Iraq

Turkey

Military & Security

Politics

The Iraqi military shot down a Turkish drone flying over the northern city of Kirkuk, Reuters reported on Aug. 29.

Iraq, Turkey: Iraq Shoots Down Turkish Drone Over Kirkuk

Qatar

United Arab Emirates

Turkey and Iraq signed an agreement on military, security and counter-terrorism cooperation, Reuters reported Aug. 15. 

Turkey, Iraq: Baghdad and Ankara Sign Agreements on Military, Security and Counter-Terrorism

Burkina Faso

Togo

Russia

Al Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, killed at least 12 Togolese soldiers at a military outpost near the locality of Kpekankandi in Togo's northern Savanes region, LSI Africa reported on July 21.

Togo: Al Qaeda Affiliate Launches Large-Scale Attack on Northern Military Outpost 

Niger

Economics

Energy

Niger and Turkey agreed to bolster bilateral cooperation in a range of fields including energy and defense after Nigerien junta leader Abdourahmane Tchiani welcomed a high-profile Turkish delegation, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler and director of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization Ibrahim Kalin, Reuters reported on July 18.

Niger, Turkey: Governments Vow to Strengthen Defense, Energy Cooperation   

Turkey's headline inflation dropped to 71.6% in June from 75.5% in May, while monthly price growth declined to 1.6%, Bloomberg reported on July 3. 

Turkey: Headline Inflation Slows for First Time in Eight Months

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed opposition parties, including those advocating for Syrian refugee repatriation, for promoting xenophobia and racism after anti-migrant riots erupted in the central province of Kayseri, AP reported July 1.

Turkey, Syria: Erdogan Blames Opposition for Anti-Syrian Migrant Sentiment

Somalia

United States

Iran

Saudi Arabia

Yemen

The United States is seeking evidence of an alleged arrangement for Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels to potentially supply weapons to al Qaeda affiliate al Shabaab in Somalia, CNN reported on June 11.

Somalia, Yemen: Houthis in Talks To Supply Weapons to Al Shabaab

China

Europe

United Kingdom

The European Commission announced that it will impose provisional duties of up to 38.1% on imports of Chinese electric vehicles into the European Union, arguing "unfair subsidization" is damaging domestic manufacturers, a press release from the commission showed on June 12.

EU, China: Brussels Slaps Tariffs on Chinese EVs

Assessments

Ethiopia

Sudan

Middle East and North Africa

Algeria

Bahrain

Egypt

Israel

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Oman

Palestinian Territories

Syria

The Geopolitics of Water

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Population growth, security vacuums, bad governance and climate change will increasingly strain the desert region's already scarce water supplies, raising the risk of social unrest, interstate conflict and violence from non-state actors.

In the Middle East, Water Will Increasingly Become a Weapon and Driver of Conflict

Cambodia

Japan

Germany

France

Uzbekistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Afghanistan

The escalating impacts of climate change and water scarcity will inflame tensions between Central Asian countries, raising the risk of violent state conflict in the coming decades. 

The Looming Threat of Central Asian 'Water Wars'

Turkish and Syrian flags wave above Syria's al-Salameh border crossing with Turkey on Aug. 27, 2023. 

The two countries will take steps to restore their diplomatic and economic ties, but competing security imperatives will make full-scale normalization difficult. 

Evaluating the Prospects of Turkey-Syria Normalization

Turkish lira bills over a financial chart background.

Turkey will likely maintain its orthodox economic strategy for the next few years, but government priorities may shift as the 2028 general election approaches.

Will Political Imperatives Reverse Turkey's Tighter Monetary Policy?

Morocco

Israeli soldiers guard a barrier, silhouetted against afternoon sun.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

As Gaza moves closer to a post-war reality, political limitations in Israel and competing interests abroad muddy the waters of the region's future governance.

For Israel, the Challenge of Gaza's Future Governance Deepens

A media department run by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is seen inside a mountain north of Iraq's Dohuk province in June 2013.

The offensive will seek to eliminate the threat posed by Kurdish militants near the Gara region, but fears of international backlash will deter Turkey from expanding its efforts into other areas of Iraq or Syria.

