Author: Merve Suna Ozel Ozcan

The war between Russia and Ukraine is essentially a legitimacy crisis of a long-standing history. The relations between these two countries date back to their establishment and constitute an issue that draws the boundaries of historical legitimacy for both states. In this respect, the current conflict is too complex to be reduced to a single cause. Today, the process offers the hope of a cease-fire or peace. Immediately after the Victory Day celebrations, with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call in the night hours, Türkiye again became the mediating actor at the table to be set between the parties. Besides Türkiye’s…

John Mearsheimer emphasizes that states focus on survival in an anarchic international system when constructing their security. According to him, every actor competes to maximize their power. Russia’s behavior in the Ukraine war confirms this approach in the different interpretations of actors’ mutual perceptions of security. In this framework, Russia’s aggressive policies in Georgia and Ukraine can be interpreted as a defense mechanism against NATO’s eastward expansion. Mearsheimer argues that, especially in the Ukraine crisis, the West’s policy of NATO expansion provoked Russia and that these conflicts were inevitable. However, the nature of wars and violence is beyond the justification…

The Russia-Ukraine war has entered its fourth year. Recent developments indicate that while the conflict is closer than ever to a cease-fire, it is simultaneously further from achieving lasting peace. One of the main reasons for this paradox is the change in the United States’ foreign policy approach to the war following Donald Trump’s return to the presidency. Trump and his Vice President JD Vance’s infamous hosting of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office showed that a hierarchical international order is about to replace the principle of sovereign equality – a fundamental norm in international relations, marked in…

As of Nov. 27, the global agenda has focused on developments in Syria. The end of the 61-year Baath regime also signaled the decline of Russian and Iranian influence in the region. The current situation in Syria is particularly concerning for Russia, with its presence in Tartus, Latakia and Hmeimim strongly felt since 2016. Syria stands out as a significant historical and geopolitical arena for Russia. The roots of this trace back to the reform process initiated under Tsar Peter the Great (1689-1725). Historically, Russia has been one of the largest continental countries in the world. However, its most pressing…

On Nov. 5, Trump achieved a historic victory over his opponent Kamala Harris and the Democrats, securing the U.S. presidency for the next four years. This event is considered one of the significant milestones in the last 130 years of U.S. history, as he became one of the rare figures to assume the presidency again after a period away from office, demonstrating his fighting spirit. In this new term, it remains uncertain whether Trump will lead the U.S. through an unpredictable governance period, as he did during his 45th presidency. In this context, examining U.S.-Turkish relations since his last term…