Ukrainians appreciate Western support but they also point out that one of the main reasons which emboldened Russia to act aggressively was the mild reaction when it annexed Crimea. Ukrainians also claim that the West was hesitant at first when Russia attacked Ukraine last February. It was only…

Russia is occupied with the war in Ukraine, but it also continues its engagement in Syria because of its importance in the geo-strategic stage. Russia, having special relations, in its own way, with both Türkiye and Syria, has long wanted to restore relations between them. A few months ago, it…

Süleyman Demirel, who was a veteran politician, seven times Prime Minister and the ninth President of Türkiye always said “24 hours is a very long time in politics”. How true, especially in Turkish politics. Since February 6, Türkiye has been trying to heal the wounds of the devastating…

The most recent earthquake in Türkiye (and the northern part of Syria) is one of the most devastating natural disasters ever. The earthquake struck 10 provinces in south/southeast Anatolia which is home to around 13-14 million. As of 11 February, the number of people who perished is over 20.000…

Türkiye’s sharp shift in its Syria policy has become the centerpiece of the recent diplomatic traffic regarding Syria. On December 28, the ministers of defense of Russia, Syria and Türkiye met in Moscow for the first time in 12 years. Afterwards, the highest-level Turkish officials laid down a…

As the war in Ukraine dominates the international stage, the Balkans is also marred by high tension. Balkan ghosts are very much present as seen in the recent flare ups in Kosovo and elsewhere. The 1990s was marked by wars between Serbs and other ethnic/religious groups (Bosniacs, Croats,…

The Syrian crisis has moved to a new phase in 2022, as I emphasized in previous Syria-related articles, and we can expect even more in 2023. In this regard, relations with Türkiye are particularly noteworthy. Back in the first half of the year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed that…

The Turkish army may be preparing for a new round of land operations in the north of Syria. The Minister of Defense and his General Staff are seen in photographs in full camouflage gear either in the operation room in Ankara or along the Syrian border. Türkiye is concerned that YPG (Syrian…

The terror attack which took place in a pedestrian street in Istanbul was a fearful reminder of past such attacks all over Europe and many parts of the world a few years ago. Turkish police detained a woman who is said to have placed the bag which contained TNT explosives. Her accomplices were…

The war in Ukraine led to a very serious risk of a food crisis at a global level when Ukraine, one of the world’s top producers and exporters of grain was no longer able to export its products because of Russia’s blockade. Before the war, Ukraine exported five million metric tones of grain…