Turkey

Turkey Navigates an Escalating Israel–Iran Rivalry

Viewing Turkey–Israel dynamics through a zero-sum lens risks fuelling strategic miscalculations and regional instability. The post–7 October realignment in the Middle East has recalibrated threat perceptions and strategic opportunities for both Turkey and Israel. The recent ‘12-Day War’ has further accelerated this shift. While both Turkey and Israel seek to …

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PKK/YPG should quickly integrate to avoid issues with Türkiye, Syria: US envoy

U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria has warned the PKK/YPG terrorist group will face problems with the Turkish and Syrian governments it does not act quickly on integration. “The U.S. will do its best to ensure a fair and proper decision is made. If they want to …

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How Turkiye’s eastward ambitions serve the Atlanticist order

Since the onset of the 21st century, Turkiye’s foreign policy agenda has shifted decisively eastward, charting a course through Central and South Asia. This transformation signals more than a revival of Ottoman-era influence. It reveals a layered geopolitical project anchored in Pan-Turanist nationalism, Muslim Brotherhood-aligned political Islam, and strategic deployment …

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Notes sur les relations Turquie-Iran

«Ce qu’on appelle la «postmodernité» ou «l’après-modernité», et que je préfère nommer, de manière plus appropriée, la «modernité fluide», est cette conviction croissante selon laquelle le changement est la seule réalité constante et l’incertitude la seule certitude tangible». ~ Zygmunt Bauman, «À quoi sert la sociologie ?» La Guerre froide, …

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Landmark SDF-Damascus deal presents opportunity, and uncertainty, for Turkey

The recent agreement between Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander, Mazloum Abdi, marks a turning point in Syria’s conflict dynamics. According to the deal, all civilian and military institutions in northeastern Syria will be integrated into the Syrian state, effectively dissolving the autonomous governance structures …

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Erdoğan: Dismantling the PKK Includes Syria, and Damascus Must Focus on Implementing Its Agreement with the SDF – The Syrian Observer

Erdoğan explained, in statements made aboard his plane during his return from a visit to Hungary, that lifting sanctions on Syria “demonstrates how constructive Turkish diplomacy yields results.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan affirmed that lifting sanctions on Syria is a “critically important step” to achieve stability in the region. …

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Turkey and the PKK: A historic new phase, but questions abound

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced on 12 May that it has officially ended its campaign of armed struggle and disbanded after four decades. The move came in direct response to a call by the group’s imprisoned founder, Abdullah Ocalan, on 27 February. This historic shift represents an opportunity to …

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Disbanded PKK Leaves Behind Questions for Türkiye and the Region

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced on Monday its dissolution after a forty-year insurgency against the Turkish state, a move Turkish officials claim was made without new negotiations — though some observers remain skeptical. Türkiye has conducted increasingly aggressive military campaigns against PKK strongholds in northern Iraq and Syria in …

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Tripartite Foreign Ministers’ Summit in Ankara: Syria, Turkey, and Jordan to Tackle Regional Security and Cooperation – The Syrian Observer

Ankara is hosting a high-level trilateral summit Sunday, bringing together the foreign ministers of Syria, Turkey, and Jordan to discuss regional security, economic cooperation, and the future of joint counterterrorism efforts. The meeting—chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan—includes the participation of Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman …

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Turkey-Backed Militias Accused of Abuses in Northern Syria, Rights Group Urges Accountability from New Government – The Syrian Observer

Despite the fall of the Assad regime and the formation of a transitional government in Syria, armed groups previously backed by Turkey continue to commit serious human rights violations in northern Syria, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement released on Wednesday. The watchdog warned that integrating these factions …

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