The EU Energy Dependency on Russia and Historic Opportunity for Independence
The EU Energy Dependency on Russia and Historic Opportunity for Independence To exact a toll on Russia after its offensive into Ukraine and to squeeze channels that feed Russian military and economic might, the EU tries to impose onerous sanctions on the Russian...
Russian Invasion of Ukraine, China and Towards a New Global Order
Russian Invasion of Ukraine, China and Towards a New Global Order by Ibrahim Genc[1], Tuba Yalinkilic[2], Yunus Erbas[3] March 11, 2022| 13 min read Background In the Beijing Winter Olympic opening ceremony on February 4, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin and...
A new Russian “peaceful” attempt: Invasion of Ukraine
Europe and the Western World has been experiencing a big new wakeup call after Russian Armed Forces initiated its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Putin announced a "special military operation" to "demilitarise and denazify" Ukraine with “no intention to...
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...
A blitzkrieg or a war of attrition
Russia’s war on Ukraine is entering the third day of active fighting, Mr. Putin’s time is running out. It is a full-on race between a successful Russian blitzkrieg or a grueling war of attrition, where the Ukrainian drag Russia into another Afghanistan. Russia has a...
International Law Aspect of Russian-Ukraine Tension
1. Deepening Crisis in the International System The ongoing tension between transatlantic alliance and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine is a clear sign showing the break in the functioning of the international system that was established after the WWII. Ukraine...
Could Turkey Close the Straits to Russian Warships
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who amassed over 100,000 Russian troops around Ukraine in recent months but denied having any intention of invading the country, on Thursday launched a full-scale war in Ukraine, drawing international condemnation. The invasion of...
The EU’s Alternative to China’s BRI: Global Gateway Project
The EU’s Alternative to China’s BRI: Global Gateway Project by Yunus Erbas February 24, 2022| 13 min read Introduction Nearly one decade has passed since Chinese President Xi Jinping first made his announcement of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), originally called...
Book Review: Blockchain Revolution
In 2008, the world was in financial turmoil. To solve this problem, a person named Satoshi Nakamoto came up with an idea that would soon spread like wildfire among computer scientists, banks, and anyone who had ever tried to establish trust on the Internet. We don’t...
China Funds European Universities
Concerns rise over Chinese funding to the western universities and research institutes Being self-declared foreign language schools and educational institutions, Confucius Institutes are administered by the Office of the National Chinese Language International...
Can the US Dropping its Support from the EastMed Pipeline Change the Calculus of the Game in the Eastern Mediterranean?
Can the US Dropping its Support from the EastMed Pipeline Change the Calculus of the Game in the Eastern Mediterranean? by Furkan AKAR, Saban YUKSEL February 10, 2022| 10 min read Background The US notified Greece regarding its decision to withdraw the support from...
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...
The Nature of War and Strategic Theory
1. Introduction We need to discuss what war is, whether there are certain fundamentals of war that do not change through time and circumstances—namely the nature of war—or whether war has been changing. Our understanding of war’s nature inherently influences how we...
A shift in the political landscape
Former PM Saad Hariri announced the suspension of his personal and political party’s participation in Lebanese political life in an emotional address. The former PM explained that despite his many efforts to compromise, some are unwilling to let the country move...
What Djokovic Affair Reminded Us
In light of recent developments surrounding the famous tennis player Novak Djokovic, Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers has once again drawn the attention of both national and international media. For those unfamiliar with the history of Australia’s detention...
Escalation over Ukraine in face of Russian Demands for an Uncontested Sphere of Influence in Former Soviet Space
Escalation over Ukraine in face of Russian Demands for an Uncontested Sphere of Influence in Former Soviet Space Geopolitics Task Force Brief by Samet Coban(1), Hasan Suzen(2), Olena Snigyr(3), Onur Sultan(4), Saban Yuksel(5) January 20, 2022 | 17 min read Background...
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...
