It is now almost a ritual of U.S. administrations to escalate tension with Iran. At least in the last three administrations we have seen similar forms of escalations between the two countries. During the Bush administration, Iran became part of […]
The crisis in NATO and a complicated U.S. foreign policy are shaping Ankara-Washington relations, making it hard to predict the future. Over the past few weeks, there has been significant diplomatic activity between Turkey, the U.S. and NATO regarding the […]
Debates and discussions regarding Iran have spanned years in Washington. From the “axis of evil” to “Sunni-Shiite equilibrium” and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to the “maximum pressure” campaign, there have been a variety of different positions and […]
On May 2, 2019, the SETA Foundation at Washington D.C. hosted a discussion titled, “Trump’s Maximum Pressure Campaign Against Iran.” Kılıç Kanat, Research Director at SETA DC was the moderator of this discussion. Panelists included Mike Doran, the Senior Fellow […]
Thursday, May 02, 2019 12:00pm – 1:30pm The Trump administration designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a Foreign Terrorist Organization to achieve its goal of ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran. Contrary to some expectations, the administration decided not to renew […]
Turkish-American relations are at a juncture as U.S. withdrawal from Syria is underway, as two NATO allies to implement the Manbij roadmap.
On November 29, the SETA Foundation at Washington D.C. hosted the event, “Iran Sanctions and Regional implications.” The panelists discussed the recently re-imposed Iran sanctions, the granted waivers, and what it means for the future of the Middle East. The […]
It is a rather confusing time for outside observers to understand what is taking place in the U.S. administration today. In the 20-month period since the inauguration of President Trump, the administration has experienced very rapid turnover in some key […]
One of the most significant unknowns in Washington for the last seven years has been the Syrian policy. The inconsistency between rhetoric and policy, the absence of a strategy and indecisiveness were considered the pillars of the U.S. position. This […]
There have been a lot of questions about the future of the Turkish-American partnership for the last few weeks. There are pessimists who contend that relations will never recover from the turbulence that it entered, and this historic partnership will […]
In the last two weeks the crisis between Turkey and the U.S. has been one of the most debated issue on international platforms. The attitude of the U.S. administration toward Turkey and the sanctions imposed on Turkish officials have been […]
The historical analogies to describe the ongoing Turkish-U.S. crisis are almost all exhausted. Following the U.S. sanctions on two Turkish ministers and more tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum, relations between the two allies hit rock bottom. In the face […]
Turkey-U.S. relations are at a new low and it should not come as surprise to anyone that Trumpian foreign policymaking has a lot to do with it. It was less than a month ago that President Trump snubbed most European […]
The past week in Turkish-American relations was probably the worst period since the 1974 Cyprus crisis and the arms embargo. For the first time in decades of relations, the U.S. put sanctions on two Turkish ministers and then in a […]
Turkish-U.S. relations have been going through rough times for the last few years. In multiple instances in this column, the alarming degree of deterioration in relations was pointed out. However, even the most pessimistic observers of bilateral relations did not […]
There are so many possible scenarios regarding what happened behind closed doors between American and Turkish officials over the last few weeks. There have been rumors of negotiations, bargaining, misunderstandings, and unexpected and unprecedented heightening of discourse on the part […]
The U.S.-Turkey relationship has always been subject to ups and downs, including the Cold War years. This was one of the themes covered in a conference on the legacy of the July 15 coup attempt organized by SETA DC. The […]
One of the most discussed issues in Washington, D.C. nowadays is the Iran strategy of the Trump administration. There are too many questions and concerns about the U.S. policy toward Iran following the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Joint […]
On June 13, SETA Foundation at Washington DC hosted the event “The Trump Administration’s Post-JCPOA Iran Policy.” The discussion focused on US-Iranian interactions in the future as well as US relations with its European and Middle Eastern allies. The panelists […]
Dealmaking and negotiation are two critical aspects of leadership. Especially for political leaders, it is extremely important to have a strategic approach to dealmaking. In the increasingly complex international environment, a rising number of variables can influence the process. Thus […]
U.S. foreign policy has been the topic of many articles in this column. In the last few years, the absence of a clear, comprehensive and long-term strategy has been the weakest aspect of U.S. foreign policy. Without the guidance of […]
President Trump delivered a major campaign promise by pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and left everyone wondering what the new Iran policy would be. Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attempted to answer that […]
The US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to establish an embassy there is the most consequential American diplomatic action to address the Israel-Arab conflict in half a century.
On May 22nd, the SETA Foundation at Washington DC hosted an event on “The Implications of the US Embassy Move to Jerusalem.” The discussion focused on what the move of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem means for future […]
There were two images broadcast to the world last week that illustrated the end of the U.S. role in the Middle East peace process as we know it. The contrast between celebratory images of the opening of the U.S. embassy […]
In the last two weeks, two moves of U.S. foreign policymakers have demonstrated the basic problems of their strategy, potentially challenging Washington’s own interests and international relations. U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and […]
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal will be a critical cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. For the last few decades, debates about the future direction and orientation of U.S. foreign policy have dominated the […]
President Trump is widely expected to walk away from the Iran nuclear deal by refusing to issue a sanctions waiver this week. One of Trump’s central attacks on the Obama administration has been the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) […]
Sometimes the biggest challenge for policy makers is not the diagnosis of the problem, but the lack of a proper strategy to fix it; nowadays one of the biggest hurdles in Washington. After failures, errors, mistakes and deliberations, there is […]
For years now there has been a debate about the future of the international system. Especially after the Iraq War some members of the international community started to feel nervous about the irresponsible unilateral use of force by the U.S. […]
