Geopolitics and International Security
Xi Jinping in Europe: Strategic Autonomy and the Shifting Alliances in EU-China Relations
In early May of 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping undertook a significant diplomatic visit to Europe, the first since the global pandemic began. His five-day itinerary included visits to France, Serbia, and Hungary. Each stop on the tour was imbued with meaning and...
Governance, Growth, and Geopolitics: Insights from China’s Two Sessions
The National People's Congress (NPC) of China functions as the paramount organ of state authority, operating as a single-chamber legislature endowed with extensive capabilities, including amending the Constitution, legislating, supervising governmental activities, and...
The Admiral’s New Role: Analysing the Geopolitical Implications of China’s Defense Ministry Shift
The appointment of Admiral Dong Jun as the People's Republic of China's (PRC) Minister of National Defense represents a critical juncture in the nation's military leadership and strategic direction. Dong's ascension to this role, notable for being the first naval...
The Biden-Xi Dialogue: Balancing Competition and Cooperation in a Fragile World
Introduction At the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco, a significant meeting took place, drawing considerable attention in the realm of international politics. This was the dialogue between President Joe Biden of the United States and...
The US and Israel’s War with Hamas
Introduction The situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip is tense. Although there have been numerous attacks in Israel, the present situation appears to be much more extensive than in the past. Coming to the aid of its ally, the United States has sent military forces...
Latest Gaza War to Reshuffle Cards in the Middle East
Background On October 7, 2023, in the next day of the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, the world woke to the news of another terrorist attack where militants of Hamas and Islamic Jihad infiltrated borders around Gaza from land, air and sea to seize...
China’s Rising Power in the Middle East: A New Geopolitical Landscape
The Middle East, a region rich in energy resources, is strategically important for global powers. As the world's largest oil importer, China has steadily increased its influence in the area. This influence is driven by China's energy needs and diplomatic efforts, as...
US-China Relations: Adrift Between Conflict and Tianxia
US-China Relations: Adrift Between Conflict and Tianxia by Mats Radeck[i], Fatih Civrillioglu[ii] October 18, 2022 | 8 min read Introduction On August 2, 2022, Nancy Pelosi visited the island of Taiwan (officially the Republic of China) to underscore America’s...
The potential directions of the Ukraine War in spring 2023
Abstract The Ukraine War slowed down over the past months due to the harsh weather conditions and the high casualties on both sides. Russia and Ukraine will likely launch new offensives between February and April 2023. While Russia’s battlefield destiny lies in its...
Japan: Proactive in the Light of Current Issues
Introduction Following World War II (WWII), just as Germany did, Japan disarmed itself. Since then, the country has prioritized economic development over political and military disputes, and it has determined a foreign policy strategy that fosters stability in its...
COP 27, EU Green Deal, and the Birth Pain of a New International Order
COP 27, the EU Green Deal, and the Birth Pain of a New International Order by İlyas Gülenç* November 22, 2022 | 6 min read Introduction Ending up the fossil fuel addiction of the global economy, which is the main reason for global warming, is a challenging task...
Global Supply Chain After the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Strengthening his position in the Congress after winning the elections for the third time, Xi Jinping raised the Taiwan issue in the Congress. His harsh words and constitutional amendments have stoked up fears of a large-scale military operation against Taiwan. A...
The Implications of Nord Stream-1 Explosion within the Context of the EU Green Deal
The Implications of Nord Stream-1 Explosion within the Context of the EU Green Deal by İlyas Gülenç October 18, 2022 | 8 min read Introduction The latest sabotage attacks damaging the Nord Stream-1 pipeline, which carries one-third of the imported natural gas...
The New Global Order in the Making
The New Global Order in the MakingGeopolitics Task Force Brief by Onur Sultan[i], Mats Radeck[ii], Jeremy Alan Garlick[iii], Olena Snigyr[iv], Charles Joseph Sullivan[v] October 5, 2022 | 10 min read Background On August 29, 2022, the Ukrainian military...
