Former Israeli soldiers exposed the scope of Israel’s mass surveillance of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Strait Talk’s Hadya Al Alawi reports on the country’s growing surveillance industry.

Turkey and UAE were at odds over a series of issues. Now, the leaders of the two countries want to change that and are set to meet in Ankara. Trade and economic co-operation could be the opening they were waiting for. Strait Talk's Hadya Al Alawi has more.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed are set to meet for the first time in almost a decade. The last time they met, the Middle East and North Africa were different places. Even last year, tensions were at their worst, but now relations are improving. Could trade and investments be the opening for Turkey and the UAE to aside their past differences?

Guests:

Cinzia Bianco

Research Fellow at European Council on Foreign Relations

Giorgio Cafiero

CEO of Gulf State Analytics

Murat Aslan

Faculty Member at Sabahattin Zaim University

The migrant crisis on the border of Poland and Belarus is showing no signs of easing, where thousands of asylum seekers are trapped. Facing harsh weather conditions and border police, every day is becoming a struggle. Tensions have been simmering for weeks but the standoff has now turned into a political crisis with Polish and Belarusian officials refusing to take a step back.

Guests:

Basak Yavcan

Migration Policy Researcher at the Hugo Observatory

Philippe Dam

HRW Advocacy Director for Europe and Central Asia

200 years ago in 1821, thousands of Turks and Ottoman Jews were massacred at Tripolitsa – situated along modern day Greece's southern coast – as Greek militias fought the Ottoman Empire for independence. By the time the attacks ceased, the total Turkish and Jewish population in the region was exterminated. The memory of the massacre has left deep wounds. On the 200th anniversary of the massacre, Turkey's foreign ministry has said that such atrocities can never be forgotten. After two centuries, the tragic event is also a grim reminder of the tensions between Turkey and Greece today, where the Greek government is moving to limit the rights of its citizens of Turkish descent.

Guests:

Vehbi Baysan

Associate Professor of History at Ibn Haldun University

Mehmet Ugur Ekinci

International Relations Expert at SETA

Libyans are gearing up to go to the polls in their first direct presidential election next month. Since the ousting of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been in a state of war, instability, and chaos with rival factions fighting each other and vying for power. There have been attempts to unite the country and last year a ceasefire was reached between the warring groups. As a result, an interim government was formed to lead the country to its upcoming presidential election. But disputes over candidates and electoral laws are sowing doubts whether Libya will be able to hold the election on time.

Guests:

Barah Mikail

Programme Director of Political Science at Saint Louis University

Youcef Bouandel

Professor of Political Science at Qatar University

The 8th summit of the Turkic Council, an intergovernmental organisation aimed at promoting co-operation among Turkic speaking states, has been held in Istanbul. During the meeting, the name of the organisation was officially changed to the Organisation of Turkic States. A joint declaration was also announced to expand the group’s area of co-operation which will include climate change, terrorism and Islamophobia.

Guests:

Cengiz Tomar

Rector at Ahmet Yesevi University

Ahmet Sahidov

Political Analyst

A growing co-operation of like-minded countries, the Turkic council - now called the Organization of Turkic States - met in Istanbul for a summit last week and chalked out its future political, security and economic priorities. With issues such as terrorism and the climate crisis on the rise, the summit is a step towards consolidating a unilateral approach for Turkic countries. Hadya Al Alawi reports.

With the pandemic disrupting global supply chains and increasing shipping costs, Turkey is sensing growing opportunities to step in. Turkey and Azerbaijan's co-operation in establishing transport links by building railways and airports is poised to provide a direct trade connection between Asia and Europe, in effect helping Turkey become one the world's major trade hubs.

Guests:

Murat Karatekin

CEO of Pasifik Eurasia

Natig Jafarov

Director of ADY Container

A growing political crisis in Bosnia is threatening to roll back the 1995 Dayton Accords. Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik's thereat to separate from the national army, tax authority and judiciary, is raising fears that it could spark the type of ethnic clashes seen during the 90s. On Tuesday, Dodik met President Erdogan in Ankara in a bid to defuse tensions. So, can Turkey play a mediating role to help resolve the crisis?

Guests:

Vedran Dzihic

Centre for Advanced Studies Southeast Europe

Edina Becirevic

Professor of Security Studies at the University of Sarajevo