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.

03 January 2020, Friday / Published in Politics, The Middle East Political and Economic Affairs

Soleimani hit may cause bigger issues: Turkish opposition

Killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Qasem Soleimani through a U.S. strike in Iraq could be the “beginning of new and bigger problems” in the Middle East, said Turkish opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on January 3. During a press conference in Ankara, Kılıçdaroğlu said that Turkey, as a neighbour of both
19 December 2019, Thursday / Published in Politics, The Middle East Political and Economic Affairs

Libya should not be the next Syria

President Tayyip Erdoğan’s December 9 statement on the public TRT channel about the possibility of Turkey sending troops if the Libyan government requests it, has shifted the international attention from Syria to Libya. This claim preceded the December 14 presidential decree granting visa exemptions to Libyan passport holders who are “younger than 16 and older
05 November 2019, Tuesday / Published in Politics, The Middle East Political and Economic Affairs

Russia’s Syria game plan targets U.S. via Turkey

Russian and Turkish soldiers’ joint patrol against the YPG militants along the Turkey-Syria border started on November 1. It was followed by two key developments. One was a bomb attack in the Tel Abyad marketplace, resulting in the deaths of 13 and injuries of 20 people. On the same day, on November 2, demonstrations took
23 October 2019, Wednesday / Published in Politics, The Middle East Political and Economic Affairs

Erdoğan and Putin won in Syria. Who’s the loser?

Following the U.S. President Donald Trump, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan has convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin not to allow the establishment of a Kurdish state in Syria; and Putin convinced Erdoğan to cooperate with the Syrian regime, if not personally with Bashar al-Assad. Two hours before the expiry of a 120-deadline deal between the U.S.
22 October 2019, Tuesday / Published in Politics, The Middle East Political and Economic Affairs

Russia helps Turkey-U.S. deal, takes control in Syria

According to diplomatic sources who want to stay anonymous, Russia played a key role in the deal between Turkey and the U.S. on October 17 for a possible Safe Zone in Syria, as the deadline for U.S. to evacuate YPG/PKK militants from Turkish operation area in return ceasing the fire expires on October 22 night.
21 October 2019, Monday / Published in Politics, The Middle East Political and Economic Affairs

13 unsafe questions about the Safe Zone in Syria

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence had agreed on October 17 upon a 120-hour (five days) process for the Safe Zone deal in Syria. We were in the last 48 of that deadline as I was writing this article. As the countdown went on, details about how the countries came to
11 October 2019, Friday / Published in Politics, Terrorism and counter-terrorism: Turkey and neighbors, The Middle East Political and Economic Affairs

Reactions to Turkey’s Syria campaign: the U.S., Russia, the E.U. and the Muslim states

The United Nations Security Council had an emergency meeting on October 10 to take a stance against Turkey’s military campaign into Syria, launched on October 9. There were expectations of harsh reprimand and even sanctions. That didn’t happen: there wasn’t any denouncement. Furthermore, the U.S. and Russia made a move that they seldom choose to