Iran: The Beginning of a Feminist Revolution
Iran: The Beginning of a Feminist Revolution by Mats Radeck[i] and Avin Khodakarim[ii] October 5, 2022 | 10 min read For about four weeks, the people of Iran have been taking to the streets and were met by the extraordinary force of the Islamic regime. Often,...
Follow-Up: Saied’s Project of Democratic Backsliding
Background In 2011, the Jasmine revolution brought Tunisia’s president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali to fall and ended an entrenched dictatorship. The momentum further spread to other countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and initiated a protest movement...
Tension in Taiwan increase as Western-Chinese rivalry intensifies
Background On August 2, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a controversial visit to Taiwan while on a tour in Asia to show support for US Allies. At the beginning of her trip in Singapore on July 31, there was no mention of a visit to Taiwan. However, speculations...
Assessing Germany’s Potential Responsibility in a Rearming Europe
Introduction Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has moved the topic of defence to the epicentre of the political debate in the transatlantic zone. Responding to the new circumstances, the German government recently announced a massive scale-up of the country’s defence...
Finland and Sweden to Become NATO Allies Soon
While the discussions and musings on “strategic autonomy” after Brexit flooded corridors of EU, the brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia brought back memories of Cold War. The war unleashed all sorts of strategic thinking at EU, NATO and European capitals. Naturally,...
Green or Brown Future for The World: Geopolitical Dimensions of The Eu Green Deal
Green or Brown Future for The World: Geopolitical Dimensions of The Eu Green Deal by İlyas Gülenç* June 24, 2022 | 13 min read Rising energy prices, ongoing negative impacts of the pandemic, and dependence on Russian natural gas have created a harsh political...
EU-NATO and the Eastern Partnership Countries Against Hybrid Threats: From the EU Global Strategy till the war in Ukraine
In a period of geopolitical shocks, intensifying competition, regional shifts, external pressures, and rapid changes in the security environment, it is important to pay attention to instability drivers and threats that can affect the EU and NATO and their partners....
Vote Abstention in France
On April 24 2022, the second round of the French presidential elections took place with a 28% vote abstention rate.[1] In the first round of the elections, this rate was even lower, at 26.31%. The strong competition between France's two historical parties goes a long...
Will Sweden break with its military non-aligned policy?
The ongoing Russian war on Ukraine has abruptly transformed the political landscape in not only Europe, but also the world. In Scandinavia, political tensions are high as both Finland and Sweden are discussing the future of their security policies and potentially...
China’s Options in the Ukraine War: Bandwagoning with Russia or Being a Real Mediator
China’s Options in the Ukraine War: Bandwagoning with Russia or Being a Real Mediator by Tom Peeters April 15, 2022 | 12 min read Introduction Fukayama described the end of the Cold War as the completion of the ideological evolution of humanity and claimed...
Why Cold War is Not Such a Bad Idea
Depuis l’annexion de la Crimée, l’OTAN et l’UE peinent à trou- ver la juste réponse face au regain d’agressivité de la politique étrangère russe. En dépit de sa condamnation unanime de l’agression, la classe politique occidentale n’a jamais été à même de forcer la...
A Quick Overview of the Strategic Compass
A bit of a History The EU’s first strategy document, European Security Strategy, dates back to 2003, in the wake of the longstanding Cold War. Penned at a time of enormous hope, prosperity and an absence of a global rival, the EU’s self-confidence is reflected...
For a new range of sanctions against Moscow
Sanctions have been considered by international relations scholars as states mechanisms to influence other governments on their policies. While the traditional view on sanctions implemented by J. Galtung and the Oslo Institute portrays sanctions as an instrument to...
Repercussions of the Tension between Russia and the West over Ukraine on the Black Sea
Russian Objection to the Enhanced Relationship Between NATO and Ukraine The mobilisation of more than one hundred thousand Russian troops around the border of Ukraine rings an alarm for the transatlantic Alliance. The growing relationship between Ukraine and NATO and...
