The last time the leaders of Turkiye, Russia and Iran met in person, it was a very different world. There was no global pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine was years away. Now, the three presidents have met to discuss a long-running issue that has been largely forgotten, how to end Syria's 11 year-long civil war. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Tehran where he met his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi to discuss a series of bilateral issues. He was followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is on his second trip abroad since ordering an attack on Ukraine back in late February. The three leaders touched on the security situation in Syria's northwest province of Idlib, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and the threat of terrorism. The talks came as Turkiye stepped up plans for a possible operation into northern Syria, to clear the YPG terror group from its borders. So can the three leaders hatch out a new deal? And will the conflict in Ukraine affect the delicate balance Ankara and Moscow has maintained in Syria?

Guests:

Ahmet Keser

Associate Professor at Hasan Kalyoncu University

Navvar Saban

Security Analyst

Since taking office, US President Joe Biden has strung together several, semi-alliances, stretching from the Indo-Pacific all the way to western Asia. His latest attempt at revamping America's leadership role came during the so called I2U2 summit, which brought together the leaders of Israel, the UAE and India. Also dubbed the west Asian Quad, in reference to another regional alliance Biden forged last year, the four countries are expected to cooperate in defence, trade, and technology. But which country is this new Quad directed at? The alignment comes amid soaring energy prices, and food insecurity all brought on by the conflict in Ukraine. As the world looks to tackle record rates of inflation and a business climate still reeling from the global pandemic, the four countries said they will work to coordinate their trade and security policies. But analysts say the group's main goal will be to counter Iran and China's growing influence in the region. So how durable is Biden's new alliance, and is his attempts at restoring US global leadership working?

Guests:

William Lawrence

Former US Diplomat

Ali Bakeer

Political Analyst

Türkiye has introduced the world’s First Underground Cruise Ship Terminal. Galataport lies at the heart of Istanbul, and aims to attract more visitors and capitalize on the growing cruise line industry which is back in full swing following the pandemic. Saleh Sadi has more.

Back in May, the opening of an Iranian factory in the Central Asian republic of Tajikistan passed without much attention. The facility, which will produce drones, was the first of its kind that Iran has built in a foreign country. Tajikistan, which has close economic and defence ties with Iran, said it welcomed the help in upgrading its military equipment, and that the two would work together to combat terrorism. We ask what impact Iran's growing drone capabilities will have for Central Asia, especially in the aftermath of the Taliban's takeover, and in the broader region, including Syria and the South Caucuses.

Guests:

Ismail Sari

Associate Professor at Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University

Ulas Pehlivan

Security Analyst

Six years ago, Türkiye faced its greatest internal threat in a generation. A military faction, hidden deep within the Turkish armed forces, launched a coup attempt on July 15, 2016, on the orders of the FETO terror group. That night, as coup plotters began occupying key parts of the country, hundreds of thousands of Turkish citizens took to the streets to take on the rogue soldiers. In the end, 251 people were dead and more than 2,200 were injured. But six years on, the failed coup's mastermind remains at large. Fethullah Gulen, who leads the FETO terror organisation, has been living under protection in the US state of Pennsylvania. Despite long-running disputes over the US's harbouring of terror suspects, some progress was made recently. On the eve of a NATO summit in Madrid, Sweden and Finland, agreed to stop supporting the FETO terror group. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the move, saying it was the first time FETO was mentioned as a terror organisation by NATO. We ask how far has Türkiye's fight against terrorism gone since that July night, and what challenges lie ahead?

Guests:

Rich Outzen

Former US Diplomat

Murat Koc

Professor at Cag University

Vehbi Baysan

Political Analyst

The world is arming itself at an alarming rate. That's what a recent report by Sipri, a Swedish based research institute that tracks conflicts and arms control, said about global weapons purchases. Last year, global military spending crossed the two trillion dollar mark for the first time.

The five largest spenders, the US, China, India, the UK and Russia accounted for 62 percent of total defence expenditures. The report highlighted that despite the global covid-19 pandemic, military spending remained largely unaffected and saw rapid growth compared to other sectors. But one of the most troubling points was that many of the world's nuclear armed states are rapidly modernizing and expanding their arsenals. Although down from cold war highs, SIPRI warns that the era of nuclear disarmament appears to be ending. The warning comes as Russia's attack on Ukraine passed the four-month mark. Tensions between the US and China have also risen this year, particularly over Taiwan and navigation rights in the South China Sea. So what impact will this increase in global arms spending mean for the world's security?

