Turkey

Policy Analysis on Turkey

How Should the New U.S. President Play the "Kurdish Card" in the Middle East?

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States administration divided the world conceptually into good and evil blocs, with most of the evil blocs located in the Middle East. Pushing al-Qaeda out, toppling the Taliban in Afghanistan, and overthrowing the Ba’ath regime in Iraq further inspired the White House

Jan 10, 2017

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Frzand Sherko

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

The Battle for al-Bab Is Bringing U.S.-Turkish Tensions to a Head

Helping Erdogan take the city could greatly decrease the civilian death toll and preserve U.S.-Turkish cooperation in Syria, but Washington will still need to decide what to do with the Kurds, its other key ally against the Islamic State.

Jan 9, 2017

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Fabrice Balanche

Articles & Testimony

A Tactical -- Not Strategic -- Ceasefire in Syria

The post-Aleppo lull on the western front is likely just an excuse for Russia to rotate new forces and equipment into Syria and prepare for the next major offensive.

Jan 6, 2017

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Fabrice Balanche

A Turkish soldier stands guard at a rally. Image source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Istanbul Attack: Turkey Must End Blame Game and Look for Solutions

The perpetrators of the ongoing string of major terrorist attacks are obvious, but Turkey's bitterly divided pro- and anti-Erdogan camps refuse to focus on the foreign and domestic policy factors underlying the violence.

Jan 1, 2017

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Turkey's Permanent State of Crisis

If Erdogan can temper his political agenda amid a seemingly endless series of violent incidents, he will go down in history as one of Turkey’s most influential leaders, but otherwise he will be remembered as the man who drove his country into the ground.

Dec 20, 2016

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Soner Cagaptay

An Extremely Vulnerable Turkey

Deeply polarized and facing a growing roster of external and internal enemies, Turkey seems headed for rough waters in 2017, and its institutions may not be strong enough anymore to correct course.

Dec 20, 2016

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Soner Cagaptay

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

The Lines That Bind: 100 Years of Sykes-Picot

A century after diplomats Mark Sykes of Britain and François Georges-Picot of France drew up a secret agreement to divide the Ottoman lands of the Middle East, a look at the modern map indicates the resulting states have largely stood the test of time -- at least thus far. Most

Dec 19, 2016

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Andrew J. Tabler

Articles & Testimony

Syria Will Likely Suffer as Russia Seeks Vengeance for Ambassador's Murder

Far from sparking World War III, the Ankara assassination will probably spur a Russian escalation against 'terrorists' in Syria and exacerbate internal divisions in Turkey.

Dec 19, 2016

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Brief Analysis

Will Assad Target Idlib After Aleppo?

As Aleppo's eastern districts continue to collapse, the regime will soon turn its attention to other pressing fronts, but manpower shortages will likely force it to focus on just one of them first.

Dec 15, 2016

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Fabrice Balanche

Articles & Testimony

Shiite Militias Are Crashing the Mosul Offensive

Pro-Iranian brigades are looking to settle old grudges in a notorious town near the Islamic State's Iraqi stronghold.

Nov 18, 2016

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Michael Knights
Matthew Schweitzer

Fikra Forum

Turkey’s Policy Hinders the War on Terror

Why is Turkey suddenly passionate about helping fight Da’esh?

Nov 17, 2016

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Rezan Haddou

Fikra Forum

Two Paths for Turkey

If a case can be made for a country too big to fail in the Middle East, it would be Turkey.

Nov 16, 2016

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Hassan Mneimneh

Articles & Testimony

A Trump Presidency: Short-Cut to Iraqi Kurdistan's Independence or a Wrong Turn?

The most reliable road to Kurdish sovereignty still runs through Baghdad, not through Ankara or the Trump White House.

Nov 15, 2016

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Michael Knights

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Roads to Raqqa: Potential Turkish and Kurdish Offensives

In the unlikely event that either side decides to follow through on its declared intentions, each has multiple options for advancing on the Islamic State's heartland.

Nov 7, 2016

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Fabrice Balanche

Brief Analysis

Is Turkey Pivoting to China?

As Turkey looks for alternative partners, it is not Russia or Iran but China that offers the most promise, so the United States should shore up its own ties with Ankara in response.

Oct 24, 2016

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

Who Will Take al-Bab?

The last remaining Islamic State stronghold in eastern Syria is poised to fall, and given the potentially major strategic implications for the Kurds, Turkey, the rebels, and other actors, one of them may act quickly to determine its fate.

Oct 5, 2016

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Fabrice Balanche

Brief Analysis

Turkey's Rewarming Ties with Iran

The two countries appear to be compartmentalizing their shared and divergent interests in Syria and Iraq, but such an approach is highly vulnerable to unexpected military incidents and other factors.

Sep 29, 2016

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Soner Cagaptay

Video

Brief Analysis

America's Anxious Allies: Trip Report from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel

A bipartisan team of distinguished former officials share their insights from a recent tour of key regional capitals.

Sep 28, 2016

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Meghan O'Sullivan
Philip Gordon
Dennis Ross
James Jeffrey

Turkish president Erdogan - Source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Erdogan Faces a Choice Between Popularity and Power

Although continuing the crackdown would be the quicker and more expedient approach to meeting Erdogan's goals, it is also more dangerous, risking a permanent state of cultural civil war.

Sep 28, 2016

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James Jeffrey

Articles & Testimony

Turkey's Room to Maneuver Against the United States

Despite recent tensions, the West still needs Ankara in order to project power in the region, and Turkey likewise needs the West to ensure its own peace and prosperity.

Sep 16, 2016

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James Jeffrey

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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Policy Analysis on Turkey

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