Making Sense of the Recent Unrest in Kazakhstan
Geopolitics Task Force Brief by Samet Coban(1), Victoria Clement(2), Hasan Suzen(3), Charles J. Sullivan(4), Saban Yuksel(5), Robert M. Cutler(6), and Onur Sultan(7) January 12, 2022| 12 min read Background On January 2 (Sunday), a spike in liquified petroleum gas...
The Belarus Crisis: the Weaponisation of Migration
“Nowadays, the security environment is more unpredictable and challenging to address. The environment to global security is seen as a challenge and emerging tool for peace and stability. For instance, autocratic regimes use all means and ways to fulfil their goals....
China-U.S. Tech war: New Hegemony
On 14 May 2021, China became the second country to have successfully landed a rover on Mars after its Zhurong spacecraft touched down on the surface of the red planet. Zhurong (祝融), carrying the name of the “god of fire” in ancient Chinese mythology, was the sixth...
Migratory Turmoil on the Mediterranean Sea
Political instability and poverty in various regions have long been sources of migration. However treacherous the routes through the Mediterranean Sea may be, many are willing to risk their lives and that of their family in hopes of bettering their future. The unusual...
The backlash against Gender: Poland, Far-Right and Beyond
1. Polish Women’s Rights Under Threat In October 2020, Poland's Constitutional Tribunal, the country's highest court, ruled legislation allowing women to seek an abortion on the grounds of severe foetal impairment as “incompatible” with the country's Constitution....
The EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation: a new motor for transatlantic relations?
Executive Summary The European The European Union’s Permanent and Structured Cooperation (PESCO) understandably captures the attention of policymakers and experts due to the engagements member states committed to and the consequences for the EU’s defence architecture...
New White House Administration’s Policy Towards China
The US policy toward China has come under the spotlight after the first high-level talks between the two countries in Alaska. This was the first serious US contact with the country since election of President Biden. On January 20, 2021, Joe Biden was officially...
The Raising Dispute in the South China Sea
The one-China principle asserts that there is only one sovereign state under the name of ‘China’. Both People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC or Taiwan) claim that sovereignty should belong to one power. The roots of the principle go back to...
Time to Focus on Building European Security Resilience: Move from Deterring Russian Aggression to Overcoming the Core Problems
Today, in this strange and difficult time of reformatting the global international order, which is already complicated by globalization and a pandemic, the European Union as a community based on the liberal values has no choice but to accept their leadership role as...
The Trump legacy: Morphing GWOT into Major Power Warfare
The Trump presidency has set into motion the geostrategic and political-economic dynamics that have begun to morph the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) into Major Power Warfare— or what the US State Department euphemistically calls Great Power Competition. Since the...
NATO-Turkey Relations in a Turbulent Environment: The Military Dimension of NATO-Turkey Relations
NATO-Turkey Relations Policy Brief-Beyond the Horizon ISSG by Samet Coban*, Furkan Akar** DECEMBER 2020 | 12 min read For understanding NATO-Turkey relations: "…You can just look at the map." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg [1] 1. Background: Changing...
The New Balance of Power in the Mediterranean: The Current Geopolitical Landscape
MENA Task Force Brief by Emre Bilgin, Erman Atak, Furkan Akar, Hasan Suzen, Ibrahim Jouhari, Onur Sultan, Ramazan Turkmen, Saban YUKSEL DECEMBER 09, 2020 | 12 min read Background Discoveries of new energy resources in the Mediterranean started a scramble for...
How will Biden Presidency shape US Policy towards the MENA Region?
MENA Task Force Brief by Emre Bilgin, Erman Atak, Furkan Akar, Hasan Suzen, Ibrahim Jouhari, Onur Sultan, Samet Coban, Zafer Kizilkaya NOVEMBER 10, 2020 | 12 min read Background On November 3, Americans judged the presidency of Donald Trump, who is an outlier...
