The Sahel region was rocked last week by both an attack on a French military base in Mali, and a coup in neighboring Burkina Faso. Both countries are home to thousands of French troops that have been battling militants in the region. The attacks and political upheaval are renewing questions about how effective French power has been. Why has the Sahel region and North Africa been plagued with so much instability and conflict? Is France losing its influence in the region?

Guests:

Akram Zaoui

Political Analyst

Jalel Ouerghi

Political Analyst

Russia, China and Iran conducted naval drills in the northern Indian Ocean, not far from the world's energy choke point, the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. Although it wasn't the first maritime exercise between the three, they come at a time when all are seeing heightened tensions with the US. China's Defense Ministry said it would deepen cooperation between the three navies. Are they trying to send a signal to the US?

Guests:

Michael Doran

Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute

Eleonora Tafuro

Research Fellow at ISPI

Despite being a world apart, Latin America and Turkiye are looking to deepen their connections. And that was on full display during the first visit by a Salvadoran president to Ankara. After signing a series of trade and security deals, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described President Nayib Bukele's two-day visit as a turning point in the two countries' relations. What opportunities could there be for Turkiye and Latin America to boost ties?

Guests:

Mehmet Necati Kutlu

Director of Centre for Latin American Studies

Javier Farje

Latin American Journalist and Analyst

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels hit the capital of the United Arab Emirates with missiles and drones on Monday. The strikes caused several casualties, prompting the US, UN and regional countries to all condemn the attacks. The UAE warned the acts will not go unpunished. Will the US re-designate the Houthis as a terrorist group? How that would affect the humanitarian crisis in Yemen? And is the Gulf region set to see more tensions?

Guests:

Ahmet Keser

Associate Professor at Hasan Kalyoncu University

Sam Ramani

Associate Fellow at RUSI

Turkish President Erdogan and his Serbian counterpart Vucic met in Ankara on Tuesday. After signing multiple agreements covering education, trade and tourism, the two leaders stressed the need to de-escalate tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina. As Vucic underlined his country's respect for Bosnia's integrity and he also supported Erdogan's call to bring its multi-ethnic leaders together towards a solution. Turkiye is playing a mediating role in Bosnia, as it shares close relations with the country's tripartite presidency. Will Turkiye`s efforts help to solve the problems in the country?

Guests:

Zoltan Egeresi

Security Analyst

Ermin Zec

Political Analyst

The US signalled that it will not back the EastMed pipeline which planned to carry 10 billion cubic meters of gas every year from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe. The project was expected to be touted as an alternative to Russian natural gas and bypass Turkiye and the TRNC (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus). As Turkish President Recep Tayyip echoed those remarks, he added that transporting gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe can't be done without Turkiye. Was the project more about politics than economics? And how will the US stance affect long-running tensions in the region?

Guests:

Giray Sadik

Director of European Studies Research Centre at AYBU

Mark Meirowitz

Professor at State University of New York Maritime College

After more than a decade since their last meeting, Turkiye and Armenia held their first round of talks in Moscow. Although no breakthroughs were achieved, both sides agreed to hold future negotiations without any pre-conditions. Is it a new beginning for the two countries? And with a new security environment in the southern Caucuses, have Turkiye and Armenia finally found the conditions to end decades of mistrust? Will relations be normalised in the near future?

Guests:

Vehbi Baysan

Political Analyst

Vahram Ter-Matevosyan

Associate Professor at the American University of Armenia

Last week, the mayor of Ankara announced plans to take part in a test programme that will enable users to virtually visit the capital city of Turkiye. As major tech leaders are calling the metaverse the future of the internet, Ankara is looking to seize the opportunity. So, how will the metaverse actually change the world's digital experience?

Guests:

Ali Hantal

CEO of XR Masters

Dicle Yurdakul

Managing Partner at WEQ Consulting

Tech leaders from Facebook and Microsoft are calling the metaverse the future of the internet. The platform will be a virtual world that exists entirely online. But as with any new technology, there are concerns. It's unclear how data privacy will be protected and cyberbullying can be prevented in the metaverse. Strait Talk's Hadya Al Alawi explains.

Last week, the mayor of Ankara announced plans to take part in a test programme that will enable users to virtually visit the capital city of Turkiye. As major tech leaders are calling the metaverse the future of the internet, Ankara is looking to seize the opportunity. So, how will the metaverse actually change the world's digital experience?

Guests:

Ali Hantal

CEO of XR Masters

Dicle Yurdakul

Managing Partner at WEQ Consulting