Pope Leo XIV, who will visit Türkiye between 27–30 November, carries two roles: one as the Head of the Vatican State, and the other as the Spiritual Leader of Catholic Christians. Ankara attaches importance to the fact that Pope Leo XIV is making his first official foreign trip to Türkiye and is pleased about it.
About ten years ago, caricatures of “Sultan Erdoğan” were popular in the Western European press. President Tayyip Erdoğan, who was trying to pull the Turkish Republic into the orbit of Russia and Iran with a neo-Ottoman and political Islamist policy, was seen as the antithesis of the West. The antipathy was so strong that, during
My generation learned about energy geopolitics through oil. We witnessed oil wars, embargoes, tanker crises, the political power of OPEC, and how the United States reshaped the world through energy. Then came natural gas. It was called a “transition fuel,” but it quickly turned into a new tool of strategic dependency. Today, however, we stand
The 20-year Turkish-US deal signed in Washington on September 25 during Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan’s meeting with US President Donald Trump marks a new chapter in energy and geopolitics balance. The agreement between BOTAŞ and US producers is more than a long-term supply contract; it is a clear signal of Türkiye’s determination to reduce dependence
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
On September 15, while domestic attention in Türkiye was focused on the CHP’s “absolute nullity” case, U.S. President Donald Trump received Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and his delegation at the White House. The Patriarch’s itinerary for September 16 included a breakfast at the Turkish Embassy, a luncheon at the Greek Embassy, and a dinner
The photos taken during Erdoğan’s meeting with Putin at the Shanghai Summit reveal a lot about Turkey-Russia relations and, beyond that, East-West relations. (Photos: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) I obtained the photos from the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Telegram page. They are from the meeting between President Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on
Türkiye’s ongoing peace process with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) holds the potential to end one of the country’s most destructive conflicts of the past four decades. Yet a lasting settlement cannot be achieved in isolation. Unless the Kurdish question in northern Syria is addressed, any peace at home will remain fragile. Instability in
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
Turks, who have turned their faces towards the West for decades, have been facing visa restrictions for nearly fifty years. Almost everyone has a positive or negative visa story to tell. As the difficulties reached their peak, the European Union took a step forward. The EU’s decision last week to adopt a more positive approach