Soft Power & Global Ambition: The Case of China’s Growing Reach in Europe
Abstract This paper argues that Chinese state-owned enterprises and financial instruments facilitate China's exercise of soft power and the execution of its grand strategy. Chinese investments provide an increasingly dense network of commercial links through which...
CSDP Partnership in EUFOR RCA*
Introduction EUFOR RCA was the EU’s military operation in the Central African Republic[1], launched on 1 April 2014. The EU started to search for partners from the very beginning and cooperated with the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and the selected third...
The Prime Minister election’s, and government formation in Lebanon
After seven long months, during which the Lebanese went through a popular uprising, a COVID 19 pandemic, a worsening economic and financial crisis, currency devaluation, and a large explosion that destroyed parts of Beirut, the government of Hassan Diab has resigned....
Pandemic Pressure: The Coronavirus Is Antagonizing America’s Relationships
China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, have hoped to counter U.S. military pressures and economic sanctions in an effort to overstretch U.S. political-military and financial capabilities across the world through both symmetrical and asymmetrical military measures and...
Strategic security implications due to COVID-19 pandemic
The 9/11 attacks redefined the global security context on terrorism and targeted violence. Similarly, COVID- 19 causes us to reconsider what composes a security threat. In the evolving security environment, it is essential to look beyond current realities and timely...
A basic primer on Lebanon’s political changes
Lebanese ministers and MPs have been resigning in drove following the tragic explosion in the port of Beirut, and the subsequent popular anger against the whole political class. On Saturday a huge demonstration took place, and the following day popular movement...
The end of Lebanon’s Liberal model?
The current multifaceted crisis engulfing Lebanon has started a very dangerous political and economic shift that could have a disastrous effect on Lebanon’s Liberal economic model in the long run. Indeed, the liberal model, focusing on personal freedoms,...
Conditions Change, but Stalemate Stays: Dangerous game in Libya
By Erman Atak* and Stefano Marcuzzi** Despite the growing number of Covid-19 victims in Libya in mid-May,[1] the civil war in the country is reaching new highs. The capital Tripoli has been under siege from the leader of eastern Libya-based self-styled Libyan...
A year has passed since Khalifa Haftar’s attack on the Libyan capital, Tripoli
Slightly more than a year passed over start of retired General Khalifa Haftar’s attack on the Libyan capital, Tripoli. It was on April 4, 2019 exactly, a time when Libyans were awaiting the holding of the Libyan Forum on April 14, 2019 in the city of Ghadames as a...
A Europe that Protects? U.S. Opportunities in EU Defense*
What’s New in European Defense? Europe is pursuing significant new defense initiatives that span capability development, policy, and institutional cooperation. Many of these efforts occur under the auspices of the European Union and are part of the EU’s longstanding...
Regional Security in the Middle East**
“Regional Security in the Middle East” by Pinar Bilgin is an amalgamation of efforts to depict and understand the interactive dynamics of security and security agenda in / for the Middle East. Even though Regions and Powers by Buzan and Waewer succeeds in giving an...
An Alternative China
China is gradually turning into a country that closes the shutters. There is a giant in front of us and walls grow in front of it as it grows. We will not be able to see what is happening behind the wall; there is not much left, except for a tiny ray leaking out. Just...
Changes of The Border Notion from A Historical Perspective and China’s Approach to the ENP
Introduction European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) in a way relates to a geographical and political border concept. To understand how China looks at the EU and the world, first we need to understand China’s perception of border. Accordingly, the main objective of this...
Oil Crash Future Ramifications-2020
April 20th, 2020, was a historic and shocking day for oil investors as West Texas Intermediate (WTI) went below zero for the first time in history. This more-to-follow crisis was highly expected as indicated in my previous commentary. It’s a common view among not only...
