The Middle East Political and Economic Affairs: Reporting and analysis of major political and economic developments in the Middle East, Turkey being a key player in the region.
Geopolitical analysis of the US–Iran crisis typically rests on cold calculations of power: air defence systems, missile ranges, sanctions packages, aircraft carriers. Yet occasionally it is more instructive to step deliberately one degree away from realism and ask: what if? Alternative scenarios can illuminate exits from deadlocked equations. Recall that when China brokered diplomatic normalisation
US and Iranian delegations are expected to meet in Istanbul on Friday, February 6, at Türkiye’s initiative. If it goes ahead, the talks between US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will be hosted by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. This would mark the first
In mathematics, when solving systems of equations with multiple unknowns, there is the concept of a “temporary variable,” or in the terminology of statistics and economics, a “dummy variable.” If the number of equations you need to solve exceeds the number of variables, you invent variables to fill the gaps in the matrix. Once a
After the Syrian army pushed back SDF forces during a military operation that has been ongoing for the past two weeks, Syrian President Ahmed Shara announced on the evening of January 18 that a ceasefire had been reached with the SDF in northeastern Syria. According to the ceasefire agreement, the SDF will hand over
Türkiye and Israel are weathering one of the most acrimonious periods in their modern diplomatic history. The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, Israel’s increasingly assertive posture in Syria, its strategic alignment with Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, and the heightened pressure from influential segments of the US Jewish lobby on Ankara have all contributed to
The Erdoğan–Netanyahu confrontation is no longer just a war of words. It reflects a deeper struggle shaped by the contested status of Jerusalem, energy rivalries in the Eastern Mediterranean, and U.S. unwavering support for Israel. The only way out lies in a hard-nosed approach to deterrence, balanced by sober diplomacy. From words to weapons For
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio poured fuel on the fire with his remarks at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Israel following the Qatar operation. According to Rubio, efforts to recognize the State of Palestine were “emboldening Hamas”. Rubio who was already emboldening Netanyahu’s expansionist aggression with this visit
On the same day that the Chief Legal Advisor to the Turkish Presidency, Mehmet Uçum, said “the state does not repeat a process that fails to yield results,” journalist Amberin Zaman, known for her deep Kurdish and American sources, made an intriguing claim on the Al-Monitor news site. According to her report, which she claims
Top-level Turkish security delegation’s visit to Baghdad on March 14 should be considered as a significant step towards a comprehensive Türkiye Iraq agreement ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s expected visit to Iraq in April after 12 years. The rapprochement and establishment of strategic political and economic relations between Türkiye and Iraq appear to
The government is holding the Turkish public opinion with agendas like reopening Hagia Sophia as a mosque, the debate about the Istanbul Convention against violence against women, internet bans. But this does not mean that nothing is happening in foreign policy; the usual subject to distract attention from difficulties in the economy. On the contrary,