Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
89 articles
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
TARGETING THE CONSULATE OR TARGETING PERCEPTION?
“The plot of the terror act is amateurish, the implementation is professional,” a terrorism expert told me about the attack that took place in Istanbul on April 7.
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
WALKING ON A TIGHTROPE BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND TEHRAN
The war on Iran has once again revealed the confusing complexities of Turkey’s geostrategic positioning as a middle power between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
A GRAND BARGAIN TAKES SHAPE: HALKBANK, HAMAS AND THE YPG FACTOR
The deal to resolve the case over allegations that Halkbank helped Iran evade American sanctions was announced on March 9, at the height of U.S.-Israeli attacks against Iran.
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
CHP’S FOREIGN POLICY DILEMMA: RULES OVER PERSONALITY IN A TRUMP ERA
The CHP emphasizes moving away from personalized, leader-to-leader foreign policy toward one grounded in formal institutions, rules, transparency, and oversight.
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
DIALOGUE OF THE DEAF: WHY KOS TALKS WILL CHANGE LITTLE
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos succeeded in angering both the government and the opposition with her stance towards the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19, 2025.
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AND RISING COSTS: HOW EU TRADE DEALS ARE SIDELINING TURKEY
The free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and India has reopened an old wound in Turkey–EU relations, once again exposing the long-standing impasse over trade integration with Ankara.
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
TURKEY’S HALF-HEARTED ENDORSEMENT OF TRUMP’S BOARD OF PEACE INITIATIVE
One would expect the bromance between U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to reach new heights following the former’s recent disavowal of the PKK/YPG.
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
WHEN ALLIANCES CRACK, TURKEY LOOKS ELSEWHERE
What happens if Donald Trump were to send Delta Force to “get” Greenland? Would it be the end of NATO, as Denmark’s prime minister suggested? While the validity of NATO’s Article 5 is questioned, allies feel they can no longer rely on U.S. nuclear protection. In times of great power competition mid-size regional powers tend to forge alliances to consolidate their security.
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
ANKARA WARNS RUSSIA AND UKRAINE: KEEP YOUR WAR OFF TURKISH SOIL
Russian and Ukrainian envoys in Ankara were warned not to wage their war in Turkish territory. The warning came as tensions in the Black Sea in the first half of December escalated to fresh peaks in the four-year-old war.
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
RECIPROCITY IN “LEGITIMACY” UNDERPINS U.S.-TURKEY RELATIONS
“Israel can claim it is a democracy … but in this region, whether you like it or not, what has worked best is a benevolent monarchy,” said Tom Barrack, speaking at the Doha Forum in the first week of December.
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
A YEAR AFTER ASSAD’S COLLAPSE, SYRIA REMAINS A BIG HEADACHE FOR TURKEY
The collapse of the half-century-long Assad dynasty following the flight of Bashar Assad to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024 overjoyed pro-government circles here. Some even started to mention Aleppo as Turkey’s 82nd province, while the shares of cement and construction companies surged on the stock exchange.
Deciphering Turkish Diplomacy
EUROPE DISTRUSTS TURKEY ON UKRAINE, BUT NEEDS ITS TROOPS
When Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed in Ankara on Nov. 19, press reports had already started to make the headlines, revealing details of a peace plan drafted by the U.S. and Russia.