Author: Prof. Ilter Turan (Prof. Ilter Turan)

Even as the Taliban government in Afghanistan struggles to take shape, plans to re-open the international airport in Kabul are already in motion. Turkey is still vying to play a central role in that process, as well as the future operation of the airport. As of writing, a Qatari technical team was on the ground...

After weeks of trying to persuade the Taliban that Turkey should command the security of Kabul airport, the Erdogan government appears to have relented and ordered the evacuation of the Turkish military contingent. Presidential Advisor Ibrahim Kalin has intimated that Turkey still hopes to offer its services to operate the airport. Whether the Taliban government...

In a stunning moment in world history, the Taliban rolled into the Afghan capital, Kabul, on August 15 and took control of Afghanistan with barely a shot fired, more than two weeks before U.S. forces were expected to complete their withdrawal from their longest ever war. Scenes from that day have been compared to the...

For a lot of Afghanistan watchers, last week was a whirlwind of emotions. In rapid succession, the Taliban conquered one city after another, primarily in the north of the country. Since the U.S. signed its so-called peace deal with the insurgent group, Afghanistan has experienced more violence, and more bloodshed, than at virtually any point...

In 2011, when Muhamad Bouazizi, a struggling vegetable seller in Tunis, set himself on fire and triggered convulsions that are still being felt to this day, some believed it would be the beginning of the reshaping of the Middle East. At first, that certainly looked to be the case. Egypt’s strongman, Hosni Mubarak, was ousted...

The debate over Medyascope’s foreign funding continues to rage in Turkey, fueled by the rather twisted logic that a media organization receiving foreign funding must be a propaganda tool. The question of the benefits of outside funding for Turkish organizations, whether media or others, is of course valid, but answering it requires a little more...

The image of a family stranded at Istanbul airport last week brought home the building crisis of Afghan refugees. The family of 16 found itself trapped in the transit zone of the airport after its members failed to produce visas for Turkey or to an onward destination. But they also refused to return to Afghanistan,...

Events are hurtling forward at a startling pace in Afghanistan. The U.S. withdrawal is well ahead of schedule. Taliban offensives have been so successful that even the Taliban themselves have been surprised and somewhat overwhelmed by the new territories they now control. Meanwhile, Turkey is still in negotiations to take over security at Kabul International...

The return of some kind of Cold War seems to be a recurring theme these days. Last week is, we tried to unpack a June 23 incident on the Black Sea between the British navy and Russian air force. Then, on June 30, the James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies in Monterey, California reported that...

In what may be a sign of escalating tensions, Russia and NATO engaged in a war of words last week after the Russians claimed they had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a UK destroyer, which they claim had entered Russian waters near Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula. British authorities denied...