Tag Archives: Syria

2025: A Year of Disappointments                

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Ali Tuygan

December 15, 2025 In two weeks, the year 2025 will be behind us. The end of a year is a moment of reflection on the achievements, disappointments, and failures of the past twelve months and whether different paths could have … Continue reading →

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Türkiye’s Radish War

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Ali Tuygan

April 21, 2025 Following President Erdoğan’s first use of it in early January after the arrest of Mr. Rıza Akpolat, the Mayor of the Beşiktaş district of İstanbul, “radish” has become the top word of the Turkish political lexicon. Once … Continue reading →

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The Question of the Endgame in Gaza (2)

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Ali Tuygan

April 7, 2025 On January 18, 2025, following the Israeli government’s approval of the Gaza ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a statement.  He notably declared that Israel retains the right to return to the war, if necessary, with the … Continue reading →

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Toward a More Transactional Relationship

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Ali Tuygan

January 27, 2025 President Trump’s inaugural address lasted for thirty minutes.[i] He said little about the guiding principles of Washington’s future foreign and security policy. He once again stressed that America would soon be greater, stronger, and far more exceptional … Continue reading →

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A Ceasefire in Gaza but Regional Challenges Remain

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Ali Tuygan

January 20, 2025 The Hamas-Israel ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange agreement went into effect yesterday with the release of three Israeli woman hostages and ninety Palestinian prisoners, mostly women. During the past fifteen months, nearly 47,000 Gazans were killed and more … Continue reading →

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President Biden’s Foreign and Security Policy

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Ali Tuygan

January 16, 2025 Last Monday, at the US State Department, Mr. Biden delivered his last foreign and security policy speech as president.[i] His remarks were only words of praise for the achievements of his four years at the White House.  … Continue reading →

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The New Year Begins with Uncertainties

Posted on January 2, 2025 by Ali Tuygan

January 2, 2025 Toward the end of 2024, Germany and France were engulfed in domestic political problems. Romania’s constitutional court annulled the country’s 2024 presidential election. Georgia remained in political turmoil. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial … Continue reading →

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Türkiye at an Inflection Point

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Ali Tuygan

December 19, 2024 The history of Türkiye-West relations over the last fifteen years has been characterized by a lack of meaningful dialogue, unfriendly rhetoric, and confrontation despite a promising beginning. In April 2009 President Obama came to Ankara on his … Continue reading →

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The Year 2024 in Review

Posted on December 16, 2024 by Ali Tuygan

December 16, 2024 People aspire to democracy.  Regardless of their respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, and the rule of law, all regimes claim to be democratic in some form because it remains the ultimate source of legitimacy to govern. … Continue reading →

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The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Blitzkrieg

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Ali Tuygan

December 9, 2024 After thirteen years of internal fighting, loss of life, and devastation, the five-decade-long Assad regime was swept away in barely two weeks. President Hafez al-Assad, the father, was the President of Syria from 1971 until his death … Continue reading →

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