What About Iran’s Proxy Forces in Turkey?
Before the Iranian “mullah regime” collapses, it has already built a serious infrastructure inside Turkey—under Erdoğan’s protection—to reproduce...
In a lightening offensive reminiscent of their overthrow of Assad in December 2024, Syria’s new president Ahmed al-Sharaa’s forces took some 80 percent of...
The Fragile Turkish-PKK Peace Process Threatened by Renewed Fighting between the Syrian Army & Pro-Kurdish SDF
The sudden fighting in Aleppo between the Syrian army...
Nationalism, at its core, is a political principle that answers three fundamental questions: Who are we as a collective? What norms and institutions should...
A year ago, Donald Trump entered office recommitting to “an America First” foreign policy. To many of his supporters that meant disengaging from the...
The Pakistanization of Turkey? Why Tactical Supports of Yesterday Could Be Turkey’s Ideological Crisis Tomorrow
On December 29, just before New Year’s Eve celebrations, three...
Trump’s New National Security Strategy (NSS):
Its Implications for U.S.-Turkiye, Kurdish, and Middle East Relations
Trump’s new National Security Strategy (NSS) abruptly posted in the middle...
There is a fashionable consensus among Turkey’s liberal and Islamist commentators—Ahmet Altan among them—that “the Young Turks destroyed the Ottoman Empire, and it is...
Recep Tayyip Erdogan—Turkey’s longtime leader as prime minister (2003-2014) and subsequently as president (2014-)—infamously once declared that “democracy is like a train; you get...
Two weeks ago, I again visited Iraqi Kurdistan—often referred to as the Iraqi Kurdistan Government (KRG)—to deliver the keynote address on “Kurdish Identity” at...
Erdogan’s September 2025 White House Visit:
Its Impact on Turkey’s Recent Balance-of-Power Strategy
On September 25, 2025, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited U.S. president Donald...
In any functioning democracy, collective organization (the ability of individuals to form groups, join associations, and pursue political, social, or cultural objectives) is not...
The digital landscape has become a critical battleground against violent extremism and the spread of anti-democratic values. Authoritarian regimes and extremist groups are...
The Rising Influence of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Along with its status and mission, the institution referred to in Turkey’s official discourse as the “Fener Greek...
It will not be an exaggeration that Donald Trump has turned upside down America’s relations with Europe. From strong-arming NATO allies to commit to...
Turkey’s Renewed Balance-of-Power Policy among the Global Powers
Arguably the superpower of the entire world in the sixteenth century under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, the...
Turkey’s Return to Confiscation: A Historical Perspective on the New Law Granting Expanded Seizure Powers
On January 30, 2025, Turkey’s Grand National Assembly (TBMM) passed...
The Caucasus is a relatively small, but geostrategically significant region between the Black and Caspian Seas, athwart Europe and Asia, at the northern edge...
The Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict, which began in Nagorno-Karabakh following the collapse of the Soviet Union, came to a halt after Azerbaijan emerged victorious in the...
Although Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been roundly criticized by many observers including this one for backsliding on democracy in his own country,...
On March 19, 2025, the arrest of Istanbul Mayor and opposition presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu reignited a political crisis that has been smoldering for...
Weekly Turkey Report – 1st Week of July
Last week, President Erdoğan escalated efforts toward an authoritarian transformation of the regime. In a display of...
The Weekly Turkey Report: 4th Week of June
ECONOMY
Turkey is in political and economic turmoil amid the scorching summer. As emphasized in an in-depth analysis...
According to the Bible (Ezra 1:1-4), the famous founder of the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great, ironically freed the Israelites from their Babylonian captivity...
Israel attacked Iran in an attempt to preserve the hegemony it had established over the West. Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s growing dominance began...
A hundred days into Donald Trump’s second presidency, the contours of transatlantic relations have shifted dramatically. US foreign policy, once anchored in multilateralism, now...
At the request of the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), the Grand National Assembly of Turkey has passed a law granting Diyanet the authority...
The Weekly Turkey Report: 1st Week of May
As Turkey continues to spiral into chaos and lawlessness, its economic crisis deepens further. The brief market...
One of the most persistent issues in Turkish public discourse is the debate over the constitution. Once again, a new constitutional initiative is on...
On April 8, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared alongside President Donald Trump in the Oval Office and made a striking public appeal:...
The detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19, 2025, amid terrorism and corruption investigations marks a new stage in President...
False Peace and an Increasingly Repressive Regime
Turkey's agenda remains constant yet tense. This week’s key topics included the PKK’s disarmament, Erdoğan’s meeting with DEM...
