Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s arrival at Baku airport marked a new low in recent Turkish-Azerbaijani relations. Fidan had travelled to attend the summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), which brings together heads of state. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan did not attend, possibly in protest against harsh remarks from Baku.

On September 3, Turkey's central bank took back 16 tons of gold that it had pledged as security for a loan of roughly $1.8 billion in dollars. It was the last in a series of such deals that began with the Iran war, and the return lifted Turkey's gold reserves to 791.4 tons.

A major global flashpoint the world is watching is the Indo-Pacific, where China seeks to unify Taiwan under its rule, either diplomatically or by force, as stated in Beijing’s own constitution. Over the last several decades, Beijing has built up its military (PLA) into a force that rivals the U.S. Armed Forces in preparation for regional expansion and influence.

The Israeli government is exploring closer cooperation with Japan on semiconductor technology, and Tokyo has already approved subsidies for an Israeli chip investment in Japan. The investment's importance, however, extends beyond commerce, reflecting an intent to deepen ties between the two countries.

South Korea’s first trial container voyage via the Arctic route should not be viewed simply as an experiment for faster shipping. Its genuine implication hinges on a more difficult question: how could South Korea, one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, minimize exposure to maritime disruption without creating new geopolitical vulnerabilities?

In February 2026, India joined the Pax Silica Declaration, a US-led supply-chain framework designed to secure mainly critical minerals and semiconductors (also known as chips). Prior to that, the Indian government established India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) in 2021 to strengthen the domestic semiconductor ecosystem by about 10 billion US dollars of subsidy. For years, India’s semiconductor ambition has attracted less attention than the equivalents in the USA, EU, Japan and South Korea. As American memory giant Micron Technology started its manufacturing in Gujarat in February 2026, India’s ambitions seem to finally start making progress with international and domestic supports.

Küresel güç dengelerinin yeniden şekillendiği bir dönemden geçmekteyiz. Asya ülkelerinin güçlü ekonomik performansı nedeniyle dünyanın ağırlık merkezi Batı’dan Doğu’ya doğru kaymaktadır. Özellikle Çin’in hızlı yükselişi yeniden çok kutuplu bir dünyanın oluşmaya başladığına işaret etmektedir.

Most of the Russian propaganda in Turkey is not overtly conducted by Russian state-affiliated media outlets. Eurasianists in Turkey carry out the Kremlin’s bidding to influence Turkish public opinion in favor of Russian war efforts. They blame the West, specifically NATO and the US, for instigating the war in Ukraine and causing regional instability. They also attack Turkey's political opposition for their milder views on NATO and the US and recommend that the Turkish government prioritize its relations with Russia.