An Analysis of the Makkah Defense Pact
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recently, the Turkish Minister of Commerce confirmed that Turkish customs have been completely closed to trade with the Zionist Regime. This news was met with many comments and questions, and one of the most important questions was why Turkey decided to take such a step, how serious it is in practice, and what will be its consequences on the relations between the parties.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkiye, on the same night that he won the second round of the presidential elections in May 2023, told the crowd of his supporters, “We love Istanbul, we started our journey to this city, and we will continue it.” At the same time, he wanted to take back the Istanbul Municipality from the rival and kept repeating that we will take back Istanbul. Erdogan referred to the Istanbul Municipality, which his party lost in 2019 elections of this metropolis and the economic capital of Turkiye, to his Republican opponent, Akram Imamoglu.
Siyamak Kakaee—Researcher of Turkiye affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Although most currents, politicians and even ordinary people in Iraq call for withdrawal of American military forces from their country, there are sometimes differences of opinion regarding the time of this withdrawal. On the one hand, Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, is very serious in demanding the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Still, he wants to achieve this goal through “negotiation and political deal”. On the other hand, the Iraqi Resistance groups want the Americans to leave this country as soon as possible. The American side is also talking about a military withdrawal from Iraq in the next three years.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A Turkish issues researcher said that Turkiye’s military cooperation with Ukraine, especially in the field of building unmanned aerial vehicles, is not a simple matter but based on a multifaceted policy that Turkiye has taken since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Ankara is trying to maintain its role in creating regional and global balance by playing a role in the Ukraine crisis.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkey affairs, commenting about the zigzag policies of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government towards the Syrian government, said: Turkey’s president started great efforts to change his regional policies almost from the middle of 2022; efforts that were visible in the normalization of relations with the Zionist regime, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and then the effort to normalize relations with Egypt. At the same time, recently there were murmurs about holding high-level talks between Turkey and Syria.
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 of Iraq issues says with the passage of six months after the parliamentary elections in Iraq, the formation of the new Iraqi government remains ambiguous.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Iraq affairs, commenting on why, despite the elapse of more than three months since the elections in Iraq, the task of important positions in that country such as the presidency and the prime minister has not been determined yet, said: The issue of the division of the main positions of the Iraqi government in this period has also been faced with a fundamental complexity.
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: 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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recently, the Turkish Minister of Commerce confirmed that Turkish customs have been completely closed to trade with the Zionist Regime. This news was met with many comments and questions, and one of the most important questions was why Turkey decided to take such a step, how serious it is in practice, and what will be its consequences on the relations between the parties.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkiye, on the same night that he won the second round of the presidential elections in May 2023, told the crowd of his supporters, “We love Istanbul, we started our journey to this city, and we will continue it.” At the same time, he wanted to take back the Istanbul Municipality from the rival and kept repeating that we will take back Istanbul. Erdogan referred to the Istanbul Municipality, which his party lost in 2019 elections of this metropolis and the economic capital of Turkiye, to his Republican opponent, Akram Imamoglu.
Siyamak Kakaee—Researcher of Turkiye affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Although most currents, politicians and even ordinary people in Iraq call for withdrawal of American military forces from their country, there are sometimes differences of opinion regarding the time of this withdrawal. On the one hand, Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, is very serious in demanding the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Still, he wants to achieve this goal through “negotiation and political deal”. On the other hand, the Iraqi Resistance groups want the Americans to leave this country as soon as possible. The American side is also talking about a military withdrawal from Iraq in the next three years.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A Turkish issues researcher said that Turkiye’s military cooperation with Ukraine, especially in the field of building unmanned aerial vehicles, is not a simple matter but based on a multifaceted policy that Turkiye has taken since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Ankara is trying to maintain its role in creating regional and global balance by playing a role in the Ukraine crisis.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkey affairs, commenting about the zigzag policies of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government towards the Syrian government, said: Turkey’s president started great efforts to change his regional policies almost from the middle of 2022; efforts that were visible in the normalization of relations with the Zionist regime, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and then the effort to normalize relations with Egypt. At the same time, recently there were murmurs about holding high-level talks between Turkey and Syria.
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 of Iraq issues says with the passage of six months after the parliamentary elections in Iraq, the formation of the new Iraqi government remains ambiguous.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Iraq affairs, commenting on why, despite the elapse of more than three months since the elections in Iraq, the task of important positions in that country such as the presidency and the prime minister has not been determined yet, said: The issue of the division of the main positions of the Iraqi government in this period has also been faced with a fundamental complexity.
