Category Archives: Uncategorized

Middle East Stability Still Faraway

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

January 18, 2019 It has been a month since President Trump declared victory against ISIS in Syria and said US troops were returning home. It was only to be expected that the decision would lead to questions. Because, this was … Continue reading →

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Syria: Moment of Truth for the West

Posted on January 11, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

January 11, 2019 Defeating ISIS in Syria and ousting President Assad are no longer compatible. They never were. The West must make a choice. The following questions can help find the answer: Was the Western intervention in Syria about promoting … Continue reading →

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Trump’s U-turn in Syria and Turkey

Posted on January 8, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

January 8, 2019 President Trump’s surprise announcement of the withdrawal of US troops from Syria has ended up, unsurprisingly, in another U-turn. On Sunday his national security advisor John Bolton said, “We don’t think the Turks ought to undertake military … Continue reading →

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Syrian Conflict: Moment of Truth for Turkey

Posted on January 1, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

January 1, 2019 It has been two tumultuous weeks which started with President Trump’s tweet announcing the withdrawal of US troops from Syria. On December 20, responding to a question on the US pullout and ISIS by the correspondent of … Continue reading →

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2018 In Retrospect

Posted on December 25, 2018 by Ali Tuygan

December 25, 2018 It has been a chaotic year with no or little progress in overcoming world’s outstanding challenges: U.S.-Russia tensions, Middle East turmoil with numerous sub-titles, Ukraine conflict, the future of the JCPOA, North Korea’s nuclear program, migration, trade … Continue reading →

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Trump’s Decision to Withdraw from Syria

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Ali Tuygan

December 22, 2018 President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria seems to have surprised even shocked many, particularly in Washington. His brief announcement left many questions unanswered. Had he been a consistent leader steering his administration in close … Continue reading →

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The Imperative to Contain Middle East Conflicts

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Ali Tuygan

December 8, 2018 With rising but controlled tension over the Kerch Strait incident, a cancelled Trump-Putin meeting, uncertainty regarding U.S.-North Korea dialogue, the war in Yemen, continuing turmoil in the broad Middle East, U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, the prospect … Continue reading →

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Notes on the G20 Summit

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Ali Tuygan

December 3, 2018 The remedy to world’s problems is effective multilateralism. Since the U.N. resists reform and is dysfunctional, regular international gatherings of leading countries understandably create expectations. The G20 is such a group. Collectively, G20 members make up 85% … Continue reading →

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Khashoggi, Turkey and the Yemen War

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Ali Tuygan

November 26, 2018 After “The End” in a movie comes the closing credits with the names of the director, writer, producer, leading cast, supporting cast, director of photography and others who have contributed to its making. “The End” in the … Continue reading →

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The Path to Middle East Supremacy

Posted on November 20, 2018 by Ali Tuygan

November 20, 2018 Arab spring and the Syrian conflict have led some observers to look at Middle East developments through the prism of regional “rivalry” or “competition”. Countries generally mentioned are Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Israel is also prominently … Continue reading →

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