Guests:

Owen Green

Professor at the University of Bradford

Elizabeth Braw

Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute

Chaos engulfs Libya as thousands take to the streets against continuing power cuts, rising prices and the failure of politicians to set an election date. Last week, protesters stormed parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk, before setting it on fire. The turmoil is being made worse by the continuing blockade of Libya's oil sector by rival political factions, starving the country of fuel and export earnings.

But most of the growing frustration in Libya is centred on the months of political deadlock paralyzing the country. Libya was set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in December last year. The vote was meant to cap a UN-led peace process that ended years of heavy fighting between the country's UN backed-government in Tripoli, against illegal militias centered in the east. But the election never took place, due to disagreements over the elections legality and who would be eligible to run. Fears are now growing that the country could see a return to the violence last seen in 2020, when warlord Khalifa Haftar launched a brutal campaign to take Tripoli.

Guests:

Noamane Cherkaoui

Analyst at Policy Centre for the New South

Ahmed Sewehli

Political Analyst

The future flagship of Türkiye's navy began sea trials late last month, in a show of force that many analysts say could change the balance of power in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean. The TCG Anadolu is a multi-purpose ship, equipped with a landing dock that is expected to accommodate attack helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. Spotted in the Sea of Marmara, the vessel underwent official sea trials and systems tests. The ministry in charge of its construction says the naval ship will be equipped with Turkish-made weapons, including attack helicopters and amphibious assault vehicles. But the most ambitious plans will be to equip the Anadolu TCG with Turkiye's latest UAVs, the TB3 Bayraktar drones. It's predecessor, the TB2 has seen success in several battlefields across Libya, Syria, the Southern Caucasus and recently in Ukraine. The TCG Anadolu is part of Türkiye's revamped naval strategy that looks to better secure its maritime borders. This past year, Türkiye has seen rising tensions with Greece over exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean and maritime disputes in the Aegean.

Guest:

Zoltan Egeresi

Security Analyst

600 billion dollars. That's how much G7 countries pledged to counter China's Belt and Road initiative, a project that looks to recreate the ancient Silk Road. Beijing says it will spend more than a trillion dollars on ports, roads, bridges and rails, having already broken ground in dozens of countries across Asia, Africa and Europe. But now, G7 leaders are looking to outdo their Chinese rivals. Dubbed the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, or P-G-I-I, US President Joe Biden says the investments will help low and middle income countries tackle climate change, improve public health and transform to fit a digital world. For years, the US has tried to counter China's growing influence, and has criticised the Belt and Road Initiative as a debt trap that hasn't brought tangible benefits for host countries. China has countered that its investments come without political strings attached and benefits both sides. So whose plan will win out in the end, and is this global competition between China and the west a good thing for developing countries?

Guests:

Nancy Snow

Distinguished Visiting Professor at Schwarzman College

Andrew Leung

Political Analyst

Türkiye got what it wanted. That's how Ankara is describing the outcome of tense negotiations, that cleared the way for Sweden and Finland to join the NATO alliance. The breakthrough came just hours before a NATO summit was set to kick off in Madrid. For weeks, Ankara strongly opposed Sweden and Finland's bid to join NATO, over their support for terrorist groups that have attacked Türkiye. After last minute negotiations, the three countries signed a memorandum that addresses Türkiye's concerns. The two Nordic countries have agreed to cooperate fully with Türkiye in its fight against the PKK and other related terrorist groups. Both countries also agreed to lift an arms embargo on Türkiye that was placed back in 2019. Sweden's prime minister hailed the agreement, saying their inclusion into NATO will boost the alliance's security. President Erdogan also met his US counterpart Joe Biden on the sidelines of the summit, discussing everything from NATO's enlargement, the conflict in Ukraine, to stability in the Aegean and Syria. NATO's steps to welcome Sweden and Finland comes as the western alliance confronts Russia over its attack on Ukraine, which was launched back in late February. So is this a breakthrough for NATO, will Sweden and Finland really follow through with Türkiye's concerns on terrorism and how will Russia react to this latest development?

Guests:

Tarik Oguzlu

Professor at Istanbul Aydin University

Giedrius Cesnakas

Director of Political Science at Lithuania's Military Academy

Matthew Bryza

Former US Ambassador