Tag Archives: Turkish foreign policy

Türkiye’s Zeitenwende

March 7, 2023 On February 6, 2023, two major earthquakes struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria. The international media correctly referred to them as the “Turkey-Syria earthquakes”. But for those familiar with the downturn relations between … Continue reading

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Presidents Biden and Putin in Single Combat

February 27, 2023 Last Monday in an article titled, “Biden’s Surreal and Secretive Journey into a War Zone”by Peter Baker and Michael D. Shear, the New York Times shared some details of President Biden’s visit to Ukraine with the reader.[i] … Continue reading

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Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: One Year On

February 20, 2023 Two years ago, on February 19, 2021, at the 2021 Virtual Munich Security Conference, President Biden addressed the global community for the first time. He defined the partnership between Europe and the US as the cornerstone of … Continue reading

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From Ping-pong Diplomacy to Balloon Crisis

February 13, 2023 Already, there is a lot to be said about the Turkey-Syria earthquake. There will be much more in the weeks and months ahead. Neither the dust will set settle, nor the grief, and anger will go away … Continue reading

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A Call for Peace in Syria

January 7, 2023 In 2009, the communique issued at the end of the Damascus meeting of the “Turkish-Syrian High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council” referred to a “strategic partnership”, at the time a fashionable label for Türkiye’s external relationships. It mentioned common … Continue reading

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The Middle East Sending Reminders

February 6, 2023 At the end of January Secretary of State Blinken visited Egypt where he met with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and President El-Sisi. His remarks there were full of praise for Egypt and the strategic partnership between the … Continue reading

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The Urgency of Avoiding Escalation in Ukraine

January 31, 2023 On January 25, Chancellor Scholz told the Bundestag that Germany will send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. For some, the German government was bowing to growing “international pressure”. For Mr. Scholz and others, the German government was … Continue reading

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Western Disarray Over Leopard 2 Tanks Behind for Now

January 25, 2023 On January 20, the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group met at Ramstein Air Base in Germany under the chairmanship of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The meeting, attended by more than fifty nations and NATO’s Secretary General … Continue reading

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Waiting for the Turkish Elections

January 23, 2023 Although not yet officially announced, it appears that Türkiye will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14, 2023. President Erdoğan is running for a third term and the group of six opposition parties known as the … Continue reading

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The US and Peace in the Middle East

January 9, 2023 On January 3, 2023, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price, in response to a question regarding “the rapprochement between Turkey and the Syrian regime” said: “Well, as I understand it, this was a trilateral engagement involving Syria, … Continue reading

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