Author: Murat Yesiltas
Türkiye is preparing for a paradigmatic shift in its Syria policy after the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime. Before Dec. 8, Türkiye’s approach to Syria centered on the fight against terrorism and the refugee problem. Preserving Syria’s territorial integrity through normalization with the Assad regime, weakening the PKK’s Syrian wing YPG, facilitating the return of refugees to Syria and a political solution within the framework of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254 were the main pillars of Ankara’s Syria policy. In addition, while adjusting its Syria policy with Russia and Iran within the framework of the Astana format, it was…
On Nov. 27, the military offensive launched by the Syrian military opposition against regime elements appears to have changed the balance of power on the ground and at the diplomatic table in the Syrian crisis. Before Nov. 27, the military and diplomatic balance favored the Assad regime, which was consolidating its political power in the diplomatic arena. On the one hand, Bashar Assad was once again seen as a political interlocutor in the Arab League. At the same time, the diplomatic normalization process between Ankara and Damascus continued, albeit with challenges. In fact, while Ankara expressed its readiness to meet…
What we know for sure about a Trump world is that the next four years will not be better. What we cannot be sure of is whether it will be worse. Trump’s foreign policy and security team is a perfect example of the former. Almost all of them are staunch defenders of Trumpism and MAGA (Make America Great Again). MAGA 1.0, which symbolized Trump’s first term, was shaped by examples of hyper-realism, a bad imitation of realist foreign policy. MAGA 1.0 did not consolidate U.S. global leadership, and Trump’s “America First” slogan did not work very well. Trump failed to…
After Donald Trump’s election as the 47th president of the United States, we have entered a new era that concerns not only the U.S. but the whole world. The events of Trump’s first term offer many signs of what the second term will be like. The most prominent feature of Trump’s second term is his impact on the history of American elections. He seems to have consolidated his political power with the election results. In the last two decades of elections, Trump has received more votes than any other Republican candidate. This result shows a shift in the electoral geography…