October 21, 2024
On September 26, 2024, Presidents Biden and Zelensky met in Washington. The latter presented to his host, Ukraine’s plan to achieve “victory over Russia” and President Biden reaffirmed his determination to provide Kyiv with the support it needs to win. The same day, he also directed the Department of Defense to allocate all of its remaining security assistance funding that had been appropriated for Ukraine by the end of his term in office.[i]
Okumaya devam etOctober 14, 2024
The November 5, US presidential election is only three weeks away. On January 20, 2025, the new US president will take office. Thus there will be a six-week period of transition. Then the new president will form her/his government and get a closer look at the challenges ahead. In brief, the new US administration’s fully taking the reins will take time.
Okumaya devam etOctober 6, 2024
Tomorrow will mark the first anniversary of the Hamas the Hamas onslaught of October 7 that left 1,200 Israelis dead. Since then Israel has been fighting its longest war. With nearly 42,000 dead and almost 100,000 wounded, mostly women and children, the tremors of the Gaza earthquake continue. The Strip has been reduced to rubble and winter is approaching. Moreover, some 800 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank. With the beginning of IDF operations, Lebanon is now the major battleground. IDF’s recent airstrikes in Lebanon have so far killed over 1,400 people and displaced more than 1,200,000. And the risks of Lebanon turning into a second Gaza are growing if strikes were to continue at this pace.
Okumaya devam etOctober 3, 2024
Ankara’s foreign policy of the past fifteen years is a story of extreme rhetoric, defiance, and inconsistencies. Every country can make reasonable adjustments to its foreign policy. But if U-turns become a pattern, this signals a lack of long-term foresight. A sound foreign policy follows a steady course like a big ship, it does not constantly change direction like a runabout.
Okumaya devam etSeptember 30, 2024
Last week, world leaders, though not all, gathered in New York to engage in the annual high-level General Assembly debate to “explore solutions to intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development” to use the UN language. Yet, nobody expected them to do much about the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Okumaya devam etSeptember 20, 2024
At least 37 people were killed and thousands more injured, many seriously, when pagers and walkie-talkies, used by Hezbollah, exploded across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the operation. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant complimented the Israeli Intelligence Agency, the Mossad, for “great achievements”, but stopped short of claiming responsibility for the two days of attacks in Lebanon. However, American and other countries’ officials have reportedly said that Israel was responsible for the explosions.
Okumaya devam etSeptember 16, 2024
The year 2023 was a tough one for Ukraine. Its spring offensive failed. The US military aid started coming after months of delay. Mobilization became unpopular in Ukrainian society. In brief, it became increasingly clear that a Ukrainian victory against Russia was not in the cards.
Some Western observers presented the Ukrainian incursion into the Russian province of Kursk in early August 2024 as an important military achievement. In an article on September 5, Anatol Lieven said that while legally and morally justified, the attack has failed in all its objectives.[i] In brief, the battlefield developments of the past two years have not supported President Zelensky’s expectations of a future victory over Russia.
Okumaya devam etSeptember 2, 2024
Hafez al-Assad was the 18th president of Syria from 1971 until he died in 2000. He was the number one regional enemy of Türkiye. Starting in the mid-1980s, Syria provided the PKK and its leader Ocalan with safe havens from where they launched terrorist attacks against Türkiye across the 910-kilometer border. President Assad, despite irrefutable evidence provided by Ankara over the years, constantly denied support. Türkiye’s patience finally ran out. In the fall of 1988, the Turkish land forces commander delivered an ultimatum on the border saying that either Syria deported Ocalan or the Turkish army would move in. Hafez al-Assad complied. On October 20, 1988, Türkiye and Syria signed the Adana Agreement which was essentially a commitment by Damascus to end its support to terrorism.
Okumaya devam etAugust 23, 2024
The October 7 Hamas onslaught was a shock to Israel, but also to Washington because with the Abraham Accords, it seemed that the US could put its Middle East troubles behind and focus on its strategic competition with China and the war in Ukraine. Which power or powers could convince Israel of the need with growing urgency to put a stop to the current fighting? None other than the US, one would think. However, as I said in my last post, Prime Minister Netanyahu knows that no matter who is in the White House, he can manage Washington’s Middle East policy more than Washington can steer his conduct in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, with his appeals for a ceasefire, it appears now that President Biden is asking for a favor from Mr. Netanyahu, not the opposite.
Okumaya devam etAugust 19, 2024
Since the Hamas onslaught of October 7, world attention has essentially focused on two aspects of the war in Gaza. First, the ferocity of the IDF operations that have caused immense loss of civilian life and devastation, and second, the ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange talks.
Okumaya devam et
Diplomatik Yorum - Ali Tuygan 