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: 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—Opinion: Recently, the Turkish Minister of Commerce confirmed that Turkish customs have been completely closed to trade with the Zionist Regime. This news was met with many comments and questions, and one of the most important questions was why Turkey decided to take such a step, how serious it is in practice, and what will be its consequences on the relations between the parties.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkiye, on the same night that he won the second round of the presidential elections in May 2023, told the crowd of his supporters, “We love Istanbul, we started our journey to this city, and we will continue it.” At the same time, he wanted to take back the Istanbul Municipality from the rival and kept repeating that we will take back Istanbul. Erdogan referred to the Istanbul Municipality, which his party lost in 2019 elections of this metropolis and the economic capital of Turkiye, to his Republican opponent, Akram Imamoglu.
Siyamak Kakaee—Researcher of Turkiye affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Although most currents, politicians and even ordinary people in Iraq call for withdrawal of American military forces from their country, there are sometimes differences of opinion regarding the time of this withdrawal. On the one hand, Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, is very serious in demanding the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Still, he wants to achieve this goal through “negotiation and political deal”. On the other hand, the Iraqi Resistance groups want the Americans to leave this country as soon as possible. The American side is also talking about a military withdrawal from Iraq in the next three years.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A Turkish issues researcher said that Turkiye’s military cooperation with Ukraine, especially in the field of building unmanned aerial vehicles, is not a simple matter but based on a multifaceted policy that Turkiye has taken since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Ankara is trying to maintain its role in creating regional and global balance by playing a role in the Ukraine crisis.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkey affairs, commenting about the zigzag policies of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government towards the Syrian government, said: Turkey’s president started great efforts to change his regional policies almost from the middle of 2022; efforts that were visible in the normalization of relations with the Zionist regime, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and then the effort to normalize relations with Egypt. At the same time, recently there were murmurs about holding high-level talks between Turkey and Syria.
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 of Iraq issues says with the passage of six months after the parliamentary elections in Iraq, the formation of the new Iraqi government remains ambiguous.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Iraq affairs, commenting on why, despite the elapse of more than three months since the elections in Iraq, the task of important positions in that country such as the presidency and the prime minister has not been determined yet, said: The issue of the division of the main positions of the Iraqi government in this period has also been faced with a fundamental complexity.
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: 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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recently, the Turkish Minister of Commerce confirmed that Turkish customs have been completely closed to trade with the Zionist Regime. This news was met with many comments and questions, and one of the most important questions was why Turkey decided to take such a step, how serious it is in practice, and what will be its consequences on the relations between the parties.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkiye, on the same night that he won the second round of the presidential elections in May 2023, told the crowd of his supporters, “We love Istanbul, we started our journey to this city, and we will continue it.” At the same time, he wanted to take back the Istanbul Municipality from the rival and kept repeating that we will take back Istanbul. Erdogan referred to the Istanbul Municipality, which his party lost in 2019 elections of this metropolis and the economic capital of Turkiye, to his Republican opponent, Akram Imamoglu.
Siyamak Kakaee—Researcher of Turkiye affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Although most currents, politicians and even ordinary people in Iraq call for withdrawal of American military forces from their country, there are sometimes differences of opinion regarding the time of this withdrawal. On the one hand, Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, is very serious in demanding the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Still, he wants to achieve this goal through “negotiation and political deal”. On the other hand, the Iraqi Resistance groups want the Americans to leave this country as soon as possible. The American side is also talking about a military withdrawal from Iraq in the next three years.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A Turkish issues researcher said that Turkiye’s military cooperation with Ukraine, especially in the field of building unmanned aerial vehicles, is not a simple matter but based on a multifaceted policy that Turkiye has taken since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Ankara is trying to maintain its role in creating regional and global balance by playing a role in the Ukraine crisis.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkey affairs, commenting about the zigzag policies of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government towards the Syrian government, said: Turkey’s president started great efforts to change his regional policies almost from the middle of 2022; efforts that were visible in the normalization of relations with the Zionist regime, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and then the effort to normalize relations with Egypt. At the same time, recently there were murmurs about holding high-level talks between Turkey and Syria.