Quelle est la probabilité qu’une IA précise à 99% reconnaisse un individu? Spoiler: ce n’est pas 9 chances sur 10
Les discussions sur l’emploi de la reconnaissance faciale[1] dans les espaces publics par les forces de l’ordre paraissent toujours particulièrement sensibles et ont fortement animé la préparation du projet de règlement sur l’intelligence artificielle (IA) de la...
Why?
Since the start of the severe Lebanese crisis, more than two years ago, practically nothing has been done. No reforms to speak of, no capital control, no aid measures, nothing! The situation keeps getting worse, illustrated by an ever-falling exchange rate, while the...
EDUC8 to Build Resilience Project kan bijdragen aan de preventie van radicalisering en polarisering
INTRODUCTIE Gewelddadige radicalisering (jihad, extreemrechts, antisemitisme, enzovoort) en polarisering zijn twee grote maatschappelijke uitdagingen die het sociale weefsel van Europa verscheuren. Radicalen zetten aan tot baldadige actie door de status quo te kaderen...
Networking towards a more sustainable working life for immigrants
Nasrin Jahan Jinia, Fatih Yilmaz, Janna Peltola, Essi Hillgren & Roza Pambukhchyan The contribution of migration to sustainable development has already been recognized which is a cross-cutting issue in the UN 2030 Agenda, relevant to all the Sustainable Development...
Handboek voor integratie-ondersteuners: Versnelde Integratie van Hoogopgeleide Vluchtelingen (HER) en Anderstaligen (HOA) op de Vlaamse Arbeidsmarkt
INTRODUCTIE Dit handboek is één van de outputs van het All-in-one 4HER/HOA project, uitgevoerd in de periode ‘december 2018 - juni 2021’ en gefinancierd door het Europees Sociaal Fonds (ESF) en de Vlaamse Overheid. Het nationaal projectconsortium bestaat uit Beyond...
Book Review: Factfulness – Ten Reasons We’re Wrong about the World – and Why Things are Better than You Think
This book is about “getting the big picture right”. Hans Rosling, the author of the book, advocates a fact-based worldview and struggles with ignorance. Rosling was a medical doctor, professor of international health, and public educator. He was an adviser to the...
Networking To Work: Introduction to the new models for immigrants in Belgium and Finland*
Abstract Social networks play a vital role as a source of information for immigrated people and affect many aspects of their lives. They provide access to information, for example about jobs and conditions in the host country. This article intends to highlight the...
Labour Market Integration Challenges of Highly Educated Refugees in Flanders*˚
ABSTRACT Flanders has been increasingly receiving highly educated asylum seekers and refugees (HER) for the last decade. It is interesting that native-migrant employment gap is higher for highly educated refugees than for lower educated refugees in Flanders. As a part...
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....
A Novel Approach to the Network Analysis: Multi-Space Analysis Model
Abstract The overall objective of this paper is to provide insight for the Multi-Space Analysis Model (Network Analysis) used in the Smart Navigator System at Hybrid Core; and visualise a state-of-the-art for the model structure for further studies. The model design...
Tunisia: Is He Living Up to His Words? Or is He Abusing His Power?
Introduction: On 25 July 2021, Tunisia’s Republic Day, President Kais Saied had announced the invocation of Article 80, which he used as pretext to freeze the work of parliament for 30 days, sack the Prime Minister, and lift the immunity from all members of the...
Iraqis Council of Representatives’ October Elections: What Kind of Change Will it Hold?
Introduction: On 30 July 2020, Iraq’s general elections were announced to be held in June this year. Yet, this early election date was pushed back to 10 October recently by an agreement taken by Iraq’s cabinet. The decision came in response to the Independent Higher...
The Real Jihad for the Taliban Begins Now
The Taliban toppled the internationally recognized government and now effectively rules Afghanistan. However, the country which has been in a state of war since 1979 - although showed some progress in the last 20 years - is almost totally devastated. In almost all...
