June 30, 2026
NATO’s 19th Summit was held in Istanbul, Türkiye, on June 28–29, 2004. Twenty-two years later, the 36th NATO Summit will be held on July 7–8, 2026, in Ankara. Even a brief look at the 19th Summit Communiqué and the one to be published next Wednesday will unmistakably demonstrate how much has changed since then in Europe, transatlantic relations, the Middle East, and Türkiye.
Okumaya devam etJune 2, 2026
The Iran-US “Memorandum of Understanding” (MoU) was signed last Thursday by Presidents Trump and Pezeshkian in Paris and Tehran, respectively. Thus, the 60-day negotiation period started. The preceding days saw endless speculation about its contents. US Vice President Vance said the MoU is “a very general document,” with specifics to be worked out in further negotiations. Although not disclosed, the MoU may have understandings that go beyond those 14 paragraphs.
Okumaya devam etMarch 23, 2026
With Trump’s second term in the White House, transatlantic relations entered challenging times. First came his largely understandable criticism of the European contribution to common defense, to which Europeans responded by committing to raising defense spending from 2% to 5% of their GDP. Second, came his tariff wars. On July 28, 2025, the White House announced a trade deal with the EU, reached during a meeting between Commission President von der Leyen and Trump, “fundamentally rebalancing the economic relationship between the world’s two largest economies”. The deal drew some criticism from within the EU. Third, Washington ignored the European countries’ views on the war in Ukraine. Trump did not allow them a seat at the negotiating table but lectured them in the Oval Office following his Alaska Summit with Putin. His remarks on the EU remained mostly condescending.
Okumaya devam etFebruary 18, 2026
The 62nd Munich Security Conference took place from February 13 to 15, 2026. With the war in Ukraine and strains in transatlantic relations, the conference attracted global attention. Starting with Chancellor Merz, as the leader of the host country, many other European leaders, Secretary of State Rubio, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed the meeting. All Western participants who delivered remarks agreed that the so-called “international rules-based order” has ceased to exist. They also agreed that if there had been a unipolar moment following the collapse of the USSR, with the rise of China, that too was over.
Okumaya devam etJanuary 19, 2026
The anti-regime protests in Iran were the top development of global attention over the past weeks. In the background was the nature of the Iranian regime, its controversial and confrontational regional outreach, which, to a large extent, resulted from the US invasion of Iraq, the Syrian conflict, regional rivalries, and the failure of the Iran nuclear deal. The last one compelled me to look back at the past.
Okumaya devam etJanuary 12, 2026
The abduction of President Maduro and his being brought, handcuffed, to New York shocked the world. Yet President Trump’s press conference about Operation Absolute Resolve, American military might, and plans for Venezuelan oil was an even greater shock. During the past week, the US President has continued to stun the world, particularly Washington’s NATO allies.
Okumaya devam etDecember 15, 2025
In two weeks, the year 2025 will be behind us. The end of a year is a moment of reflection on the achievements, disappointments, and failures of the past twelve months and whether different paths could have been taken. In international relations, those who choose between “new chapters” and “the same old story” are world leaders, primarily among them the leaders of major powers. And “new chapters” are not easy to start writing.
Okumaya devam etSeptember 22, 2025
This morning, the UN General Assembly begins its “High-level Week 2025” with a meeting to mark the 80th anniversary of the UN. Later in the day, the UN will resume the High-Level International Conference for the “Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution,” co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. The conference aims to reaffirm international commitments to the two-state solution and seek support for its implementation. From September 22 to 30, world leaders will address global issues during the General Debate.
Okumaya devam etMarch 10, 2025
On February 19, 2021, President Biden addressed the Virtual Munich Security Conference. He declared, “America is back.”
Last week, President Trump delivered his State of the Union address before Congress. He started his remarks with the following:
“I return to this chamber tonight to report that America’s momentum is back. Our spirit is back. Our pride is back. Our confidence is back…”
Okumaya devam etMarch 3, 2025
For centuries Europe remained the world’s main battleground. The casualties of the two world wars within four decades dwarfed the losses and devastation of past conflicts. And as the Second World War ended, the Iron Curtain descended across Europe.
Okumaya devam et
Diplomatik Yorum - Ali Tuygan 