Institute for Diplomacy and Economy

OPINIONS

AN IRANIAN COLLAPSE WOULD POSE SECURITY RISKS FOR AZERBAIJAN

by Rufat Ahmadzada, published on 14 January 2026
The protests in Iran are continuing to escalate. What started as a protest by traders against the fall in the value of the local currency, rising prices, economic mismanagement and worsening economic conditions in the country has quickly transformed into a growing movement for political change. This is evident from the chants of protestors and is threatening the legitimacy of the ruling clerical regime.

Syria’s Fate Still Hinges on Trump

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 13 January 2026
Videos showed fighting erupting in residential areas as civilians fled en masse, while green buses later transported defeated fighters out of the city under a mediated evacuation arrangement. The Aleppo clashes in early January 2026 brought back grim memories of Syria's civil war, even as the new government in Damascus, led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, claimed another military win against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Aleppo.

The Role of Ideas in Turkey's Syria Policy: Disillusionment with Ideology or Transformation?

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 7 January 2026
Turkey’s Syria policy is often portrayed as a case of foreign policy failure driven by ideology. According to this view, Ankara abandoned realism in favor of Islamist enthusiasm during the Arab Spring and later returned to pragmatism after paying significant political and strategic costs. While this narrative highlights an important shift, it relies on a simplified understanding of the relationship between ideas and foreign policy.

Three Possible Scenarios for the Post-Maduro Era in Venezuela

by İmdat Öner, published on 7 January 2025
Let me outline three possible scenarios for the post-Maduro era in Venezuela. I call them the “good,” the “bad,” and the “ugly.

How Syria and Gaza Affect the Divide Between Israel and Turkey

by Servet Akman, published on 6 January 2026
The fall of the Assad regime in Syria has opened a new chapter in Turkish–Israeli relations. For a long time, the Assad regime was a major security concern for Turkey. For Israel, it was “the devil they knew.” Israel focused on containing the Assad regime and Iran’s proxies, while Turkey’s military presence in Syria remained a secondary issue.

Syria’s Way Ahead: Prospects for a Ruined Economy

by Mehmet Demirbaş, published on 5 January 2025
On the eve of the civil war, Syria was a lower-middle-income country with steady growth and relatively stable macroeconomic indicators. Between 2000 and 2010, real GDP grew by an average of 4.8 percent annually, inflation averaged 4.9 percent. Trade accounted for 64 percent of GDP, and GDP per capita stood at 2,731 dollars in 2010.

REPORTS

Electrifying Turkey's Roads: EV Adoption Scenarios & Their Impact on Oil Imports

by Baki Kaya, Ömer Güler, Harun Güngör, and Mustafa Enes Esen, published on 10 September 2025
This study evaluates, through long-term projections to 2053, the potential impact of increased EV penetration on Turkey’s energy landscape. It provides a comparative assessment of how changes in the share of EVs within the total vehicle fleet, across several scenario frameworks, could influence fuel demand and petroleum import volumes. A second, closely related objective is to measure the scale of Turkey’s oil dependency in order to establish a basis for examining its policy implications.

Geopolitical Constraints of Turkey's Energy Hub Ambitions

by Mustafa Enes Esen, published on 8 July 2025
This study focuses on the geopolitical dimensions and constraints shaping Turkey’s ambition to become a natural gas hub. The emphasis is on Turkey’s diplomatic relations with key supplier countries, the political instability across the wider Middle East, and the limited capacity of neighboring states to produce and export gas reliably—factors that collectively can make or undermine Turkey’s hub ambitions.

MODERNIZING THE TURKEY–EU CUSTOMS UNION: ISSUES AND PROSPECTS

by instituDE, published in March 2025
The Turkey–EU Customs Union, established in 1995, has been a defining feature of trade relations between Turkey and the European Union. Over the past three decades, the global economic landscape has evolved significantly, necessitating a modernization of the agreement to address new trade realities, regulatory developments, and emerging geopolitical challenges.

VIDEOS

AİHM, Siyaset ve İnsan Hakları

by Haşim Tekineş and Hakan Kaplankaya
Hukukçu-Avukat Hakan Kaplankaya AİHM'nin Türkiye'deki hak arama mücadelesindeki önemini değerlendirdi.

Yeni Dünya Düzeni

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 4 January 2026
Maduro operasyonunun detayları... Trump'ın Venezuela müdahalesi ve küresel sonuçları

2026'da Dünya ve Türkiye

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 1 January 2026
2026'da dünyayı bekleyen sorunlar neler? ABD-Çin rekabeti, Tayvan, Ukrayna Savaşı ve Orta Doğu

BOOK REVIEWS

Sis, Pus ve Daha Fazla Kaynak Tüketimi

by Enes Esen, published on 10 January 2026
1952 yılının Aralık ayında İngiltere’de kış normalden soğuk geçiyordu. Halk ısınmak için normalden daha fazla kömür yakmak durumunda kaldı. Avrupa’dan esen ters rüzgarla birlikte yoğun bir sis tabakası Londra’nın üzerine çöktü. Sis yüzünden insanlar burnunun dibini göremiyordu. Otobüs seferleri iptal edildi, arabalar yol kenarlarında terk edildi.

Bir Ailenin İzinde Gürcistan’ın Geçmiş Yüzyılı: Sekizinci Hayat

by Ömer Güler, published on 15 September 2025
Gürcü yazar Nino Haratischwili “The Eighth Life: (for Brilka)” (Sekizinci Hayat ismiyle Türkçeye çevrilmiş) adlı romanında 1900’lerden başlayarak 2000’lerin ortalarına kadar Jashi ailesinin hayat hikayesi üzerinden Sovyetler Birliği ve Gürcistan tarihine ışık tutuyor. Tarihi gerçeklere uygun bir şekilde ilerleyen roman, kurgu karakterlerle, anlattığı dönemlerin çok daha iyi anlaşılmasını sağlıyor.

Soldier, Society, and Politics in Turkey: A Study on Soldiers’ Life Stories

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 16 August 2025
Hakan Şahin’s Türkiye’de Asker, Toplum ve Siyaset: Askerlerin Yaşam Anlatıları Üzerinden Bir Okuma (Soldier, Society, and Politics in Turkey: A Study on Soldiers’ Life Stories) offers a unique insider perspective on the Turkish military and soldiers’ understanding of the outside world. In this sense, the study fills an important gap in the literature on civil-military relations in Turkey.