The Promises and Perils of Syrian Kurdistan
Syria’s Kurds are best known for the role that their military arm, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), currently play as the military backbone of […] More
Turkey
Rethinking the U.S. Alliance with Kurdish Fighters in Syria
As the ISIS “Caliphate” in Syria and Iraq faces annihilation in coming weeks, the U.S. must rethink relations with its highly problematic but effective ally […] More
Trump and Kuwaiti Emir Hint at End to Gulf Crisis
President Donald Trump and the Emir of Kuwait – one of two Gulf countries that has not cut ties with Qatar – said in a […] More
Mirage or Oasis? Tensions Ease between Bitter Gulf Rivals
Qatar announced on Thursday it is restoring full diplomatic ties with Iran. “The state of Qatar expressed its aspirations to strengthen bilateral relations with the […] More
Turkey’s Drift from the EU and NATO Could Be Permanent
Relations between Turkey and the European Union – already fraught – have deteriorated swiftly over the last few months. In June, the refusal of […] More
Turkey Has Lost Its Biggest Cheerleader: The U.S. Military
Turkey’s relations with the EU and place within NATO have come under increased scrutiny over the past year, especially during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s […] More
NATO Struggles to Align Turkey and Germany
In the run up to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s campaign to win a constitutional referendum this April, rhetorical vitriol between Turkey and EU countries […] More
The Fight for the Northern Iraq-Syria Border
The Iraq-Syria border has emerged in recent months as the hottest piece of real estate in the multi-sided struggle between the Islamic State (ISIS), anti-ISIS […] More
Turkey’s Security Deteriorates, Economy Falters
The Fund For Peace’s 2017 Fragile States Index paints an alarming, but justified, picture of Turkey: it is declining dramatically in most areas measured by […] More
Did Trump Give Erdogan License to Kill PKK Militants Inside Iraq?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Washington last week to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite budding tensions over the Trump administration’s decision to […] More
Turkey’s Ties to the West are in Deep Trouble
Speaking at a rally in Istanbul on March 26, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan further escalated his ongoing fight with Europe: “Have you [Europeans] not burned and […] More
Turkish Referendum Passes: Erdogan Solidifies Power
Turks went to the polls on Sunday and voted “Yes” in Turkey’s constitutional referendum by a margin of just over 51 percent to nearly 49 […] More
Turkey’s Referendum: The Dangerous Road to “Yes”
Turkey has a checkered history with democracy. Since adopting a multiparty parliamentary system, the country has suffered periodic military coups – including a failed putsch […] More
Turkey’s Ties to the West are in Deep Trouble
Speaking at a rally in Istanbul on March 26, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan further escalated his ongoing fight with Europe: “Have you [Europeans] not […] More
Erdogan Needs Enemies More Than Friends
On April 16, Turkey will hold a constitutional referendum, which if passed, promises to transform the country’s governing system. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stands […] More
Why Syria’s Kurds Are America’s Key Ally
Before the civil war, few outside the Middle East had ever heard of Syria’s Kurds. Syria has by far the smallest Kurdish population of the […] More
Syrian Kurds – Forgotten No More
Syria has by far the smallest Kurdish population of any country with major Kurdish minorities. However, in the last two years, the Kurds of Syria […] More
The War of Words Between Europe and Turkey
Relations between Turkey and Europe have been tense for decades. Turkey first applied to the European Economic Community – the European Union’s precursor – in […] More