Will Mikati Be Able to Sail Lebanon to Safety from Current Turbulent Waters?
Introduction Since the start of the revolution in October 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with political and economic crises. The devaluation of the Lebanese Pound that started to show itself in an unusual way with the 1975 Civil war, gained extreme momentum with the...
Days Before Taliban Takeover
Pace of events happening in Afghanistan became hard to follow. One month before the U.S./NATO complete pullout, Taliban forces stormed western and northern provinces and within one week Taliban -at the time of reporting - controls 14 out of 34 provinces, 66% of...
Tunisia: A Hero? Another Coup? Or a Return to Authoritarianism?
Introduction Creating the spark in the regional fire following the 2010 Arab Uprising, Tunisia was the first Arab country to depose its dictator. The first story of success, as widely considered, as its people managed to make a reversal from dictatorship as early as...
Gulf’s Alliance is Jeopardised
Introduction On the 5th of July, a new quarrel surfaced between the supposedly brotherly countries; the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). On this day, a OPEC+ meeting that brings together 14 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting...
The Current Challenges of Lebanon and Repercussions for the Region*
1. Background October 17, 2019: revolution was sparked in the streets of Beirut, leading to protests in numerous other cities. Citizens demanded the resignation of the administration led by Prime Minister Saad Al Hariri. They also demanded the resignation of the...
Now what!
Unfortunately, every few months it seems that we are back to a new Prime Minister nomination and government formation. With each iteration, the economic and political conditions deteriorate, and the general security situation becomes even more dangerous in Lebanon....
What Happens in Afghanistan will not Stay in Afghanistan
The rapid pace of recent events in Afghanistan brought the country to the brink of total collapse. Now, the Taliban controls 85% of Afghan territory. Since April 2021, the number of districts controlled by the Taliban has nearly tripled (from 77 to 221 out of 407...
The threat racism in the U.S. poses to national security
Events and social movements of recent years have accused the United States of systemic racism. While there have undoubtedly been advances over the decades in both legislation and public opinion, the rise of nationalist ideology, the resurgence of racist practices, and...
Invisible Costs: Gender-based Violence and the Environment
Executive Summary Environmental issues, among which climate change, are not universal or neutral experiences: the impacts are differentiated along with dynamics of inequalities. Women are disproportionately affected by the impacts of environmental-related issues...
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 Afghanistan Peace Process: What About Women?
1. What is going on? Back in February 2019, ground-breaking peace talks between the U.S. government and the Taliban took place in Moscow, fostering the possibility of a negotiated peace in an unpreceded way during the 17-year-long conflict. The peace table, however,...
Hybrid Intelligence in Decision Support and a Use Case: Predictive Crisis Management
1. BACKGROUND a. Recent EU Norms and Regulations The Commission has been promoting and improving AI cooperation across the EU for years to improve productivity and ensure confidence based on EU values. Following the publication of the European Strategy on AI in 2018...
Too Late Too Little: An Assessment on the Current State of Play in Libya
In the last couple of weeks, things in Libya are moving so slowly. There is no significant development on the political, economic, diplomatic or military front. Libya’s interim Government, the Government of National Unity (GNU), is not making any progress in preparing...
Taiwan’s Importance in Global Security
After Evergreen's vessel Ever Given became stuck in the Suez Canal on 23 March 2021, Chinese bloggers shared humorous memes over Taiwan and its importance in the world. The ship stuck in the canal and blocked all the traffic in both directions for over six days and...
Sustainability of China’s Balance of Power Policy in the Middle East
Yunus Erbas* and Nour Moufed** Introduction In the week between March 24-30, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited six countries in the Middle East, anm: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Iran, Bahrain and Oman. The visit was...
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...
Israel – Hamas Fight Has Potential to Spiral into a Wider Conflict
Background In the week between May 1 and May 7, Palestinians started protesting against an incoming Israeli Supreme Court decision, expected to evict six Palestinian refugee families residing in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. The move framed by...
