Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Old and new alliances in the Middle East region are being revived or developed, which were unattainable until recently.
Mahmoud Fazeli – Analyst of international affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest Opinion: After a decade of cold relations, Turkey and the UAE are on the path to reviving bilateral relations. This new trend began in 2021 with a series of high-level diplomatic meetings and contacts, culminating in Mohamed bin Zayed’s November visit to Ankara. Recently, Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Abu Dhabi to offer condolences on the death of Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The trip also saw the signing of more than 10 agreements between the two countries, including a defense industry cooperation agreement.
Seyed Hamed Hosseini – PhD student in international relations
Motivations
Strategic Council Online—Interview: An expert of Turkish issues says Turkey and Saudi Arabia, after one decade of severing relations, have once again talked about a new opening in their relations, adding that Erdogan’s visit to Saudi Arabia indicates review and a new era in Ankara-Riyadh relations.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkey affairs said that Turkey-Russia relations had become relatively strategic in recent years, despite criticism from NATO member states, adding: Despite the expansion of Turkey-Russia relations, in the context of the Ukraine war and application of all-out pressure on Moscow, Ankara does not play entirely on NATO field and does not act carelessly in relation to Russia.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Ankara considers the new trend in normalization of its relations with UAE, Saudi Arabia, the Zionist regime and its policy with regard to Ukraine crisis as a new step in its foreign policy.
Mahmoud Faazeli, Analyst of International Issues
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The outbreak of the so-called Arab Spring was an opportunity for Turkey to present itself prominently in the Middle East for the first time since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Fatemeh Nekoolal Azad – Expert on international affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A university professor, stating that Turkey’s policy in the face of Ukraine crisis was a positive balancing, said: Turkey is an “uncertain partner” for the West and the East, and this characteristic has become especially prominent under the current situation, and it cannot be considered a stable partner for either side.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Turkey has been a member of NATO for 70 years and, like the Cold War time, it is an active member of the organization. At a time when on the one hand there is talk about NATO 2030 and, on the other hand, we are witnessing comprehensive security tests; Turkey claims that it has played its part in defense and security fields, and that it will continue to make significant contributions to NATO’s transformation process and to its efforts to maintain security and stability, in particular to combat all forms of terrorism that pose a threat not only to Turkey but to the entire Euro-Atlantic geography.
Mahmoud Fazeli – International affairs analyst
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: One of the “obvious paradoxes” that has been noticed in the foreign policy of the Turkish government for many years is its claim of supporting the Palestinian people’s aspirations while on the other hand attempting to expand relations with the Zionist regime. This issue has not only caused “infuriation and resentment of the Palestinian people” against the Turkish government, but has also raised questions in the public opinion of the region and the Islamic world against Ankara’s protectionist approaches to Palestine!
Hamid Khoshayand – Researcher on regional affairs
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkey affairs, commenting on the recent efforts by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to resolve the Ukraine crisis, said: As tensions between Russia and Ukraine increase, consultations were made in the form of mediation by some countries, including the Europeans, to reduce tensions between the two countries, and in the midst of such consultations, Turkey’s involvement in that issue was significant.
Strategic Council online – Interview: Having referred to the declining importance of Turkey for the U.S. and strategic importance of the country for the Middle East, said:” Having considered every and all conditions, the U.S. efforts to make change in Turkey’s policies, to drop out of Erdogan and to influence the upcoming elections will not succeed.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A researcher of Turkey affairs, commenting on the recent moves of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to prevent outbreak of a war between Ukraine and Russia said: Erdogan traveled to Kiev on February 3 to prevent outbreak of a military confrontation between the two sides by assuming the role of a mediator.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Afghanistan issues commented about the joint counselling of Turkey, Qatar and Taliban for management of Kabul Airport by Turkey and said:” Ankara and Doha proposed to new rulers of Afghanistan at the outset of Taliban’s taking office that Turkish as well as Qatari companies would assume the responsibility and status of flights at Kabul and other airports of the country; because Taliban has no expertise and no required manpower to manage the airports”.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkey affairs referring to the Saudi Arabia and Turkey relations that are moving closer after years of coldness and the fact that Ankara seeks to reduce its foreign policy concerns to zero and get out of its economic challenges said: A new era in Turkey’s Middle East policy has begun after a decade of tension and conflict. In the meantime, the nature and level of the return of Riyadh-Ankara relations to the former deep economic and political cooperation is very important for Erdogan.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert of the Middle East issues commented on the recent movements between Ankara and Tel Aviv and said Recep Tayyib Erdogan, President of Turkey tries to expand relations with the Zionist regime. Having adopted such a policy, Islamic Ummah, particularly Palestinians will react negatively to the measure.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Turkey is leaving behind a difficult situation; from one side bad domestic economic situation, and on the other side foreign policy challenges of the country at international arena have placed Turkey in a difficult situation.
Dr. Ghadir Golkarian, Professor, Near East University, Cyprus
Strategic Council Online – Interview: A professor at the University of Tehran described the change in Turkey-Africa relations as a sign of Ankara’s multidimensional attention and dynamism in its foreign policy towards Africa and the prospect of a hopeful and long-term presence on that continent, adding: Ankara is seeking long-term strategic relations and to impact throughout the African continent.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert of Turkey affairs, commenting on the decision of the Council of Ministers of the European Union to block the talks on Turkey’s membership in the Union said: Turkey had separated its path from Europe many years ago and had not, and still does not have, any hope in the outcome of the talks on joining the EU. Perhaps for the same reason such a decision now would not result in a major change in the nature of Ankara’s foreign relations with the West.
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: The abortive coup in Turkey in 2016 and Erdogan’s policies in the region have caused the consequences to affect the economy and livelihood of the Turkish people who, in recent months, have seen a 20 percent inflation rate and a record low devaluation of the lira. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan believes that keeping interest rates low could offset the 20% inflation rate, a view that has left its mark on the Turkish real estate market.
Hassan Ashrafi – Researcher on Turkey affairs
Strategic Council Online – Guest Post: Although Turkey has traditionally been committed to the non-proliferation regime, but concerning Erdogan’s pro-Ottoman leadership, Turkish domestic policy seems to be a major determining factor for forming Turkey’s nuclear policy.
Seyed Hamed Hosseini – PhD Student in International Relations
