The main cause of the dramatic shifts in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Interview with Assoc. Prof. Volkan Özdemir, Director of ATA Platform (www.ataplatform.org) Tectonic changes in the international system have been taking place across the Middle East and this intense period of transition is showing no signs of slowing down. Thanks to shifts in economic wealth from the Atlantic to ...
The meeting between Erdogan and Putin in Istanbul on January 8 proved to be a downright historic occasion. The top 4 key achievements of the meeting were: the launch of the TurkStream pipeline project, the condemnation of US destabilization in the Middle East, the confirmation of the further partnership in Syria and the de-escalation scenario on Libya. President @RTErdogan met ...
On January 8, Russian and Turkish Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Istanbul. The meeting took place in the Istanbul Congress Center “Halik” and lasted almost an hour and a half. At the meeting, Erdoğan presented Putin with the book Strategic Step on the Eastern Mediterranean Equation: The Turkey-Libya Deal. Prepared by Turkey’s Communication Directorate in both ...
Qassem Soleimani’s assasination The main political event of the first week of 2020 was undoubtedly Washington’s assassination of Qassem Soleimani, Сommander of the IRGC’s Al-Quds Force.(https://unitedworldint.com/6915-soleimanis-assassination-the-geopolitical-consequences-for-the-middle-east-and-the-west/) Tensions in Iraq had been escalating throughout the week. On December 29, the US attacked positions of Kataib Hezbollah after accusing Iran of interfering in regional affairs, killing 25 people. In response, on December ...
The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds force, Qassem Soleimani, was killed in a US airstrike in Baghdad. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Iran, Iraq and numerous other countries to honor the memory of the legendary general, one of Iran’s most important leaders after Hassan Rouhani and Ayatollah Khomenei. Brief Chronology The ...
Europe UK: Conservative victory On December 12, snap parliamentary elections were held in Great Britain. The Conservative party of Prime Minister Boris Johnson won, receiving the majority of votes. Johnson is now poised to break the Brexit deadlock. On December 19, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, in a speech to Parliament on government priorities, said that by January 31, 2020, the country must leave the ...
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, ...
Europe: a populist surge In 2019, the rise of populism in Europe continued apace. France’s Yellow Vest protesters returned to the streets throughout the year, turning from a fight against increased gasoline prices to a mass movement against the neoliberal policies of President Emmanuel Macron. The protests also inspired people abroad, expanding into other countries’ throughout Europe (Germany, Belgium, the ...
Discovering new sources of energy always creates the opportunity to increase regional cooperation and increase stability and security in a given region. However, at the same time, these resources can also increase tensions. In recent years, maritime resources have been the focus of both coastal states and trans-regional powers. Numerous meetings have been held with the leaders of the countries ...
The Kurds have been playing a vital role in the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. However, nationalization and the establishment of a new state remains an unrealized goal for many Kurds who have been engaged in the fight for these things for years. Having played an effective role in the fight against ISIS, the Kurds have begun a renewed ...
Negotiations between the leaders of Turkey and Russia on Libya may open up new prospects for Ankara. While the military situation does not favor Turkey’s allies, things are looking much better on the diplomatic front. On December 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone conversation in which they expressed concern about the clashes in the area of the ...
Turkey – Libya On December 12, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, an Egyptian and Emarati-backed marshal and the head of the East Libyan authority, announced the beginning of a decisive battle and his plans to advancement against Tripoli. Libyan media have reported fighting between Haftar and TNC forces on several fronts as Haftar’s forces approach the Libyan capital. Libya currently has two ...