May, 2023

• 14 May

  Turkish Elections and Foreign Policy: Change for the Better or Continuity?

  

  Every national election is a pivotal moment for any country, but some can be truly historic turning points. This was so for the 2002 election which brought Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP into power, and it is so for the 2023 election, which might very well mark the end …

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• 14 May

  The Taliban and the Islamic State Continue to Fight for Afghanistan’s Future

  

  The Taliban’s ability to lead Afghanistan remains questionable and ongoing instability has provided the Islamic State the opportunity for expansion. On April 25, 2023, U.S. officials confirmed that the Taliban had killed the head of the Islamic State (IS) cell operating in Afghanistan. Though his identity has not been revealed, …

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• 14 May

  For Israel, Gaza conflict bolsters Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Iran

  

  The Israeli army killed three senior Islamic Jihad operatives, but this relatively small organization managed to paralyze Israel for four days, sending thousands of people to shelters. Despite mediation efforts by Egypt and other regional players, fighting resumed Friday on the fourth day of Israel’s Shield and Arrow Operation against …

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• 14 May

  Russia’s Tatneft makes new oil discovery in Libya

  

  Russia and the controversial military contractor Wagner Group have longstanding interests in Libya’s oil, but instability has hurt the ability of Russian oil companies to operate in the North African country. Libya and a Russian oil company announced a new discovery on Thursday. Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation and Tatneft …

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• 14 May

  Israel kills sixth Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza as rockets target Jerusalem

  

  Since the beginning of the fighting on Tuesday morning, 973 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel and 761 of them crossed the Gaza border. A sixth senior Islamic Jihad operative who was on Israel’s most-wanted list for 26 years has been killed by the Israeli army in Gaza, as …

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• 14 May

  Turkey Elections: As rallies conclude, Erdogan defends Putin, slips in polls

  

  Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu are wrapping up their campaigns; Russia became an issue in Friday’s rallies. With less than 40 hours to go until Turkey’s closest elections in its modern history, incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his top rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu are …

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• 14 May

  Cementing Ties With Iran’s Neighbors – OpEd

  

  On April 19 and 20 Israel’s foreign minister, Eli Cohen, visited two of Iran’s close neighbors in central Asia. Facing each other across the Caspian Sea are Azerbaijan, which borders north-western Iran, and Turkmenistan, which borders its north-east. Both were among the fifteen republics once swallowed up by the USSR, …

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• 14 May

  Iran Frees Two French Citizens

  

  Two French nationals that were imprisoned in Iran have been released on humanitarian grounds, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday. In a statement on Friday, Nasser Kanaani confirmed reports on the release of two French citizens from prison in Iran. He said the two French citizens, …

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• 14 May

  Jerusalem In Islamic Jihad Crosshairs As Gaza Fighting Continues

  

  Fighting between the Palestinian resistance group Islamic Jihad and Israeli forces continued for a fourth day on Friday, with no signs of an imminent cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. For the first time since the start of the current round of fighting, Islamic Jihad fired shells toward Jerusalem. They were …

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• 14 May

  Wagner Group Chief Slams Russian Military, Says It Fled Bakhmut

  

  The founder of the Wagner Group paramilitary forces Friday sharply criticized the Russian military, saying Russian troops had abandoned the flank in and around the eastern city of Bakhmut, allowing Ukraine troops to gain ground on all sides of the disputed city. In a video released Friday, millionaire mercenary group …

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