Ankara

January 22, 2026 | Aaron Goren, Ben Cohen

Trump Administration Should Be Wary of Granting Qatar and Turkey Executive Power in Gaza

President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is off the ground, and the first test of its capabilities is to maintain a shaky ceasefire in Gaza. The board, launched on January 16 and further outlined by...

January 21, 2026 | Jonathan Schanzer |

The mission behind Trump’s Board of Peace is simple — and critics keep getting it wrong

President Trump is making big moves the world over. From nabbing Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to threatening the conquest of Greenland to pushing for a Ukraine-Russia cease-fire,...

January 21, 2026 | Sinan Ciddi, William Doran

Erdogan chooses the ayatollahs over the Iranian people

While Iranian protesters are being beaten, imprisoned, and killed by the Islamic Republic, Turkey’s government is busy running diplomatic interference for the mullahs. Ankara’s...

January 16, 2026 | Sinan Ciddi, William Doran

Turkey’s Dangerous Defense Pivot

Is the new Turkish-Saudi-Pakistani defense pact an attempt at an Islamic NATO or a strategic self-sabotage?

January 12, 2026 | Sinan Ciddi, William Doran

UNRWA’s Pivot To Ankara Cements a Future for Hamas in Turkey

A conduit for terrorism has found a new home. On January 8, the Commissioner-General for United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini met with...

January 9, 2026 | Ben Cohen |

The persistence of Israel’s ‘Periphery Doctrine’

The burgeoning relationship between Somaliland and Israel proves that the Jewish state is not hated and isolated in the region, despite the neighboring cluster of authoritarian states insisting otherwise.

January 5, 2026 | Sinan Ciddi |

Turkey’s extensive ties with Venezuela bolstered Maduro’s regime despite sanctions and criminal activity

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was an important external backer of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro, providing diplomatic cover, economic engagement, and access to international markets...

December 31, 2025 | Sinan Ciddi, William Doran

Erdogan’s Courtship of Pakistan Stirs Fears of a Nuclear-Armed Turkey

Given the two nations’ uniquely poor records on counterterrorism and regional aggression, the Ankara-Islamabad ties warrant concern.

December 30, 2025 | Sinan Ciddi, William Doran

Turkey Decries Cyprus–Greece–Israel Security Talks

A new “axis of evil” has arisen in the eastern Mediterranean Sea — at least according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s slavish media. The sharp reaction was brought about by a trilateral...

December 23, 2025 | Ahmad Sharawi |

A Deal to Help Bring Syria Together Nears Collapse

In just a little more than a week, Syria could return to the civil strife its people suffered under for 13 years. A March deal to unify the militaries of President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the Kurdish-led Syrian...

December 23, 2025 | |

Israel, Cyprus, Greece Sign Cooperation Agreement at Trilateral Summit in Jerusalem

Latest Developments Boost Trilateral Relations: The leaders of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel agreed to boost trilateral cooperation in the Mediterranean during a summit in Jerusalem on December 22. Against...

December 23, 2025 | |

Syrian Government and Kurdish-Led SDF Agree to De-escalation of Violence Following Aleppo Clashes

Latest Developments Aleppo Fighting Leads to Casualties: Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on December 22 to reduce tensions after at least two civilians...

December 23, 2025 | William Doran, Sinan Ciddi

Libyan parliament speaker claims maritime deal with Turkey invalid but open to renegotiation

On December 15, Aguila Saleh, Libya’s House of Representatives speaker, deemed the 2019 Libya-Turkey maritime deal illegitimate and non-binding in an interview with the Libyan News Agency (LANA)....

December 19, 2025 | Sinan Ciddi, William Doran

Turkey’s Aid in the Palestinian Territories Is Helping Hamas, Hurting Palestinians

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s priority is not the welfare of Palestinian civilians, but the future of Hamas.

December 17, 2025 | Sinan Ciddi, William Doran

How Turkey Props up Venezuela

The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan has provided an unexpected sanctions evasion lifeline for Nicolas Maduro’s Venezuela.

December 17, 2025 | |

Turkish President Erdogan Claims Israel Is Biggest Threat to Syria

Erdogan Accuses Israel of Seeking ‘Fragmentation’ of Syria: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan labeled Israel the “primary obstacle” to a stable Syria on December 16,...

December 16, 2025 | Saeed Ghasseminejad, Aidin Panahi

The gas corridor sanctions forgot: Tehran’s quiet expansion into Turkey

While everyone focuses on tankers transferring the Iranian oil, a massive financial valve remains open to Tehran on NATO’s eastern border. On paper, Iran is entering its most...

December 16, 2025 | |

Qatar Conference on Mandate for Gaza International Stabilization Force Reportedly Inconclusive

Doha Conference Fails to Clarify Force Mandate: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) hosted a conference in the Qatari capital of Doha on December 16 to discuss further phases of President...

December 10, 2025 | Ahmad Sharawi |

Turkey Puts Fragile Deal Between Damascus and Kurdish Forces at Greater Risk

If the agreement collapses, violence may be imminent. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have spent months negotiating with the government in Damascus how to implement their March agreement...

December 8, 2025 | Sinan Ciddi |

IDF reveals Hamas financial network operating in Turkey

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) revealed new intelligence pointing to a significant Hamas financial apparatus operating within Turkey under direct Iranian...