Opinions - Turkey

The Withdrawal of the US troops from Syria Will Create a Power Vacuum

The Withdrawal of the US troops from Syria Will Create a Power Vacuum

by Mustafa Enes Esen, published on 26 January 2024
Recent reports suggest that the United States is considering the withdrawal of its troops from Syria, where currently 900 soldiers are stationed. Some officials within the Biden administration are worried that this could jeopardize the fight against ISIS.
Erdoğan's Blackmail Diplomacy

Erdoğan's Blackmail Diplomacy

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 9 January 2024
Erdogan's blackmailing diplomacy led to a loss of credibility and a lack of trust about Turkey. While Turkey's demands were mostly rejected, it eventually gave up its leverage occasionally with modest gains.
Venezuela’s Dangerous Play in Essequibo and Lessons from Turkey

Venezuela’s Dangerous Play in Essequibo and Lessons from Turkey

by İmdat Öner, published on 25 December 2023
In early December, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro held a referendum, seeking public opinion on the potential inclusion of the sparsely populated Essequibo region of Guyana into Venezuela. The government reported that 95 percent of voters supported the idea, asserting Venezuela's claim to Essequibo. While official media celebrated the outcome as a decisive mandate, reports from witnesses suggested a low voter turnout.
Kızıldeniz’de İsrail’e Giden Gemilere Saldırılar ve Refah Muhafızları Operasyonu

Kızıldeniz’de İsrail’e Giden Gemilere Saldırılar ve Refah Muhafızları Operasyonu

by Enes Esen, published on 23 December 2023
Yemen’deki Husilerin Filistin’e destek vermek üzere 31 Ekim’de İsrail’e savaş ilan etmesi Tel Aviv yönetimi tarafından haliyle ilk günlerde pek ciddiye alınmamıştı. İsrail’den 2.000 km uzaklıkta yer alan Husilerin İsrail’e saldırabilecek bir hava kuvvetleri ve donanması bulunmuyor. İran’dan tedarik ettiği bazı füzeleri İsrail’e ulaşabilecek olmakla birlikte, bunların sayısı hem az, hem de bu ilkel füzelerin ABD ve İsrail’in hava savunma sistemlerini geçmesi imkansıza yakın.
Turkey in 2023: Navigating Turbulence - Erdogan's Quest for Normalcy

Turkey in 2023: Navigating Turbulence - Erdogan's Quest for Normalcy

by Haşim Tekineş, published on 17 December 2023
In 2023, Turkey completed the year without witnessing significant shifts in its domestic politics and foreign policy. The fusion of authoritarianism with crony capitalism and fluctuations in diplomatic relations persisted, reflecting a continuity with previous years.
Turkish-Made Killer Drones in Africa and Mounting Civilian Causalities

Turkish-Made Killer Drones in Africa and Mounting Civilian Causalities

by Enes Esen, published on 15 December 2023
Turkey typically displays utter indifference to the involvement of their drones in the killing of civilians in Africa, whether the incidents are allegedly accidental or intentional. As usual, there was not a word from the Turkish government on the latest strike in Nigeria.

Reports - Turkey

TURKEY'S RARE ELEMENTS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES - THE BEYLİKOVA CASE

TURKEY'S RARE ELEMENTS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES - THE BEYLİKOVA CASE

by Mustafa Enes Esen, Ömer Güler, Harun Güngör and Dr. İmdat Öner, published on 21 May 2026
This report is addressed to two audiences simultaneously: Turkish policymakers weighing how to develop the Beylikova deposit, and Western governments and companies assessing whether Turkey is a credible partner in their supply chain diversification strategies. It examines both the opportunities Turkey’s entry into the rare earth sector could realistically generate and the structural obstacles that stand between the current situation and those outcomes.
Turkey's Vision For a New Syria

Turkey's Vision For a New Syria

by Mustafa Enes Esen, Haşim Tekineş, Mehmet Demirbaş and Servet Akman, published on 14 February 2026
This report analyzes Turkey’s vision for Syria following the fall of the Assad family and the rise of the HTS under the leadership of Ahmad al-Sharaa. In this regard, it focuses on the foreign actors that, alongside Turkey, now have the greatest ability to shape Syria’s future: namely the United States and Israel.
Electrifying Turkey's Roads: EV Adoption Scenarios & Their Impact on Oil Imports

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

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

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.
TURKEY‘S MASS PURGE AS VIOLATIONS OF THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC SERVICE IN ICCPR

TURKEY‘S MASS PURGE AS VIOLATIONS OF THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC SERVICE IN ICCPR

by instituDE, published on 23 October 2024
'A gift from God' was one of Erdoğan's first descriptions related to coup attempt in July 15. At first no one realized that God's gift meant a chaotic environment in which he needed to declare a national emergency with no checks and balances and then transform Türkiye’s parliamentary democracy into an executive presidency.

Videos - Turkey

Trump'ın Nihai Hedefi Ne?

March 2, 2026
by Haşim Tekineş, published on 2 March 2026
Orta Doğu'da gerilim son hız devam ediyor. Peki Trump'ın hedefi ne? Körfez ülkeleri Amerika'ya katılır mı?

İran - Amerika Hesaplaşmasında İkinci Tur mu?

February 28, 2026
by Mehmet Akif Koç and Haşim Tekineş, published on 28 February 2026
İran ve bölgenin geleceği nasıl olacak? Büyük resimde Türkiye'nin rolü ne?

Türkiye Hiçbir Masada Yok!

February 15, 2026
by Haşim Tekineş, published on 15 February 2026
Münih Güvenlik Konferansı'na Neden Hakan Fidan değil de İbrahim Kalın Katıldı? Türkiye'nin azalan diplomatik nüfuzu... Dış politikada model ülkeden İHA satıcısına... Marco Rubio'dan Avrupa'ya sıcak mesajlar

Davos'ta Transatlantik Kopuş ve Suriye

January 25, 2026
by Haşim Tekineş, published on 25 January 2026
Davos'ta Kanada Başbakanı Amerika'yla kopuşu ilan etti. Yeni Dünya düzeninde Türkiye ve bölgesel nüfuzu

AİHM, Siyaset ve İnsan Hakları

January 14, 2026
by Haşim Tekineş and Hakan Kaplankaya
Hukukçu-Avukat Hakan Kaplankaya AİHM'nin Türkiye'deki hak arama mücadelesindeki önemini değerlendirdi.

Türkiye-Rusya İlişkilerinin 10 Yılı

November 27, 2025
by Haşim Tekineş and Kerim Has, published on 27 November 2025
Türkiye'nin hava sahasını işgal eden Rus jetini düşürmesinin üzerinden tam on yıl geçti. Peki bu on yılda ikili ilişkiler nasıl bir seyir izledi? Dr. Kerim Has Ankara-Moskova hattındaki dalgalı ilişkileri değerlendirdi.