But Japan’s real test is just beginning. Here’s why. By Orçun Göktürk, President of the Turkish-Chinese Studies Center, from Beijing / China The elections in Japan have concluded. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) once again managed to remain at the center of the system and secured a victory that strengthened its power beyond expectations. The coalition led by the Liberal ...
Israel’s goals and threats, US pressure, and Iran’s survival instinct. By Adem Kılıç, Political Scientist/Writer Although it is only the second month of 2026, the world continues to witness events that are reshaping the entire global system. Following events that marked the first month of 2026, such as those in Greenland and Venezuela, the global system is now preparing to ...
The discussion has split the party mainly into two camps. It is no secret that the Trump administration supports nationalist right-wing parties across Europe. Trump, Musk, and numerous figures from the US administration have openly expressed their support in various meetings and statements, and continue to do so. Now, one of those parties, the AfD, is going through an internal ...
The relation is one of strategy-driven trust, politics-driven comfort, and development-driven pragmatism. By Mehmet Enes Beşer As President Xi Jinping’s Southeast Asian tour in last year makes headlines, it is the symbolism rather than the content of his meeting that contradicts the Chinese leadership’s priorities in the region. Among the highlights is China’s enhanced partnership with Cambodia. China’s ideology diplomacy, ...
Interview to Turkish daily newspaper Aydınlık. France’s recent flurry of diplomacy in Damascus, Baghdad and Erbil has prompted commentary suggesting a potential move toward the country’s “lasting presence” in Syria. On February 5, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot visited Damascus, Baghdad and Erbil in a day. Especially Barrot’s meetings with Kurdistan Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani and PKK/YPG leader Mazlum ...
In today’s Middle East, security is an indivisible commodity. By Mohammad Reza Moradi, General Director of Mehr News Agency’s Foreign Languages and International News Department, from Tehran / Iran Strategic analysts know well that the collapse or severe weakening of a key actor in an unstable region such as the Middle East never leads to a simple power vacuum. Such ...
China–Australia relations are not yet “back to normal”—but they are heading in that direction. By Mehmet Enes Beşer After decades of tense relations with diplomatic chill, trade warfare, and suspicion, recent developments have indicated that China–Australia relations are stabilizing gradually. Diplomatic dialogue has been renewed, trade prohibitions have begun to be repealed, and reciprocating visits are resumed. These are reassuring ...
A look from Paris on the recent transatlantic tensions. By Odile Mojon-Cheminade The spectacular US aggression against Venezuela in early January, preceded by acts of piracy on the high seas, has opened a new chapter, dangerously bringing the world closer to the abyss. The kidnapping and subsequent detention of a sitting foreign president, carried out under pretenses, demonstrates that everything ...
Ceasefire in the northeast, pathway to new constitution accompanied by further integration of Syria into Western orbit. After several preliminary attempts and armed clashes, the Syrian central government and the Syrian Democratic Forces reached an agreement on January 30, which has so far been honored. Syria experienced a flurry of agreements, cancellations, and military attacks in January, culminating in the ...
Interview to Turkish TV Channel Ulusal Kanal. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the last bilateral treaty limiting strategic nuclear weapons between the US and Russia, signed in 2010 by US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, expired on February 5. Under the treaty, both countries had pledged to scale back their strategic nuclear forces and ...
Stable Waters in a Polarized World By Mehmet Enes Beşer China and ASEAN have stood as a steadying force in a turbulent world where power is more fragmented, and rivalry grows. Despite regional tensions, mistrust, and the recent surge in militarization, a relationship between them has held firm, underpinned by no-nonsense economics, regular institutional engagement, and cooperation that purports to ...
Why al Maliki’s candidacy is harmful – a perspective from Egypt. As regional tensions escalate between Washington and Tehran, Iraq finds itself once again at the heart of the storm, with growing activity from armed militias and volunteer groups ostensibly “defending Iran” amidst a complex political and security landscape. Just one day after the first round of US-Iranian negotiations in ...