Turkey

Policy Analysis on 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

Video

Will Turkey's Purchase of Russian Missiles Rupture U.S. Ties?

How have relations between NATO allies Turkey and the United States come to the brink of historic crisis?

Jul 9, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

An Underdog Challenges Erdogan

The president, a former Istanbul mayor, has a rival in the current one.

Jul 9, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

A Humanitarian Time Bomb in Idlib

As the latest regime offensive continues, hundreds of thousands of civilians are fleeing to overcrowded border camps, furthering Assad’s strategy of emptying as much of the Sunni Arab population as possible.

Jun 28, 2019

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Fabrice Balanche

Video

Brief Analysis

The Istanbul Revote: What Happens Next?

Four experts discuss the opposition's landslide victory and its implications for Turkish politics generally and President Erdogan's future specifically.

Jun 26, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay
Lisel Hintz
Kemal Kirisci
Alan Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

Erdogan’s Presidential System Isn’t Working. The Istanbul Election Shows Why.

Turkey is too diverse demographically, too big economically, and too complicated politically to be governed from a presidential palace.

Jun 24, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Turkey and Russia Are Not Friends, Despite Appearances

The truth is that Ankara feels threatened by Moscow, but security concerns, mistrust of the West, and an inability to secure American missiles left Erdogan searching for an alternative.

Jun 16, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay
Andy Taylor

In-Depth Reports

Erdogan's Empire: Turkey and the Politics of the Middle East

The president has sought to restore Turkey's Ottoman-era reach and break ranks with traditional Western allies, but such an approach carries heavy risk of isolation, strategic miscalculation, and lost opportunities for the Turkish people.

Jun 10, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

The Race for Istanbul: Erdogan’s Plan A and B

Although massive state resources have been mobilized against Imamoglu, the opposition candidate has taken up the mantle of the underdog who could challenge the status quo nationally, just as Erdogan himself did two decades ago.

Jun 10, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Turkish president Erdogan - Source: Reuters

Articles & Testimony

Erdogan’s Failure on the Nile

How Turkey’s president went from being a regional Islamist leader in the Arab Spring to sharing Qatar’s role as the Middle East’s odd man out.

May 28, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

If Syria Safe-Zone Talks Fail: How the SDF Might Respond to Turkish Intervention

The Kurdish-led force cannot hold the northeast on its own, and withdrawing coalition support would bolster Assad and Moscow’s interests.

May 17, 2019

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John Holland-McCowan

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

No More Turkish Veto on Idlib Offensive?

Ankara’s calculations about the rebel province appear to have shifted, though it still hopes to use the situation as leverage for constraining the YPG and preventing another refugee influx.

May 14, 2019

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Fabrice Balanche

Brief Analysis

Iraq-Turkey Pipeline Arbitration: Avoiding a Policy Train Wreck

Baghdad is suing Ankara for giving the Kurds independent pipeline access, but the biggest loser may be Washington’s pressure campaign on Iran.

May 8, 2019

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Why Erdogan Will Win in Istanbul, and What This Means for Turkish Democracy

Despite the opposition’s resilience, the president can use any number of legal, political, or foreign policy tools to ensure his candidate wins this time around, no matter the reputational costs.

May 7, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

The Turkish Rupture Could Cause a Fissure in NATO

A dramatic rift seems unavoidable unless Ankara delays the arrival of Russian missiles and Washington provides security guarantees against Moscow and the Syrian Kurds.

Apr 16, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Articles & Testimony

Erdogan Should Seize the Chance for Change in Turkey

The president seems pragmatic enough to recognize when he is beat and refocus his efforts on normalizing the severely polarized political system.

Apr 5, 2019

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Soner Cagaptay

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

Assessing the Post–July 15 Turkish Military:

Operations Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch

After Turkey’s July 2016 failed military uprising, the leadership initiated purges and reforms aimed at ensuring the military’s future loyalty, but raising questions about the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the newly configured Turkish Armed Forces. Two subsequent cross-border operations into northern Syria provide valuable insight: Operation Euphrates Shield, lasting

Mar 26, 2019

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Metin Gurcan

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

Regions & Countries

Issues

Turkey

Policy Analysis on Turkey

Turkish Research Program

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