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 of Iraq issues says with the passage of six months after the parliamentary elections in Iraq, the formation of the new Iraqi government remains ambiguous.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Iraq affairs, commenting on why, despite the elapse of more than three months since the elections in Iraq, the task of important positions in that country such as the presidency and the prime minister has not been determined yet, said: The issue of the division of the main positions of the Iraqi government in this period has also been faced with a fundamental complexity.
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: 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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recently, the Turkish Minister of Commerce confirmed that Turkish customs have been completely closed to trade with the Zionist Regime. This news was met with many comments and questions, and one of the most important questions was why Turkey decided to take such a step, how serious it is in practice, and what will be its consequences on the relations between the parties.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkiye, on the same night that he won the second round of the presidential elections in May 2023, told the crowd of his supporters, “We love Istanbul, we started our journey to this city, and we will continue it.” At the same time, he wanted to take back the Istanbul Municipality from the rival and kept repeating that we will take back Istanbul. Erdogan referred to the Istanbul Municipality, which his party lost in 2019 elections of this metropolis and the economic capital of Turkiye, to his Republican opponent, Akram Imamoglu.
Siyamak Kakaee—Researcher of Turkiye affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Although most currents, politicians and even ordinary people in Iraq call for withdrawal of American military forces from their country, there are sometimes differences of opinion regarding the time of this withdrawal. On the one hand, Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, is very serious in demanding the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Still, he wants to achieve this goal through “negotiation and political deal”. On the other hand, the Iraqi Resistance groups want the Americans to leave this country as soon as possible. The American side is also talking about a military withdrawal from Iraq in the next three years.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A Turkish issues researcher said that Turkiye’s military cooperation with Ukraine, especially in the field of building unmanned aerial vehicles, is not a simple matter but based on a multifaceted policy that Turkiye has taken since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Ankara is trying to maintain its role in creating regional and global balance by playing a role in the Ukraine crisis.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkey affairs, commenting about the zigzag policies of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government towards the Syrian government, said: Turkey’s president started great efforts to change his regional policies almost from the middle of 2022; efforts that were visible in the normalization of relations with the Zionist regime, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and then the effort to normalize relations with Egypt. At the same time, recently there were murmurs about holding high-level talks between Turkey and Syria.
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 of Iraq issues says with the passage of six months after the parliamentary elections in Iraq, the formation of the new Iraqi government remains ambiguous.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Iraq affairs, commenting on why, despite the elapse of more than three months since the elections in Iraq, the task of important positions in that country such as the presidency and the prime minister has not been determined yet, said: The issue of the division of the main positions of the Iraqi government in this period has also been faced with a fundamental complexity.
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: 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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recently, the Turkish Minister of Commerce confirmed that Turkish customs have been completely closed to trade with the Zionist Regime. This news was met with many comments and questions, and one of the most important questions was why Turkey decided to take such a step, how serious it is in practice, and what will be its consequences on the relations between the parties.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkiye, on the same night that he won the second round of the presidential elections in May 2023, told the crowd of his supporters, “We love Istanbul, we started our journey to this city, and we will continue it.” At the same time, he wanted to take back the Istanbul Municipality from the rival and kept repeating that we will take back Istanbul. Erdogan referred to the Istanbul Municipality, which his party lost in 2019 elections of this metropolis and the economic capital of Turkiye, to his Republican opponent, Akram Imamoglu.
Siyamak Kakaee—Researcher of Turkiye affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Although most currents, politicians and even ordinary people in Iraq call for withdrawal of American military forces from their country, there are sometimes differences of opinion regarding the time of this withdrawal. On the one hand, Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, is very serious in demanding the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Still, he wants to achieve this goal through “negotiation and political deal”. On the other hand, the Iraqi Resistance groups want the Americans to leave this country as soon as possible. The American side is also talking about a military withdrawal from Iraq in the next three years.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A Turkish issues researcher said that Turkiye’s military cooperation with Ukraine, especially in the field of building unmanned aerial vehicles, is not a simple matter but based on a multifaceted policy that Turkiye has taken since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Ankara is trying to maintain its role in creating regional and global balance by playing a role in the Ukraine crisis.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkey affairs, commenting about the zigzag policies of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government towards the Syrian government, said: Turkey’s president started great efforts to change his regional policies almost from the middle of 2022; efforts that were visible in the normalization of relations with the Zionist regime, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and then the effort to normalize relations with Egypt. At the same time, recently there were murmurs about holding high-level talks between Turkey and Syria.
