Balancing Growth and Sustainability By Mehmet Enes Beşer The economic development journey of ASEAN has conventionally been accounted for by the narrative of trade liberalization, manufacturing performance, and demographic dividends. But as the region is facing the double challenge of post-pandemic recovery and climate change, an even higher level of economic transformation is being outlined—one founded on financial inclusion, green ...

Defense spending, fascism and risks on social security. By Mitsuko Sakagami, from Japan Published in Shiso-Undo, March 2026 The fiscal policy of the TAKAICHI Sanae administration is said to be a revival of “Abenomics” by the former prime minister ABE Shinzo, but the situation has changed significantly. Abenomics was built on the “three arrows”—monetary easing, fiscal stimulus, and growth strategy—but ...

Interview with Dr. Daryoush Sefarnejad, an academic and expert on international affairs By Azar Mahdavan, from Tehran / Iran “You will end up helpless.” This is a phrase often quoted from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s former leader, in reference to the United States and Israel. Now, more than ten days after the start of military confrontations involving Iran, the United ...

Harnessing the Sun By Mehmet Enes Beşer Basking in the sunshine, increasing electric demand, and international pressure building to transition to cleaner energy, ASEAN is well-placed to emerge as a solar power leader. On Philippine rooftops, on rolling central Vietnamese plains, solar photovoltaics (PV) is one of the most promising green growth paths forward. But with this dormant potential, solar ...

Evaluations of Turkish retired Rear Admiral Cem Gürdeniz and former Ambassador Halil Akıncı Cem Gürdeniz, a retired Rear Admiral of the Turkish Navy and one of the coiners of the term “Blue Homeland” (Mavi Vatan) shared his views on the developments in the Strait of Hormuz on the social platform X. We present Gürdeniz’s analysis, translated into English. — A ...

Posted by by United World International 16 Min Read March 11, 2026 On February 28, the US and Israel launched an assault on Iran. The whole world’s gaze is on Iran. Iran has become the number one agenda also in Europe. While the European Union and its leading member states have backed the assault on Iran, a wide array of ...

How has the rapid transformation of the global order gained a new dimension with the Iran war? By Adem Kılıç, Political Scientist / Writer According to many experts, February 28 will take its place in the near future as the starting date of World War III. However, I have repeatedly stated in my World Of Türkiye analyses that World War ...

The multilateral transition towards higher equality and inclusiveness is a display of sovereignty, of solidarity, and of vision. By Mehmet Enes Beşer The global order has experienced rapid geopolitical and economic changes over recent decades. The post-World War II international order dominated by the Western world by institutions such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the ...

We are living through pre-war days similar to those the humanity experienced in the 1930s, and almost no one in Europe, Russia, or China seems to realize it. Very strange and highly contradictory statements have so far been issued by the Cypriot, Greek, and British authorities regarding the drones and missiles from Iran, because of which Greek and other NATO ...

Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran: Different Parts of the Same Front By Orçun Göktürk, from Beijing / China More than a week has passed since the renewed attacks by the US and Israel against Iran and the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. During this period, Iran targeted almost all US bases in West Asia and carried out successful retaliations against ...

In short, it is doubtful how long the US/Israel can bear the burden of this war, which has caused a major crack in the global financial system. The war that began on February 28 with US/Israeli airstrikes on Iranian cities continues. The boundaries of the war, both in terms of time and geography, remain unclear. It is likely to prolong ...

Leveraging Middle Powers By Mehmet Enes Beşer Southeast Asia is uncomfortably in the middle of 21st-century great power rivalry. China-US competition speeding up with military interventions, economic decoupling, and competing visions of the region has placed ASEAN countries uncomfortably in the middle. With the South China Sea, cyberspace, and sea lanes as the fulcrums, regional strategic contours are increasingly defined ...