, Turkey hail new era after years of broken ties

Israel and Turkey proclaimed a new era in relations on Wednesday following more than a decade of diplomatic rupture, as Israeli President Isaac Herzog made a landmark visit to Ankara. Herzog’s Turkey trip, which included talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was the first by an Israeli president since 2007, …

Read More »

Can Turkey benefit from Europe’s quest to reduce Russian gas?

Europe’s efforts to phase down gas imports from Russia might place Turkey at the center of routes for alternative supplies from Azerbaijan and Israel. As the European Union scrambles to map out plans to wean itself off Russian gas amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its quest for substitutes might place …

Read More »

Erdogan Aide Says Zelenskyy, Israel and Soros ‘Leading Ukrainians to Death’

Just before Israeli President Herzog arrives for Turkey visit, Erdogan’s adviser says in an antisemitic tweet that Ukraine and its people ‘are being used up and thrown away’ A senior adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy of leading his own people to death in the …

Read More »

Turkish public support for NATO declines

As Turkey scrambles in response to events in Ukraine, anti-NATO sentiment is spreading in large segments of Turkish society. As the world’s attention is focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and how to isolate Russia financially, politically and diplomatically, Turkey has taken a unique balancing path. Ankara has been …

Read More »

Ukraine war shakes up Turkey’s ties with both Russia and NATO

Ankara has adopted a dual approach on the Ukraine crisis through moves both pleasing its NATO allies and positioning Turkey as a lifeline for Russia amid crippling Western sanctions on the country. Diverging from its NATO allies, Turkey has been positioning itself as an alternative platform in the face of …

Read More »