What To Make of Turkey's Renewed Offensive in Northern Iraq

Columns

On Geopolitics

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gives a press conference during the NATO Summit in Vilnius on July 12, 2023.

Erdogan's consolidation of power has made Turkish economic policies more beholden to the president's personal and political whims, and less to institutional checks and balances.

Turkey: A Case Study in Economic Policymaking Under Increased Political Centralization

Snapshots

Sunflower and wheat fields in Canakkale, Turkey, on June 25, 2024.

Extreme weather is threatening Turkey's agricultural sector, as rising costs have increased farmers' debt burdens in the absence of sufficient government aid.

In Turkey, Farmers' Debt Burdens Rise Alongside Extreme Weather Events

South Africa

Brazil

India

A map illustrating Turkey (in red) and the BRICS countries (in blue).

Joining BRICS would underscore Turkey's balancing act between the West and the Global South, but the organization's weaknesses will limit its potential for economic growth.

For Turkey, BRICS Is Far From a Political and Economic Panacea

Ukraine

A graph of the ruble exchange rate against the background of the Russian flag and paper banknotes. 

A new U.S. sanctions package on Russia raises risks of secondary sanctions for financial institutions around the world, leading more companies to cut off ties to Russian entities.

With a New Sanctions Package, the U.S. Squeezes Russian Trade

Media

Podcasts

What do organizations need to know as this relationship evolves? 

Essential Geopolitics: What to Know About the Future of Turkey-Iraq Relations

Opposition supporters celebrate Ekrem Imamoglu's reelection as Istanbul's mayor at the Republican People's Party Istanbul Provincial Directorate on April 1, 2024, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey's government scrambles to recover from a weak performance in the country's municipal elections.

A Strong Performance From the Opposition in Turkey's Municipal Elections Bodes Ill for Erdogan

<p>The Republic of Turkey straddles Europe and Asia, forming a land bridge that links the Levant, Iran and the Caucasus with Southeastern Europe. In stark contrast to its predecessor, the Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey is confined largely to the semi-arid, mountainous terrain of the Anatolian Peninsula and the capital-rich lands surrounding the Sea of Marmara. This low-lying region contains the large cities of Istanbul and Izmir and the two chokepoints linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean &mdash; the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. This area is the core of Turkey&#39;s population and economy. Turkey&rsquo;s geographic challenge is expanding the economic stability and development of this core into the eastern region of the country. Anatolia&rsquo;s rugged geography and mountainous terrain make economic and infrastructure development difficult, but has historically helped to prevent land invasions from the east and south. Modern Turkey is working to integrate this largely rural, poorer hinterland into the political and economic mainstream in an attempt to link its current Islamist government to its neighbors in the broader Middle East. However, significant challenges remain. Turkey has fought a decades-long Kurdish insurgency in its southeastern regions, where the Taurus Mountains and the Eastern Anatolian plateau give sanctuary to Kurdish separatist militants. Turkey&rsquo;s position at the crossroads between East and West provides the country with several geopolitical possibilities. The country is working to serve as a transit state linking the exports of its energy-rich eastern neighbors to consumer markets in Europe. Its location also invites a series of constraints, as reflected by Turkey&rsquo;s position surrounded by Europe&rsquo;s economic decline, Iranian ambitions in Syria and Iraq, and Russian interests in the Caucasus.</p>

Turkey's Resurgence

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

SITUATION REPORTS

Iraq, Turkey: Iraq Shoots Down Turkish Drone Over Kirkuk

Turkey, Iraq: Baghdad and Ankara Sign Agreements on Military, Security and Counter-Terrorism

Togo: Al Qaeda Affiliate Launches Large-Scale Attack on Northern Military Outpost

Niger, Turkey: Governments Vow to Strengthen Defense, Energy Cooperation

Turkey: Headline Inflation Slows for First Time in Eight Months

Turkey, Syria: Erdogan Blames Opposition for Anti-Syrian Migrant Sentiment

Somalia, Yemen: Houthis in Talks To Supply Weapons to Al Shabaab

EU, China: Brussels Slaps Tariffs on Chinese EVs

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