Interview with Turkish political scientist Umur Tugay Yücel. Much about Syria remains uncertain, and even its near future is hard to predict. In this complex and unpredictable environment, we spoke with Turkish political scientist Umur Tugay Yücel, the author of the book “Decline of US Power and Rising New Powers”. Yücel shared his views on several critical issues: The likelihood ...

Issues of trust, necessary steps and an inevitable orientation. By Orçun Göktürk, from Beijing / China The call by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli for a “Türkiye-Russia-China alliance” should be recorded as an important turning point on Türkiye’s foreign policy agenda. Bahçeli’s proposal of a “TRC” (Türkiye-Russia-China) axis against the US-Israel-centered coalition must be regarded as a strategic ...

Some reasons why Ankara must turn to the East. China hosted the “25th Heads of State Council Meeting” of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1. During the meeting, 24 documents were approved, including the Tianjin Declaration and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Development Strategy until 2035. The close interactions and photo ops between the leaders ...

Main political events in Türkiye in the last week. Last week, the anniversary of the August 30, 1922 Victory, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and opening the door to the founding of the Republic of Türkiye, was celebrated with great enthusiasm across the country. The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) held the “Special Session on Palestine”. Another important event ...

Steps taken within the EU and NATO, military and defense industry partnerships, energy, economic, and diplomatic cooperation. By Adem Kılıç, Political Scientist The process that began on October 7, 2023, with Hamas’s “Aksa Tufanı” operation and continued with Israel’s extensive attacks that turned into a genocidal war against Gaza, has led to new deep fractures and alliances not only in ...

Main political events in Türkiye in the last week. Türkiye’s agenda last week was mostly shaped by international developments. Following the Russia–US talks and discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine, Turkish officials made a series of statements. Ankara signaled a military operation after PKK-affiliated PYD/YPG/SDG terrorist groups in northern Syria refused to take part in the disarmament process. The other ...

The Turkish President will attend the upcoming SCO summit, Chinese authorities declared. By Mehmet Enes Beşer Türkiye has been the crossroads of civilizations for a number of decades, a unique geopolitical standing that bridges Europe and Asia, NATO and the Middle East, Islam and secularism, democracy and strategic pragmatism. Yet Türkiye’s own position within the world system has been constrained ...

How George Friedman, founder of Stratfor, see Türkiye’s future role in the region. George Friedman, founder of Stratfor, known as the “shadow CIA”, has published an article examining the impact of global and regional developments on Türkiye’s foreign policy. Beyond offering an analysis of the current landscape, the article lays out a roadmap for Ankara’s foreign policy. Unsurprisingly, this roadmap ...

Main political events in Türkiye during the last week. Last week was a busy one in Türkiye’s political agenda. At the top of the list was the first meeting of the parliamentary commission for the “Terror-Free Türkiye”. The commission was named as “National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission”. Another important development was the decisions taken at the Supreme Military Council ...

From Cyprus over Syria to the Caucasus. Following Syrian Foreign Minister Esad Shaybani’s visit to Moscow on July 31–August 1, speculation has grown that Russian military patrols may soon return to Syria’s southern regions. Russia’s influential daily Kommersant ran the headline “Syria Misses Russian Soldiers,” reporting that Damascus has asked Moscow to redeploy troops to help guard its borders. According ...