At the SAHA defense exhibition, which opened in İstanbul on May 5, the biggest surprise was the announcement that Türkiye had reached the manufacturing stage of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). A mock-up of the “Yıldırımhan” missile — said to be capable of delivering a 3-ton warhead over a distance of 6,000 kilometers — was
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met President Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul on April 4. We do not know whether the timing of the visit was deliberately arranged, but since he was already in Istanbul—and as it coincided with Easter—he also visited Patriarch Bartholomew. Later, in a move that, like his Istanbul visit, had not been announced
Russian forces entered Ukrainian territory four years ago today, on 24 February 2022. NATO had anticipated the attack. Just as the world was beginning to recover from the trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was perhaps stepping into what could become a simmering, low-intensity world war. On 27 February 2022, Türkiye formally designated the situation
Until Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Munich Security Conference was regarded as one of the world’s most influential platforms for strategic dialogue — a political barometer for the year ahead. Not only Western countries, but also officials from China, Russia and Iran were invited. Discussions often proved more substantive than those
When you rotate the Google Earth application 90 degrees vertically instead of horizontally, the map above appears, clearly revealing why U.S. President Donald Trump set his sights on Greenland the very day after his military intervention in Venezuela. The area that looks like a sea in the center is the Arctic Ocean. It is covered
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
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
August 18, 2025, may go down in history as a dark day for European diplomacy. Three days after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, U.S. President Donald Trump, outmaneuvering European leaders, summoned them to his doorstep, saying, “Come, let me explain.” Putin had not wanted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the
After five years, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had the opportunity to meet face-to-face again with U.S. President Donald Trump, whom he calls his “friend,” at the NATO Summit held in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24-25. However, unlike Erdoğan’s meetings with leaders from Germany, France, the UK, or the host Netherlands, which were held with
When I say hypocrisy of the European Union’s suggestion to Türkiye, I am not referring to the proposal by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to President Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on March 12. Tusk wants Turkey to take a leading role in the Russia-Ukraine talks. But this is not just in the hands of Poland,