Turkey

Policy Analysis on Turkey

A Ghauri nuclear-capable missile on parade in Pakistan

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Renewed Saudi-Pakistan Contacts Revive Nuclear Fears

Deadlock in the Iran nuclear talks may prompt action by Riyadh, with Pakistani support.

Apr 27, 2022

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Simon Henderson

A Turkish Bayraktor UAV on display at an airshow - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Turkey's Lethal Weapon

From Ukraine to Syria, drones are reshaping Erdogan’s foreign policy.

Apr 27, 2022

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Soner Cagaptay
Rich Outzen

An Israeli security officer stands guard at the scene of a terrorist shooting in Tel Aviv, March 2022.

Articles & Testimony

A Badly Needed New Approach to Quelling the Violence

A U.S.-Israel attempt to compel Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas to end terrorist attacks against Israelis could ultimately help reset dynamics, even if such a move generates a costly short-term backlash.

Apr 25, 2022

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Ehud Yaari

Brief Analysis

French-Turkish Relations: Foes to Friends?

The Ukraine war has greatly boosted their diplomatic and military cooperation, but lingering friction over Syria, Libya, and Mediterranean issues will need to be handled carefully if this rapprochement is to endure.

Apr 20, 2022

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Louis Dugit-Gros
Pierre Morcos
Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Between Maritime Law and Politics in the East Mediterranean

Given the region’s fraught history and piecemeal legal frameworks, the parties and their allies should focus more on the political, economic, and security concerns underlying their legal disputes.

Mar 24, 2022

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Alexander Loengarov

Photo of Turkish and Taliban officials meeting in Ankara, October 2021.

Brief Analysis

Turkey Calls for Recognition of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate

Ankara has taken a leading role in rehabilitating the group’s image, but many other countries have reached out as well, making eventual recognition a fait accompli.

Mar 17, 2022

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Aaron Y. Zelin

Map illustrating strategies for preserving autonomy in northeast Syria.

Brief Analysis

How to Preserve the Autonomy of Northeast Syria

To offset the destabilizing measures coming from Turkey and the Assad axis, Western governments need to offer more development assistance—but in a targeted way that reassures local authorities and minimizes mismanagement.

Mar 15, 2022

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Fabrice Balanche

Articles & Testimony

Can Turkey and the UAE Help Break Libya’s Deadlock?

Finding a compromise timeline for elections will be delicate, but the recent thaw in relations between Ankara and Abu Dhabi removes a significant external impediment to progress.

Mar 14, 2022

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Ben Fishman

Illustration of chess pieces and the Russian and Ukrainian flags - source: Reuters

Video

Brief Analysis

How Will the Ukraine Crisis Affect Middle East Policy?

Three experts discuss whether the war might alter Washington’s calculus on rapprochement with Turkey, regional military deployments, and wider great power competition.

Mar 10, 2022

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Soner Cagaptay
Grant Rumley

Tunisian citizens who fled the Russian invasion of Ukraine arrive in Tunis - Source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Middle East Students Stranded in Ukraine

Regional governments are scrambling to repatriate thousands of their trapped citizens, and the United States could play a key role in facilitating their safe return.

Mar 9, 2022

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Carol Silber
Calvin Wilder

A Ukrainian flag flies at a naval base in Crimea in 2014 - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Middle East Responses to the Ukraine Crisis

So far, official statements from the region have ranged from rejecting Russia’s moves to treating them as a natural extension of existing policy.

Updated Mar 4, 2022

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Margaret Dene
Hannah Labow
Carol Silber

Brief Analysis

Israel Juggles Diplomacy with Turkey, Cyprus, and Greece

A high-level visit to Athens was notionally about climate issues, but it also took advantage of a potential shift in regional politics, including with Turkey.

Mar 1, 2022

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Simon Henderson

Flames emerge from flare stacks at Nahr Bin Umar oil field, north of Basra, Iraq - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

The Death of Oil Federalism? Implications of a New Iraqi Court Ruling

The legal decision and its political fallout are threatening some of the country’s key interests, including its aspirations toward federalism, its relations with Turkey, and its ability to attract sorely needed international investment.

Feb 18, 2022

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Bilal Wahab

Articles & Testimony

The Third Age of Erdogan’s Foreign Policy

Turkey has been forced to adopt a new approach abroad, presenting a valuable opportunity that the United States and Europe need to seize quickly.

Feb 17, 2022

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Rich Outzen
Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

Battle for al-Sinaa Prison: The Enduring Islamic State Threat in Syria

The military response to a major prison attack exhibited the strength of the U.S.-SDF partnership, but it also highlighted ongoing counterterrorism shortcomings.

Jan 31, 2022

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Ido Levy

Turkish President Erdogan meets Ukrainian President Zelenskiy in Kyiv - source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

The Ukraine Crisis: East Meets Mideast?

In theory, Iran, Turkey, the Gulf, and other regional players offer potential leverage of various kinds over Moscow, but closer examination suggests that most of these links are of limited utility at best.

Jan 28, 2022

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David Pollock

Brief Analysis

Reality Check for Israel’s Natural Gas Plans

Washington has logical reasons to step away from an undersea pipeline project in the East Mediterranean, though the decision effectively kills Israel’s improbable dream of becoming a significant gas supplier to Europe.

Jan 27, 2022

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Simon Henderson

Sailors aboard a Turkish Naval Forces warship - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Will Turkey Help Washington If Russia Invades Ukraine?

Fears of Russian military power may keep Ankara out of the spotlight, but its Black Sea calculations and Crimean Tatar sympathies indicate a willingness to assist behind the scenes if necessary.

Jan 26, 2022

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Soner Cagaptay

Turkish president Erdogan - Source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Erdogan’s End Game: Will He Undermine Turkish Democracy to Stay in Power?

The president is very unlikely to win the next election fair and square, so he may well resort to undermining the vote, disregarding the result, or even fomenting a January 6-like insurrection.

Jan 4, 2022

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Soner Cagaptay

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

Brief Analysis

Turkey vs. the YPG: What’s Next?

As Ankara and Moscow mull a potential exchange of Syria border incursions for Idlib concessions, Erdogan risks endangering his intertwined goals of improving Turkey’s economy and minimizing tensions with Washington.

Nov 16, 2021

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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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Turkey

Policy Analysis on Turkey

Turkish Research Program

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Turkey

Policy Analysis on Turkey

Turkish Research Program

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