Polarisation: Understanding the dynamics of Us versus Them**
Bart Brandsma’s book at hand is a timely and precious contribution considering the time we live in. The book opens up the debate on how to manage divergent voices and preserve public order while respecting the democratic right of free speech and free articulation of...
Rethinking Security Governance**
The term security governance has become a buzzword in the realm of security studies, especially after 9/11 attacks. Yet, there are few empirical works on the unintended consequences of security governance and no work on conceptualizing and theorizing the concept....
China and the Global Governance in Post-COVID-19 Era
Chinese scholars have always considered the EU to be destined for destruction; while considering NATO to be unnecessary. According to them the biggest problem of the EU is its failure to achieve political unification. On the other hand, conditions during the cold war,...
Oil Politics During the Corona Outbreak
Corona virus has started affecting a large extent aspect of our lives, particularly in social and economic fields, of which this unprecedentedly fast-spreading novel virus seems to surge dramatically and worsen the situation for unpredictable amount of time. Yet,...
The Making of a Superpower
China’s Use of Crises To Deepen and Extend Power and Influence In Europe and the World. Standing in solidarity with countries in Europe and elsewhere in the fight against COVID-19China scores a diplomatic coup and extends its claim to global leadership. Overview In...
Is COVID-19 an End to Unipolar Global System? What May be the Role of NATO in the New System?
The whole world is trying to find out how to fight against the new coronavirus. The level of anxiety increases as the virus' spreading speed increases. As Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, stated humanity is facing the biggest disaster since World War II. Curfews are...
Corona Virus and Probable Repercussions It Might Have
The world woke up to the outbreak of COVID-19 or coronavirus as often called by the general public in December 2019. The initial perception that it would be contained within borders of China where it was first spotted fell apart as the virus further spread to Europe...
Coronavirus (Covid-19) and Impacts on the Society
Coronavirus disease spreads all over the world. China, as the birthplace of the disease, has been taken dozens of precautions from December 2019 on. Outside Asia, Italy has been the most severely impacted place by coronavirus. There are 35,713 confirmed cases as of...
A Fragile Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan
February 29, 2020 is marked as one of the most important dates in the recent history of Afghanistan. After two decades of turmoil that claimed the lives of approximately 157,000 people (of more than 43,000 are civilians and 4,000 are coalition soldiers (nearly 2,500...
Is there a possibility of leaving the Montreux Convention?
The reemergence of the Canal Istanbul project brought some discussions on the Montreux Straits Convention on the agenda. The Treaty of Lausanne and Montreux Straits Convention were proof of the existence of the newly established Republic of Turkey and are a symbol of...
Will Prime Minister Hassan Diab be another Hoss or a Mikati?
Prime Minister Hassan Diab government has finally won the parliament’s confidence vote this Tuesday, with one of the lowest scores in the modern history of Lebanon, managing only 63 votes out of 128. The day witnessed massive popular protests, that tried to derail the...
Westlessness in Munich Security Conference 2020
56th Munich Security Conference (MSC) took place between 14-16 February 2020. Regarded as Davos of foreign and security policy circles, MSC serves as a platform to exchange ideas for high-profile decision-makers all over the world. Traditionally, a report is published...
Crisis in Afghanistan is Getting Deeper
Afghanistan is struck by severe armed violence and political impasse. Peace talks are seemingly going nowhere, circling around requests for; a reduction in violence by the U.S. (which has never happened), a peace deal between the U.S. and the Taliban before Taliban...
Berlin Conference; Keeping the promises is the key to success!
Merkel highlighted two main results of the Berlin Conference; the first one is continuation of a fragile truce, which could turn into a permanent cease-fire through military committee negotiations of the warring factions and the second one is the re-commitment of the...
The social realities behind the discourse of “Radicalization”
Abstract Beyond abstract or conceptual aspects, “counter-radicalisation” in practitioners’ use refers to a contextual action plan with relevant online and offline components deemed necessary to prevent radicalisation. Nearly every country conducts tailored...