Too many norms kill norms: The EU normative hemorrhage
Emmanuel R. Goffi, PhD and Aco Momcilovic, EMBA AI may benefit or represent a threat to humanity in many ways in numerous fields such as education, environment, health, defense, transportation, space exploration and so on. To avoid potential drifts of AI and...
Killed by algorithms: Do autonomous weapons reduce risks?
The long-term impact of artificial intelligence (AI) will be unprecedented in the field of international security. There is already an ongoing fierce competition for global technological supremacy. Defense projects by the military powers seek to secure strategic...
Tué par des algorithmes: Les armes autonomes présentent moins de risques?
L'impact de l'intelligence artificielle (IA) sera à la longue sans précédent dans le domaine de la sécurité internationale. Il y a déjà une forte concurrence pour la suprématie technologique mondiale. Les projets de défense des puissances militaires cherchent à...
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 US – Jordan Defense Cooperation Agreement*
1. Background: The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi on 21 March announced that Jordan made a defence agreement with the United States that allows free entry of US forces, aircraft, and vehicles onto the kingdom’s territory. The...
Not Like in the Old Days: The Iran Nuclear Deal After the US Elections and Its Implications for the MENA Region
MENA Policy Brief No:8 by Furkan Akar, Hasan Suzen, Ibrahim Jouhari, Nour Aldahabreh, Onur Sultan, Ramazan Turkmen, Saban Yuksel APRIL13, 2021 | 14 min read Background On May 8, 2018, the Trump administration withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action...
For Yemen’s Houthis, the status quo is the key to power
On Monday, March 22, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, proposed an initiative to end the war in Yemen in an offer that addressed various long-standing issues that the Houthis wanted to resolve, including lifting land and sea...
Six years on, peace remains elusive for Yemen
When a Saudi-led coalition of Arab states launched a military intervention against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on March 26, 2015, the Yemeni people had no idea that they were witnessing the beginning of the costliest conflict in their country’s long and...
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...
Drone swarms: coming (sometime) to a war near you. Just not today
The world got a sneak peek at the future of war last fall when two former Soviet republics in the Caucasus Mountains launched a high-tech barrage of loitering munitions as well as Turkish-, Israeli-, and locally-made drones at each other during a six-week fight over a...
Taking a Closer Look to Immigration Policies
Abstract This article is an examination of the immigration policy formation issues in the literature. The immigration policies continue to fail today. This research provides a bird view on immigration policy issues by presenting the problematic assumptions and reasons...
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...
Book Review: The New Despotism, John Keane (2020)
As someone who has been following John Keane for a while, it would be accurate to say that The New Despotism (2020) is the accumulation of his ideas and writings in the last four years or so. To briefly describe the book, it is a book that examines how countries like...
The Current State of Play in Libya
MENA Policy Brief No:7 The Current State of Play in Libya: The Repercussions of the New-Elected Interim Government for the Libyan Peace by Erman Atak, Furkan Akar, Hasan Suzen, Ibrahim Jouhari, Saban Yuksel FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | 11 min read Background - On 5th of...
The Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline for Peace-building in the South Caucasus
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Key Points: The EU should emphasise the three main successful points of its bilateral cooperation with the countries in the South Caucasus region: energy, security and transportation. This includes construction and extension of the Trans-Caspian...
De l’importance des particularismes culturels en éthique de l’IA*
Si l’on n’y prend garde, l’intelligence artificielle (IA) pourrait bien devenir le cheval de Troie d’une pensée unique qui s’imposerait au motif de l’universalité d’un modèle éthique. La quête de ce Graal que représente désormais un Code universel d’éthique de l’IA a...
The importance of cultural diversity in AI ethics*
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is progressing. And if we are not careful, it may well become a trojan horse for one single premise: the imposition of a universal approach to ethical decision making. The quest for this Holy Grail of a universal Code of ethics in AI has...
