The debate on the U.S. withdrawal from Syria suffers from a couple of frequently repeated arguments that do not reflect the realities of the conflict, especially in northern Syria. Some argue that the U.S. should not abandon their allies on […]
Next week, Turkish and U.S. officials will meet on the sidelines of the Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (Daesh) in Washington. The working groups have been actively trying to resolve the issues affecting bilateral […]
February 7, 2019 Find a summary of the event here. As the U.S. is in the process of withdrawing from Syria, the U.S. and Turkey are in talks to coordinate their counter terrorism efforts, bring about stability, and address Turkish […]
Just after the strained relations between the U.S. and Turkey this summer finally began to heal, it seems a new crisis will emerge to test the NATO allies’ relationship. Turkey has long expressed its concerns about the U.S.’ partnership with […]
The G20 summit in Argentina ended with no major breakthrough or a breakdown but that is not good news for the pressing global challenges. From climate change to international terrorism and from civil wars to refugee crises, there are a host […]
The SETA Foundation at Washington D.C. hosted an event on October 11, 2018 titled “The Shifting U.S. Policy on Syria.” The event discussed the recent signaling of U.S. officials that the U.S. is shifting its policy in Syria to counter […]
Monday, September 24, 2018 12:00pm – 1:30pm The Yale Club of New York 50 Vanderbilt Avenue New York, New York 10017 Turkey has been going through domestic, regional, and global challenges for the past several years. The country has overcome […]
Thursday, September 13, 2018 2:00pm – 3:30pm As the Assad regime appears to be gearing up for an attack on Idlib, observers have rung the alarm bells about potentially massive humanitarian consequences. The city is considered the last bastion of […]
The popularity of migrant routes into Europe from Africa and the Middle East have changed in 2018. The Mediterranean route from Libya to Italy and the sea route from Turkey to Greece have been the most common options over the […]
On August 13, President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA) into law. While the actual budget numbers are merely authorizations and not yet appropriations, the policy language included in the 2019 NDAA will go […]
The June 24, 2018 elections will mark a turning point for political parties and politicians in Turkey. A large number of individuals, products of the parliamentary system themselves, will be forced to leave the political arena for good on election […]
It was only in January when former Secretary of State Tillerson announced a Syria policy with several goals (ensuring no return of Daesh, countering Iran, and the return of refugees) but with no clear strategy to achieve them. President Trump made his […]
President Donald Trump and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had one more telephone meeting last week, a second one within the last one month. It is obvious that Turkish-American relations are going through one of the most difficult periods of its […]
Last week, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a comical meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Oval Office. Pledging to reform his country by promoting “moderate Islam,” the 32-year-old man went onto an “incredible” public diplomacy offensive […]
With the change in the Secretary of State position in the U.S., questions emerge about the possible changes in U.S. foreign policy in critical areas. Many in Washington, DC consider Pompeo a significant game changer, partly because of his close […]
Ever since Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch in northwestern Syria, its goals have been mischaracterized and quite a few myths continue to thrive. One of these is that Turkey is conducting the operation because it cannot tolerate any “Kurdish” gains […]
After fifteen years, today most of the experts and former policy makers agree that the Iraq War was one of the most consequential mistakes in U.S. foreign policy. The decision to go to war in Iraq, the decisions of the […]
On Thursday, March 1st, the SETA Foundation at Washington DC hosted an event “Allies at Odds: US-Turkey Differences in Northern Syria,” focused on recent developments in northern Syria and their effect on the US-Turkey relationship. Panelists included Richard Outzen, Senior […]
The U.S. must end its military and political support to the YPG not only to repair ties with Turkey but also to bring long lasting stability to Syria. If the U.S. is interested in a semblance of stability in Syria, […]
The European Union Facility for Refugees in Turkey recently granted 31.4 million euros to UNICEF for the continuing support of the most vulnerable refugee children in Turkey. The award supports the Education and Child Protection Programme for Vulnerable Syrian and […]
For years now, Washingtonian experts on Turkey time and again have interpreted the changes in Turkish foreign policy as a shift of axis. What they mean by shift of axis was the redirection or reorientation of Turkish foreign policy from […]
Turkish public’s hostility toward Soviet Union has been replaced by United States due to Washington’s support to PKK/YPG militants.
If anybody thought that Daesh’s defeat would lead to de-escalation in Syria, they must be seriously disappointed. Neither the armed clashes on the ground nor the negotiations are likely to end anytime soon. The large chunk of territory under the […]
Operation Olive Branch entered its 15th day today, as the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) continued its advance towards Mt. Darmiq. Having tailored their operational plans to minimize losses and prevent civilian casualties, the Turkish Armed Forces and the FSA […]
Arriving at a common Syria policy, however much needed, will likely remain an elusive goal. In the meantime, however, Turkey should be able to expect the US to take its security concerns much more seriously. This means ceasing military support to the YPG dominated SDF in the short term and start a comprehensive strategic policy conversation with Turkey, both to prioritize the security of its NATO ally and also to ensure stability in Syria.
Turkey took a new step toward influencing the post-Daesh future of Syria by launching a military operation against the militants of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin. The French request for a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, coupled […]
U.S. officials responsible for Washington’s Syria policy have been suffering from a lapse of reason when it comes to judging Turkey’s priorities. It would appear that they are content with the prospect of driving Turkey-U.S. relations to the ground by […]
Normalization is in both Turkey and Europe’s favor. But why? For Turkey, Europe is not an actor that can be ignored or with whom tense relations can be maintained. Due to economic, political, cultural, societal and security concerns, Turkey has […]
As Turkey counts down to an imminent military operation in Afrin, the United States took its long-standing support for the PKK’s Syrian branch, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), to a new level. Over the weekend, the Global Coalition to Defeat […]
For the last few years, since the acceleration of the downward spiral in Turkish-U.S. relations, many analysts have indicated that the improvement of relations will partly depend on economic and social relations between the two countries. The strategic divergences in […]
