Turkey

Policy Analysis on Turkey

Why Erdogan Wants to Get Along with Trump

The Turkish leader knows that if he cannot restore economic growth at home or stay just out of Russia’s permanent orbit, his political troubles will only increase.

Nov 14, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Erdogan in Washington: Setting the Agenda for a Pivotal Visit

The Trump administration needs to treat the meeting as a chance to frankly address congressional concerns and defuse a host of hot-button issues, from Syria policy to F-35 production.

Nov 7, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay
Anna Borshchevskaya
Conor Hiney
Dana Stroul

Brief Analysis

Why Turkey Is Raising the Stakes in the East Mediterranean

Ankara is willing to take provocative and risky steps around Cyprus because it views the island’s gas resources and strategic location as crucial to countering rivals and securing interests in the neighborhood.

Nov 4, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

The U.S.: Between Being the World’s Policeman and Trusting Regional Partners

Despite long-documented public weariness with Middle East conflicts, Trump’s successor could well recognize the value of reestablishing American credibility in the region.

Oct 28, 2019

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Dennis Ross

‘Erdogan the Good’ or ‘Erdogan the Bad’?

An in-depth conversation on Washington's misguided tendency to view Turkey through binary lenses based entirely on Erdogan’s policies, forgetting the country’s strong political diversity.

Oct 25, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

The Sochi Summit: Potential Outcomes and Implications

As Washington pushes Erdogan to act responsibly in northeast Syria, the Turkish leader may face contrary pressures from Russia and Iran, who are keeping forces on the ground to back up whatever demands are made at this week’s summit and beyond.

Oct 21, 2019

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Trump’s Letter to Turkey’s Erdogan Shows the U.S. Is Struggling to Keep Up with Ankara

Erdogan has achieved his primary goal of breaking the U.S.-YPG partnership by leveraging Trump and Putin against each other, but Russia and Iran won’t let him exit Syria scot-free.

Oct 16, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Turkey’s Syria Incursion: What Spurred It, and What’s Next?

The Trump administration is implicitly backing Ankara’s policy imperatives for now, but its approval comes with an imminent expiration date that could arrive even sooner if the operation goes awry.

Oct 11, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Turkey’s Syria Offensive Puts Alliance with U.S. Near Breaking Point

Erdogan is relying on his personal relationship with President Trump to stave off congressional anger, but bilateral ties cannot function if civilian and military agencies lack faith in each other.

Oct 9, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Trump’s Troop Withdrawal Gives Turkey Access to Syria—and ISIS Space to Rebuild

If the president insists on removing U.S. forces before conditions on the ground are sufficiently stable, he will clear the way for a terrorist resurgence.

Oct 8, 2019

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Dana Stroul

Multimedia

Brief Analysis

Erdogan's Empire: The Evolution of Turkish Foreign Policy

A lively discussion of how Ottoman history, pro-Western precedent, and sharp regional setbacks have shaped the Turkish leader's shifting approach to foreign affairs and relations with Washington.

Sep 27, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay
Amanda Sloat
Molly Montgomery
Tomasz Hoskins

Brief Analysis

Turkey’s Reconfigured Ties with the ‘Strategic West’

Despite diluting certain commonalities with Europe and Washington over the past decade, Ankara still relies on the West in the trade, investment, and security realms.

Sep 24, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Another Conference on Libya? Enforce the Arms Embargo Instead

Without a concerted international effort to ground UAVs and halt the flow of weapons, the UN will have minimal leverage to restart the country's long-stalled political transition.

Sep 9, 2019

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Ben Fishman

Brief Analysis

Will Turkey and China Become Friends?

Despite their limited economic relations and ongoing differences over the Uyghur issue, the two countries could grow closer if Western partners fail to provide the financial boost Turkey needs so badly.

Aug 14, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Turkey’s Rising Wave of Social Protests

This year’s Istanbul election and last year’s move to a presidential system have unified and galvanized the opposition, raising questions about Erdogan’s next move.

Aug 12, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

U.S. Safe Zone Deal Can Help Turkey Come to Terms with the PKK and YPG

Checking the YPG’s ascendance in Syria could bring the PKK back to the negotiating table, ultimately making Turkey more amenable to Kurdish enclaves across the border.

Aug 7, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Growing Anti-Syrian Sentiment in Turkey

Refugees are being blamed for the country’s economic and social troubles, resulting in online hate speech, vigilante violence, and further pressure on the government to change the status quo in north Syria.

Aug 5, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Turkey’s Energy Confrontation with Cyprus

While much of the world is focused on the Strait of Hormuz, tensions are also mounting rapidly in the East Mediterranean.

Jul 24, 2019

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Why the U.S. Ejected Turkey from F-35 Fighter Jet Program, and Why the Turbulence Will Only Grow

The future of the bilateral relationship looks bleak after years of strategic divergence on crises in Iraq and Syria.

Jul 22, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

The Erbil Shooting: Implications for U.S.-Turkish Policy

If the PKK is confirmed as the perpetrator, Ankara will almost surely launch retaliation in Iraq or Syria, and Washington will have little choice but to stand aside.

Jul 18, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Supported by the

Turkish Research Program

Since its inception in 1995, The Washington Institute's Turkish Research Program has established itself as the most influential center in Washington for research and information on Turkey -- a predominantly Muslim, secular, and democratic U.S. ally.

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Soner Cagaptay

Soner Cagaptay is the Beyer Family Senior Fellow and director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute.

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Turkey

Policy Analysis on Turkey

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Regions & Countries

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Policy Analysis on Turkey

Turkish Research Program

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