Following on from the 27 October summit in Istanbul that featured Turkish, Russian, French and German leadership this podcast asks what is next for the Syrian conflict.We assess the meeting itself and viability of the Idlib ceasefire, looking at the roles of Turkey, Iran and Russia in the future of the conflict and what this means for potential short and long term economic and security developments both in Syria and the wider region.

Key Points Include:

• What the Idlib ceasefire means for the principle participants

Since 2 October, Saudi Arabia has experienced significant international criticism over the death of popular journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. On 23 October, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Ankara’s willingness to cooperate with the investigation, whilst pressuring Riyadh for more transparency regarding several key features about the case.

In this podcast we discuss the short and medium term ramifications from a regional and international perspective.

Key points include:

• An overview of the situation and analysis of Erdogan’s speech

We hope you enjoy the podcast and welcome questions and feedback. Please get in touch at [email protected]

On 10 October, Mozambique held local elections. Despite concerns of a repetition of the violence of 2014’s polls, the campaign and polling day were broadly peaceful save for sporadic incidents of unrest.

In this podcast we analyse these developments, and look at what they mean for the future of the peace process and other challenges going forward.

Key points include:

• How the election evolved

We hope you enjoy the podcast and welcome questions and feedback. Please get in touch at [email protected]

Brazil goes to the polling booths on 7 October in a General Election. Right wing presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro and Workers’ Party nomination Fernando Haddad have a strong lead in sentiment polls, and a second round vote is broadly anticipated on 28 October. In this podcast we look at the potential ultimate outcomes and what they would mean for the future of Brazil’s security and operating environment.

Key points include:

• Immediate term issues around polling day

We hope you enjoy the podcast and welcome questions and feedback. Please get in touch at [email protected]

Incumbent Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is highly likely to win tomorrow’s party leadership contest, thus enabling him to retain the premiership for a third and final term.

In this podcast, we discuss what such an outcome will mean for Japan’s economic, foreign and defence policy, and how this will impact Japan’s socio-economic health as well as the broader regional environment.

Key points include:

• Why Abe’s victory seems so certain

We hope you enjoy the podcast and welcome questions and feedback. Please get in touch at [email protected]

With Russia’s Vostok military exercises taking place this week - on the grandest scale since the Cold War era and involving China for the first time – we discuss the domestic significance as well as the evolving relationship between Moscow and Beijing. With signs of greater cooperation, as well as numerous potential points of contention, we consider how best to interpret the relationship and how it is likely to progress.

Key points include:

• Russia’s domestic economic problems

We hope you enjoy the podcast and welcome questions and feedback. Please get in touch at [email protected]

The 31 August killing of separatist leader Aleksander Zakharchenko in Donetsk threatens to elicit short term instability in eastern Ukraine and Kyiv. Moscow will likely assert greater direct control over the Donetsk People’s Republic following the assassination with a refocusing of its Donbas strategy towards the reintegration of the separatist-held regions into Ukraine as it simultaneously seeks to influence upcoming Ukrainian presidential elections.

In this podcast we analyse possible motives behind Zakharchenko’s killing and assess the wider impact on Ukraine ahead of 2019’s election cycle.

Key points include:

• Why Zakharchenko’s killing matters in relation to resolution of the conflict

We hope you enjoy the podcast and welcome questions and feedback. Please get in touch at [email protected]

The 31 August killing of separatist leader Aleksander Zakharchenko in Donetsk threatens to elicit short term instability in eastern Ukraine and Kyiv. Moscow will likely assert greater direct control over the Donetsk People’s Republic following the assassination with a refocusing of its Donbas strategy towards the reintegration of the separatist-held regions into Ukraine as it simultaneously seeks to influence upcoming Ukrainian presidential elections.

In this podcast we analyse possible motives behind Zakharchenko’s killing and assess the wider impact on Ukraine ahead of 2019’s election cycle.

Key points include:

• Why Zakharchenko’s killing matters in relation to resolution of the conflict

We hope you enjoy the podcast and welcome questions and feedback. Please get in touch at [email protected]

Over recent months, the tensions between the US and Turkey have escalated, notably in the form of bilateral trade sanctions.

In this podcast we look at why this is occurring and what the main drivers are, both superficially and under the surface. We identify that the harnessing of nationalist and even religious sentiment in this situation is causing popular anger towards the US within Turkey, as demonstrated by the recent drive-by shooting of the US embassy. We also look at the broader risks to the business environment in Turkey in the coming months.

Key points include:

• The latest iterations of reciprocal tensions

We hope you enjoy the podcast and welcome questions and feedback. Please get in touch at [email protected]

Ahead of the 30 September referendum on the Macedonia name dispute deal – known as the Prespes Agreement – we discuss the underlying geopolitical, ethnic, and security aspects of the dispute and draw implications for the long-term operating environment.

Key points include:

• Social and political polarisation in Greece and Macedonia

We hope you enjoy the podcast and welcome questions and feedback. Please get in touch at [email protected]