The term “Flammable Ice” will soon be a part of our daily lexicon. The phenomena’s scientific name is “clathrate hydrates” (gas hydrates), describing ice-like, crystalline formations created under high pressure and low temperature hydrocarbon gas molecules on the sea bottom. Under standard pressure and temperature conditions, 1 cubic meter of gas hydrate contains up to 164 cubic meters of natural ...
Our ancestors who chose Anatolia, a land surrounded by seas, for their homeland rewarded future generations in doing so. Despite that the Ottomans had established an empire stretching over three continents with corresponding requirements of its political geography, they could not grasp the status of a maritime power even in a theoretical sense, with the exception of the 16th century. ...
On May 26, US Africa Command (Africom) claimed that Russia had deployed MiG-29 and Su-35 fighter jets as well as Su-24 bombers to Libya. It is reported that the Russian planes were allegedly first sent to Syria, where they were repainted to remove the signs of affiliation, and then brought to Libya to support the Libyan National Army (LNA) of ...
A brief analysis of the latest investigation of the Congressional Research Service about Libya (“Libya: Conflict, Transition, and U.S. Policy” issued on April 13, 2020, author – Christopher M.Blanchard, specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs) and it’s proof in American Foreign Policy. New at https://t.co/PoEqTtLcWE : Libya: Conflict, Transition, and U.S. Policy — Every CRS Report (@EveryCRSReport) April 15, 2020 Preface ...
On April 27 Haftar declared himself the ruler of Libya. In a video message, Haftar pointed to street demonstrations in areas under his control, and claimed he “accepted the mandate of the Libyan people” to govern the country. He said the agreement, signed by the warring sides in Libya under the auspices of the UN, has “lost its rule.” Hafter ...
The Tripoli Protection Force, which consists of a number of groups in the Libyan capital loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Fayez Sarraj, recently published a video investigation into the activities of GNA Minister of the Interior Fathi Bashagha. VIDEO | #Tripoli Protection Force (TPF) publishes a documentary on the “scandals, conspiracies, embezzlements and treacheries” of the ...
The signing of a memorandum between Erdoğan and Sarraj regarding maritime boundaries was one of the most crucially important events for Turkey in 2019. The memorandum was important as a geopolitical counterbalance to the Greece-Israel-Egypt block which opposes Turkey in the region. The memorandum sets new contours of Turkish control in the Eastern Mediterranean. Our analysis of the geopolitics of ...
The past year saw Turkey’s turn toward an anti-Western foreign policy, while in domestic politics President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was forced to share his power as new types of coalitions blossomed. To summarize the political reflections of 2019 in Turkey, both foreign and domestic: Turkey is moving away from atlanticist power Following the US-backed coup attempt on July 15th 2016, ...
Afghanistan Ghani Afghanistan’s incumbent President Ashraf Ghani is leading the race to retake the country’s leadership according to preliminary election results, according to the Afghan National Election Commission. According to an election commission spokesman during a press conference broadcast on the commission’s Facebook, Ghani won with 50.64% of the vote, according to preliminary results. In Second place with 39.52% of ...
“The one who rules the seas, rules the world” Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa, Grand Admiral of the Turkish Fleet in the sixteenth century The attention of the EU and NATO has recently been fixated on new agreements between Turkey and the Prime Minister of the Government of National Accord in Libya Fayez al-Sarraj concerning issues of sovereignty over maritime zones in the ...