The Implications of Designation of Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation?*
by Joseph Votel[1],Baraa Shiban[2] , R.David Harden[3], Onur Sultan[4] JANUARY 12, 2021 | 5 min read Background On November 16, 2020, a report in the Foreign Policy disclosed the Trump administration was planning to designate Ansarallah, the Iran-backed Houthi...
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...
The Arab Spring After Ten Years: Drawing the Balance Sheet in Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Yemen
MENA Policy Brief No:6 by Emre Bilgin, Erman Atak, Furkan Akar, Hasan Suzen, Ibrahim Jouhari, Onur Sultan, Saban Yuksel JANUARY 18, 2021 | 18 min read Background Ten years passed since Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old street vendor, set himself on fire in...
Iran Struggles to Fill the Vacuum Left by Soleimani
A year after Iran’s most renowned general was assassinated in a U.S. drone strike, Tehran is still struggling to recover from the loss. While Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani left behind an entire bureaucracy called the Quds Force – the overseas operations arm of the...
China is Working on Missiles
Introduction The year 2020 marks a significant year for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) which is striving to achieve important modernization milestones ahead of the Communist Party of China (CCP) objective of transforming China into a "moderately prosperous...
DF-21D (East Wind) – The World’s First ASBM
Introduction With its recent anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) tests, reportedly against moving targets, Beijing seeks to demonstrate a maturing capability and enhance deterrence. The DF-21D (Dong Feng** 21D), a road-mobile, medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), is...
Political support, not terrorist designation, is key to moving forward in Yemen
As the commander of U.S. Central Command from 2016-2019, I was responsible for conducting military operations and supporting U.S. security policy in Yemen. These responsibilities mainly focused on the prosecution of our counter-terrorism campaign against al-Qaeda....
DF-26 – Dual-Capable IRBM
Introduction The DF-26 Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) made its first public appearance at a military parade in September 2015 in Beijing. During this parade, China exhibited 16 missiles on road-mobile transporter-erector launchers (TELs). At the event,...
Devil’s bargain: Sacrificing Yemen for a Saudi-Israeli peace deal*
Earlier this month, Morocco normalized ties with Israel. In exchange, the United States agreed to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. This announcement continues the trend of an Arab-Israeli rapprochement outside of a final status settlement with 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...
Why Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement should be designated as a terrorist group
Introduction On November 16, Foreign Policy magazine reported that the Trump administration is planning to designate the Iran-backed Houthi militia as a terrorist organization. Writers and commentators covering Yemen rushed to warn against the move, saying it would...
The U.S is Pursuing Hypersonic Missiles
Introduction Hypersonic weapons are dramatically affecting the nature of modern warfare and island security that the US has had for centuries. In this regard, two facts should be held in perspective at all times. First, the hypersonic missiles are primarily offensive...
H-6 – China’s Core Platform Bomber Loading
Introduction The H-6K made its first public appearance at the Zhuhai Airshow in 2018. The Zhuhai Airshow takes place in Zhuhai/China every two years and is largely a showcase of what China can provide in the area of military aviation equipment for export. But this...
What Change Should We Expect in Yemen after Election of Biden
Introduction Although final election results have not been declared, vote counts show Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has been elected the 46th president of the US. In general, US elections are followed closely across the globe as the decisions and actions of the US...
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...
Between Rock and a Hard Place – French Vision of Radicalisation and an Alternative Perspective
Introduction During his speech on the fight against separatism on October 2, 2020, the French President Emmanuel Macron said: “Islam is a religion which is in crisis today everywhere in the world” (L'Élysée, 2020)[1]. For support to his argument, the President made a...
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...
Revisiting the Role of the European Union on the Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA)
Summary JCPOA is very crucial to stability in the Middle East, and to prevent nuclear proliferation in the region. This time, the US could not unilaterally exert influence upon its European Allies and the Security Council. The Europeans dismissed the idea that the US...