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 of Iraq issues says with the passage of six months after the parliamentary elections in Iraq, the formation of the new Iraqi government remains ambiguous.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Iraq affairs, commenting on why, despite the elapse of more than three months since the elections in Iraq, the task of important positions in that country such as the presidency and the prime minister has not been determined yet, said: The issue of the division of the main positions of the Iraqi government in this period has also been faced with a fundamental complexity.
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: 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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recently, the Turkish Minister of Commerce confirmed that Turkish customs have been completely closed to trade with the Zionist Regime. This news was met with many comments and questions, and one of the most important questions was why Turkey decided to take such a step, how serious it is in practice, and what will be its consequences on the relations between the parties.
Strategic Council Online—Opinion: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkiye, on the same night that he won the second round of the presidential elections in May 2023, told the crowd of his supporters, “We love Istanbul, we started our journey to this city, and we will continue it.” At the same time, he wanted to take back the Istanbul Municipality from the rival and kept repeating that we will take back Istanbul. Erdogan referred to the Istanbul Municipality, which his party lost in 2019 elections of this metropolis and the economic capital of Turkiye, to his Republican opponent, Akram Imamoglu.
Siyamak Kakaee—Researcher of Turkiye affairs
Strategic Council Online – Opinion: Although most currents, politicians and even ordinary people in Iraq call for withdrawal of American military forces from their country, there are sometimes differences of opinion regarding the time of this withdrawal. On the one hand, Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, the Prime Minister of Iraq, is very serious in demanding the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Still, he wants to achieve this goal through “negotiation and political deal”. On the other hand, the Iraqi Resistance groups want the Americans to leave this country as soon as possible. The American side is also talking about a military withdrawal from Iraq in the next three years.
Strategic Council Online—Interview: A Turkish issues researcher said that Turkiye’s military cooperation with Ukraine, especially in the field of building unmanned aerial vehicles, is not a simple matter but based on a multifaceted policy that Turkiye has taken since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Ankara is trying to maintain its role in creating regional and global balance by playing a role in the Ukraine crisis.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Turkey affairs, commenting about the zigzag policies of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government towards the Syrian government, said: Turkey’s president started great efforts to change his regional policies almost from the middle of 2022; efforts that were visible in the normalization of relations with the Zionist regime, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and then the effort to normalize relations with Egypt. At the same time, recently there were murmurs about holding high-level talks between Turkey and Syria.
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 of Iraq issues says with the passage of six months after the parliamentary elections in Iraq, the formation of the new Iraqi government remains ambiguous.
Strategic Council Online – Interview: An expert on Iraq affairs, commenting on why, despite the elapse of more than three months since the elections in Iraq, the task of important positions in that country such as the presidency and the prime minister has not been determined yet, said: The issue of the division of the main positions of the Iraqi government in this period has also been faced with a fundamental complexity.
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: 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.
SCFR Online – Opinion: On Friday, August 7, the heads of state of three countries – Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan – signed a text under the title “Makkah Joint Defense Agreement.”
Strategic Council Online – Note: The initiative to revive the Hejaz Railway, beyond being a transportation project, constitutes an attempt to redefine geopolitics, the economy, and Turkey’s regional position; however, its realization appears to face significant financial, security, and institutional challenges.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Strait of Hormuz crisis is no longer merely the consequence of a military confrontation, but rather a sign of the transition from the US-centered maritime order to a new energy security structure involving the participation of emerging and influential powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Iran’s active deterrence strategy, while increasing the costs of US intervention, has increasingly exposed the hidden rifts between Washington’s interests and those of the Israeli regime.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The escalation of verbal and strategic tensions between Turkey and the Israeli regime, although not increasing the likelihood of direct war, indicates the formation of a new order in West Asian geopolitical rivalries.
Strategic Council Online – Note: Recent developments in the political geography of West Asia, from rising tensions in the Persian Gulf to missile and drone activities in the Red Sea and the recent warning by Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, regarding the threat to freedom of navigation, indicate a key pattern shift; the US-Iran war has moved beyond the scope of a regional and local confrontation and has linked two vital passageways for the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
SCFR Online – Opinion: The Ukraine war was not merely a European crisis, but rather the starting point for the rearrangement of the global balance of power and a shift in the strategic behavior of great powers.
SCFR Online – Opinion: Great power competition is now pursued more in trade, currency, technology, and global supply chains than on the battlefields of military confrontation.