Book Review: When Trees Fall, Monkeys Scatter: Rethinking Democracy in China*
‘When Trees Fall, Monkeys Scatter: Rethinking Democracy in China’ is an important book that tackles a timely and depressing issue of our times, the emergence of new types of regimes. John Keane, the author of the book, is renowned for his imaginative thinking about...
What is next on the U.S. – Iran Conflict?
Never-ending tension in the Middle East escalated once again when the U.S. killed a crucial Iranian military figure, Qasem Soleimani, in Iraq months before the U.S. presidential election. Soleimani’s death, of course, outraged the Iranian government, not only because...
The Impact of PESCO for the European Defence Industry
Thank you very much for having me via video-link. Congratulations to the friends at Beyond the Horizon for mounting this impressive conference. I apologise for not being able to join you in person and would like to thank the organisers for allowing me to beam in from...
Analysis of the Attack to Kill Soleimani and Repercussions for US and Beyond
A qaytusha attack killed one US contractor on an Iraqi base in Kirkuk on 27 December. To reciprocate, the US bombed three sites in Iraq and Syria belonging of Kataib Hezbollah, a designated terrorist group which US holds responsible. As retaliation to this US action...
Who should worry first, if the BMD radar in Turkey is to be shut down?
The matter of the possible ‘closure’ of the Incirlik base, which has always been on the agenda in every turbulent period in Turkish-American relations, has come up once again in the previous days. This time, the new turbulent period started with the Turkish...
What is the biggest trump card Turkey having against US sanctions?
When Turkey, while it was a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2010, voted “NO” to the resolution to impose sanctions on Iran, western media brought the discussion about Turkey changing its axis, once again. Such talks were outtalked...
Europe in Frantic Diplomatic Efforts to Avert Iran Clash
In spite the geopolitical escalation and fiery rhetoric between the West and Iran in recent weeks, there are indications that lines of communications remain active with some hope of a window of opportunity opening to a new phase of negotiations and some sort of...
Lowering down US concerns over Europe’s Defence Take
The U.S has many times voiced concerns over the Europeans' will to develop a strategic autonomy in recent years. Arguably, the different defence initiatives the EU is undertaking could undermine NATO’s strength by creating duplications and discrimination between...
Why does Trump want to buy Greenland?
The President of the United States of America (USA) Donald Trump has said that he wants to buy Greenland Island. This request surprised both the autonomous administration of Greenland and Denmark. Upon the reactions from both sides, Trump canceled the official visit...
Third State Participation in PESCO
We had a lot of development on defense over the last two years. In 2016, the security environment changed, the strategic context was changed and of course the political context with Brexit was changed. It was like the perfect storm and it came together around the...
The Impact of PESCO for the Transatlantic Defence Industry
Thank you very much. I have to say that I will not provide an institutional point of view from the European Parliament but a research point of view. When I was asked to speak about the implications of PESCO for the transatlantic defence industry, my first reaction was...
Whither Humanitarian Intervention?
Dr. Aziz Erdogan* & Paul Weber** 1. Introduction The UN Charter is a certification of the system created with the Westphalian Treaty of 1648, in that the charter recognizes the state as an equal member of the family of nations. As such, the state is to be...
Third State Participation in EDF
Presently, the European Defence Fund is not yet a reality but there are two pilot programmes that are already up and running. First, I would like to take a step back and qualify the impression that, I think, is emanating from previous information: to some extent the...
What to Expect from the Collaboration? Practical Industrial Cooperative Solutions
First, thanks to the organizers for this excellent event and inviting the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU). So, today, at this event, I am representing AmCham EU. I am also Acting Chairman of the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG). I...
Third Offset Strategy vs EDF
Let me start by noting that after 25 years as a U.S. Diplomat and 12 years teaching at Cranfield University, mostly at the UK Defence Academy, I know you are only going to take away one thing that I say in the course of this entire presentation. I always start out...
How European Strategic Autonomy would contribute to the Transatlantic Defence Cooperation?