It is elections day!!!
What an exhausting couple of months, or even years, it has been. I still vividly remember four years ago, that fateful night in 2016, the up and downs, the false hopes, and then the unequivocal truth… Among the deluge of polls, opinions, and fake news, the situation...
The Ceasefire in Libya: Its Implications for the Region?
MENA Task Force Brief by Emre Bilgin, Erman Atak, Furkan Akar, Hasan Suzen, Ibrahim Jouhari, Onur Sultan NOVEMBER 2, 2020| 14 min read Background On October 23, the UN has announced that military representatives of Libya’s warring parties agreed on a permanent...
J-31 – China’s Second Stealth Bomber Rolling Out…
Background New photos of China's second stealth aircraft, have been posted on Chinese media since May 2020; first photos had appeared in May 2018. It appears to be an improved version with some modifications to its aerodynamic design, just like the prototype that...
The End to the UN Sanctions on Iran – What Will Be the Repercussions?
MENA Task Force Brief by Ibrahim Jouhari, Emre Bilgin, Onur Sultan, Furkan Akar, Hasan Suzen OCTOBER 23, 2020| 14 min read Background On May 8, 2018, the US President Donald Trump, announced the US unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action...
European Smart and Ethical LEAs (EUROSEL)
It is not a secret that organised crime and terrorist organisations are perfectly manipulating information technologies and social media for their purposes which span from communication to fundraising or from recruiting to operational planning. This superiority in...
The UAE-Israel Normalization – What Does It Exactly Mean?
MENA Task Force Brief by Ibrahim Jouhari, Emre Bilgin, Zafer Kizilkaya, Erman Atak, Onur Sultan, Furkan Akar, Hasan Suzen OCTOBER 16, 2020| 9 min read Background On June 19, UAE-affiliated Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces wrested control of the Socotra...
Questioning the Sectarian Discourse: A more Holistic Look into Changing Dynamics of the Syrian Civil War
Abstract The main effort in this article is to find out the main causes of the Syrian Civil War via questioning the common discourse that presents sectarian fault lines as the main cause. In this context, this article argues that instead of a reductionist sectarian...
J-20 – The “Backbone” of the Chinese Air Force
Background On 1 October 2019, J-20 was among high-profile flyovers conducted by the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) with J-16 and J-10C advanced fourth-generation fighters armed with the latest air-to-air missiles (AAMs), during a major military parade led...
Will China use hard power?
Undoubtedly, one of the most curious issues about China in the West is whether China will use military power anywhere in the world. Scholars are often presented with this question. In order to answer this, it is necessary to look at what value judgements that society...
How Disruptive Technologies Affect Deterrence, Defence and Security
How Disruptive Technologies Affect Deterrence, Defence and Security All spheres of life are affected by exponential technological innovation, especially in the digital domain. It has contributed to the democratisation of technologies, coming predominantly from the...
H-20 – China’s New Stealth Bomber Could “Double” Strike Range
The Zhuhai Airshow to be conducted in November 2020 is expected to become a venue to promote a positive image of China by showcasing its success in pandemic control. China will unveil its new stealth bomber as a way of proving the coronavirus pandemic has not affected...
Has the Longest War Come to an End?
After two-year-long relentless work and tremendous efforts of Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and his team, on September 12, 2020 - the day after the 19th anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks - historic peace talks began between...
Cracking Alliance: Western Libya groups fell out with each other
The street protests in Tripoli against the head of UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) lighted the blue touch paper with the shattering Western Libya alliance fighting against Khalifa Haftar’s LNA since April 2019. Libyans on the street were protesting...
Book Review: Russia’s Border Wars and Frozen Conflicts
James J. Coyle’s book “Russia’s Border Wars and Frozen Conflicts”[1] focuses on four conflicts on the periphery of the former Soviet Union, namely Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Nagorno-Karabagh. Coyle examines origins and execution of Russian military and political...
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...