Exclusive Interview: Erdogan’s Next Five Years
EXCLUSIVE SUBSCRIBER+MEMBER INTERVIEW — After cruising to a second-round presidential victory over the weekend, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey for 20 years, is now set […] More
Posts Tagged ‘Turkey’
Turkey’s Run-Off Could Upend Security in Europe, and Beyond
CIPHER BRIEF REPORTING – With world attention focusing in on Turkey’s presidential run-off election, where incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan is locked in what is perhaps the most […] More
How Will a Biden Administration Engage the Middle East?
The Cipher Brief is a non-political media outlet focused on publishing expert perspectives on national security issues. We are committed to presenting multiple opinions to […] More
Are Gas Deposits in the Mediterranean Worth a War?
The discovery of large gas deposits has refueled decades-old territorial disputes in the Mediterranean. In late July, Turkey announced it was dispatching a survey ship […] More
Libya’s Carpe Diem?
Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, US Army (Ret) was the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs from 2008-2009. Prior to that, he was the Deputy […] More
The Problem with Erdogan’s Grand Vision
The Cipher Brief’s Academic Incubator program partners with colleges and Universities across the country on highlighting the next generation of national security leaders. If your […] More
The Plight of Syrian Refugees
Bottom Line Up Front Following intensified fighting in Syria between Turkey and the Assad regime, thousands of refugees are fleeing the country in an […] More
Turkey and Russia Clash in Syria as Casualties Mount
Bottom Line Up Front Dozens of Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike on Thursday in a development that threatens to drastically escalate the […] More
Turkey Enters the Conflict in Libya
Bottom Line Up Front Turkey has intervened in Libya’s internecine civil war in an effort to prop up the increasingly beleaguered Government of National […] More
NATO Debrief with Admiral James Stavridis
As NATO members meet in London this week, The Cipher Brief tapped former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.) to help […] More
NATO Celebrates 70th Birthday Amid Growing Uncertainty
Bottom Line Up Front NATO countries gathered this week to celebrate the alliance’s 70th anniversary amidst growing uncertainty over the institution’s future. In a recent […] More
Turkey Begins Sending Back Foreign Fighters to the West
Bottom Line Up Front Turkey recently sent a dozen Islamic State prisoners back to their respective home countries, while Erdogan has promised to send […] More
How Foreign Leaders Play President Trump
OPINION — Donald Trump as president displays weakness toward those he envies as strong foreign leaders, while he acts like a bully toward leaders he […] More
Baghdadi May be Dead, but the So-Called Islamic State Will Live On
Bottom Line Up Front On October 26, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a raid by U.S. forces in northern Syria near the Turkish […] More
Russia and Turkey Reach a Deal on Syria
Bottom Line Up Front Earlier in the week, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi, Russia, where the […] More
Russia Reaps Benefits of U.S. Withdrawal
Bottom Line Up Front As the United States continues its hasty withdrawal from Syria, Russia has consolidated immense leverage in the country. Acting as […] More
Where’s a Whistleblower When You Need One?
OPINION – Why is there no Whistleblower in the case of President Trump’s October 6, phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan? Who was […] More
In Syria, Trump Takes U.S. Leadership Down Another Notch
OPINION — President Donald Trump’s decision to remove the small contingent of United States troops remaining in Syria is a disaster on multiple levels. It illustrates not […] More
The Far-Reaching Danger of ISIS in Syria
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is defending President Trump’s decision to withdraw support for Kurdish troops in Northeast Syria, saying Turkey has a “legitimate […] More
The United States Betrays Its True Allies in Syria
Bottom Line Up Front On Sunday evening, the Trump administration released a statement from the White House press secretary that signals a major shift […] More
The Limits of U.S. Influence in Syria
The White House announced Sunday that President Trump will endorse a Turkish military operation near the border with Syria that will target Kurdish forces. Turkey […] More
The U.S. Struggles to Gain Leverage in Syria
Bottom Line Up Front The Assad regime again demanded the immediate withdrawal of U.S. and Turkish troops from Syria, labeling them ‘occupying forces.’ Meanwhile, […] More
Ankara Gravitates Closer To Moscow
Bottom Line Up Front On the heels of its suspension from the U.S. F-35 fighter jet program, Turkey is now reportedly considering joint development […] More
Turkish Convoy Bombed in Syria as Tensions Flare
Bottom Line Up Front Turkey’s Defense Ministry claims that earlier this week, a Turkish convoy was bombed in Idlib province in northwest Syria. There […] More