Since the last decade, Turkey has doubled its investments in improving its railway infrastructure, with an aim to connect industrial production zones to all commercial areas in the country. A developed railway industry could help Turkey become one of the world’s major logistics centres. Strait Talk's Ludovica Brignola reports.

The Arctic is changing fast due to the effects of climate change. But it's also said to possess solutions to tackle the global energy shortfall. Now that the region is opening up, so is the competition to tap its resources. How will the region’s opening up affect the global demand for energy? Or will it become the battlefield for another great game involving today's great powers?

Guests:

Mehmet Ali Ugur

Assistant Professor at Yalova University

Thomas O'Donnell

Lecturer at Hertie School of Governance

The Kremlin has criticised the deployment of Turkish-produced drones in eastern Ukraine, saying it would destabilise the region. Last month, Ukraine released a footage where a Turkish drone was used for the first time against separatists backed by Russia. In response to Moscow's statement, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey cannot be blamed for the UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) it sells to other countries and for how they are used. Turkey is seeing an increase in demand for its drones following successes in various battlefields. So, can the use of Turkish drones by Ukraine affect Ankara's relationship with Moscow?

Guests:

Zoltan Egeresi

Political Analyst

Mehmet Cagatay Guler

Researcher at SETA

The global policing agency Interpol has added Syria back into its information exchange network after lifting sanctions that were introduced in 2012. The development has come at an important time for Bashar al Assad who's beginning to regain international recognition. But Syria's re-admittance to Interpol is raising concerns whether Assad can be trusted to not go after the critics of his regime.

Guests:

Samuel Ramani

Associate Fellow at RUSI

Fadel Abdul Ghany

Founder of the Syrian Network for Human Rights

In this one on one with Shireen Mazari, Human Rights Minister of Pakistan, we discuss the plight of young women and girls in Afghanistan, the continued military crackdown by India in Kashmir, and the rise of xenophobia across Europe.

After 10 years of a brutal military campaign against his own people, Syria's Bashar al Assad is being slowly welcomed back into the Arab world. Several Arab states are hoping to normalise ties with his regime. What could it mean for Syria and the region? Ludovica Brignola reports.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Joe Biden had a positive meeting during the G20 summit in Rome. Having narrowly averted a diplomatic crisis involving 10 ambassadors stationed in Turkey just a few weeks ago, both presidents said they wanted to forge more constructive ties. High on the agenda was resolving Turkey’s removal from the F-35 fighter jet programme. But will Biden be able to convince Congress to get on his side when it comes to resolving the dispute with Turkey?

Guests:

Tarik Oguzlu

Academic Adviser at Foreign Policy Institute

Elisabeth Braw

Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute

Rich Outzen

Former US Diplomat

Iraq held its parliamentary elections earlier this month which saw record low turnout. The biggest beneficiary following the polls turned out to be the firebrand nationalist and anti-Iranian cleric Muqtada al Sadr. Now that the stage is set for Iraqi to form a coalition government, will it be able to win support from the millions of Iraqis who chose not to take part in the polls?

Guests:

Ahmed Rushdi

President of the House of Iraqi Expertise Foundation

Ahmet Keser

Associate Professor at Hasan Kalyoncu University

Azerbaijan has built a new international airport in Fuzuli - a city it reclaimed from Armenian occupation after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. The airport, inaugurated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, will act as an important transit point in a region that has long been marred by conflict. So, what impact will the new airport have on the region?

Guests:

Fariz Ismailzade

Vice Rector at ADA University

Richard Giragosian

Director of the Regional Studies Centre

Turkey is looking to double its 25 billion dollar bilateral trade within Africa in the next five years. The Africa-Turkey Economic Forum, which was just held in Istanbul, is expected to help reach that goal.

Guests:

Federico Donelli

Researcher at University of Genoa

Otunba Dele Oye

President of Nigerian-Turkish Business Council