Ankara did not take seriously—did not even consider a threat—the attempt by Israel, Greece, and Southern Cyprus to form an alliance against Türkiye. On December 24, President Tayyip Erdoğan described the statements made by the three leaders in Jerusalem on December 22 as “tin clatter” and a “provocation” that Türkiye would not fall for. The
On December 22, the very day Ankara virtually launched an SDF-focused diplomatic offensive toward Damascus, Israel formed an anti-Türkiye alliance together with the governments of Greece and Southern Cyprus. As Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Director İbrahim Kalın were meeting in Damascus with President Ahmed
As Syria’s new regime completes its first year on Dec 8, Ankara has sent three warning messages—via the SDF to the PKK and to the SDF’s patron, the United States—indicating that “the wind may turn” if the current course continues: 1. Statements by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the Doha Forum 2. Visits to Damascus
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
A few hours after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared a war against the “new anti-Semitism” while trying to hold back tears at the Reichenbachstrasse Synagogue in Munich on September 16, world-renowned Turkish pianist and composer Fazıl Say made a clear statement on what is meant by this “new anti-Semitism” definition. Say, who has experienced the
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
The only issue uniting the political parties in the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), which are divided on almost every matter, was once again evident during the August 29 session: the escalating Israeli aggression against Palestine and the Palestinian people. Despite being on recess, the parliament convened extraordinarily to strongly condemn Israel’s “annihilation and annexation”
The agreement reached on August 8 in Washington by Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan, facilitated by US President Donald Trump, has the potential to reshape not only the Caucasus but also the political and economic balances in Central Asia and the Middle East. Notably, the mutual pledge of non-aggression and the
On July 22, The New York Times published an article titled, “No, Israel Is Not Committing Genocide in Gaza.” Its author, Bret Stephens, is known as one of the newspaper’s “conservative” columnists. On the same day in Gaza On the day the article was published, 80 more people were killed in Israel’s Gaza operation. Of
The Ukraine-Russia ceasefire and Iran-Europe nuclear talks are being hosted by Türkiye this week in Istanbul, with a two-day interval between them. The Ukrainian and Russian delegations will hold their third round of talks this year on Wednesday, July 23, in İstanbul. The discussions will focus on ceasefire conditions, but the likelihood of reaching an