It would be fair to split the context in three points: Transatlantic relations and historical periodicity Official NATO declarations often imply that there is something eternal and automatic, and of course something inherently benign, about the Euro-American Alliance....
Current Russian Practices in Maritime Zones
POLICY PAPER THE CURRENT PRACTICE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION CONCERNING THE CONTINENTAL SHELF, EEZS, AND FREEDOM OF INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION IN COASTAL AREAS (BALTIC SEA, ARCTIC, FAR EAST, CASPIAN SEA, BLACK SEA). ITS CONTRADICTIONS WITH NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES AND THE...
The Importance of the Transatlantic Link
Introduction The increasing rate of disintegration of liberal world order and emerging security challenges gaining vigour due to this deficiency has resulted in self-questioning on either side of the Atlantic. Politically, the debate about famous three Ds...
Europe as a Security Actor and The Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP)
ABSTRACT The subject of security has been at the heart of the study of international relations especially for the past half century. It has been to some extent pivotal to the way the scholars of international relations have thought about the core purpose of discipline...
Analysis of Projects related to the Integration of Migrants
Abstract This study analyses the projects related to the integration of migrants and refugees in Flanders. The author conducts a systematic review of related projects appearing in the ESF and AMIF[*] Project database between 2013 and 2019. The results of the...
Working with refugees. Are Flemish companies ready for it?
The asylum seekers who arrived in our country during the 2015 refugee crisis are currently fully engaged in our job market. Despite the initial optimism about the economic employability of this group of newcomers, their actual labour market participation remains...
EU in Focus-Iran Deal in the wake of Foreign Affairs Council
It was clear from the outset that this month’s Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) would be one of the longest as stated by the High Representative/Vice President (HR/VP) Federica Mogherini. The agenda was full, including controversial items like Joint Comprehensive Plan of...
Afghan Peace Process
If the news from Doha is true, peace is closer than ever. At 29 Jun 2019, the U.S. and the Taliban came together for the seventh round of discussions which will hopefully bring an end to the 18-year-long war between U.S.-led coalition and the Taliban. According to the...
Book Review: Energy Kingdoms
“Energy Kingdoms” is written by Jim Krane, an expert who spent considerable time actually living in the Gulf. The book analyzes; the drivers behind the Gulf States’ domestic energy policies, the internal consumption problem that came out as a result of these policies...
Escalation of Crisis Between LNA and Turkish Government
Already strained relations between LNA and Turkish Government gradually escalated to an open hostility after statements and actions from both sides since Friday. This means a new crisis in the MENA, which is already on tenterhooks with current Iran-USA tension. As a...
Cocked&Loaded: New US Foreign Policy
Fatih Celenay*, Onur Sultan** Introduction International society has been watching a duel of words and actions between Iran and US since May 2018 when President Trump declared the US would unilaterally withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or...
The Fifth 30 When NATO is at 70
NATO responded to Russian intervention in Ukraine by launching several initiatives in multiple domains. One of them is the NATO Readiness Initiative. As part of a broad deterrence and defence related measures, Allies will make available ‘additional 30 major naval...
Resurrected Great Game on the Grand Chessboard: Geopolitics on Afghan Soil
The rivalry between British and Russian Empires over the control of Afghanistan named as “the Great Game”. Some 190 years after, Afghan soil witnesses a similar “game” being played by global and regional actors. This landlocked country, lying at the centre of the...
Why the European Defence Fund Is Good News for U.S. Security Interests
The transatlantic security and defense debate has been challenged by a recurring paradox over the past decade: Europeans are expected to take on more responsibility for their own defense and step up their defense investment, yet there is still an expectation from the...
Can Russian submarines pass through the Turkish Straits according to the Montreux Convention?
According to Montreux Convention, Black Sea littoral states have the right to use the Turkish Straits if the submarines have been constructed, purchased or sent for repair outside Black Sea with the stipulation that they inform Turkey in advance. In the case of...