Turkey put on display its latest military hardware, such as drones and multi-functional helicopters, at the country's biggest tech event, Teknofest 2021. Other than military hardware, inventions ranging from electric vehicles to flying cars and in sectors of biotechnology were at display to give visitors a sneak peek into what the future will hold. Every year, hundreds of thousands of students vie for a spot at Teknofest to showcase their ideas and inventions to the public. Organisers of the event hope the expo's growing popularity will help reverse a brain drain that has affected Turkey for years.

Guests:

Arda Mevlutoglu

Defence Analyst

Halit Mirahmetoglu

General Manager at GUHEM

Since the US and allied forces evacuated from Afghanistan, the country has been left abandoned. The US and its allies failed to bring peace to the war-stricken country, paving the way for other regional actors to step in and fill the vacuum. Could the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional bloc led by China and Russia, help stabilise Afghanistan?

Guests:

David Arase

Resident Professor at Hopkins-Nanjing Centre

Murat Aslan

Faculty Member at Sabahattin Zaim University

Turkey and Armenia haven't had any official relations since 1993. But lately, leaders from both the countries are sending positive signals about their willingness to reset ties. The bone of contention between Turkey and Armenia was the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again showed his willingness for talks recently but laid out a few conditions. So, can Turkey and Armenia move forward and develop better relations?

Guests:

Mehmet Cagatay Guler

Foreign Policy Analyst

Peter Zalmayev

Director at Eurasia Democracy Initiative

France's reaction to a new security partnership signed between the US, the UK and Australia was that of anger and frustration. Under the new alliance, called AUKUS, Australia scrapped its earlier submarine deal with Paris in favour of American ones. The French foreign minister said it wasn't just about the lost business, but also about the US's unacceptable behaviour towards an ally. So, what implications will this latest debacle have on NATO? And will this deal result in greater rifts among the Western allies?

Guests:

Tarik Oguzlu

Academic Adviser at Foreign Policy Institute

Michael Doran

Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute

The signing of a new security pact between the US, the UK and Australia drew a sharp response from France. France said its ally, the US, had engaged in 'lies' and 'duplicity' as it secretly formed the AUKUS alliance. Some analysts say the alliance seems to undermine the role of NATO and exposes a lack of a unified strategy among its allies to counter China. Could the alliance disturb the security dynamics in Europe? Strait Talk's Ludovica Brignola reports.

After 16 years in power as the chancellor of Europe’s largest economy, Angela Merkel is set to retire. Her exit from the political arena is sparking fears of rising populism and a far-right drift in European politics. Strait Talk’s Ludovica Brignola reports.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to call it quits after 16 years in power. Over the past decade and a half, Merkel’s leadership helped her become a force not only in Europe, but also on the global stage. During her time in power, Merkel enjoyed a cordial relationship with the Turkish president as well. So, what’s Merkel’s legacy? How will her exit affect European and global politics? And what’s in store for Turkey after her?

Guests:

Zafer Mese

Berlin Co-ordinator at SETA

Valeria Giannotta

Political Analyst

Turkey’s central bank is teaming up with researchers to study the benefits of a digital currency. It hopes to tap into blockchain technology that powers cryptocurrencies to introduce a safer option – a digital lira. And Turkey isn’t the only country researching digital currencies; the US, China and India are also doing their own research on such platforms. Will paper currencies be eventually replaced by the blockchain?

Guests:

Taha Arvas

Economist

Daniele Bianchi

Associate Professor at Queen Mary University of London

Iran’s ramping up of uranium enrichment to 60 percent in the aftermath of the assassination of its lead scientist was enough to alarm the West. But the country’s decision to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to resume maintenance work on cameras at its nuclear facilities was seen as a welcome step to move towards restoration of the previously scrapped nuclear deal. So far it seems a potential crisis has been averted. But will it be long-lasting? Strait Talk’s Ludovica Brignola reports.

Iran has allowed the global nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to monitor the progress of its nuclear programme. This has renewed some hopes for the revival of the stalled nuclear talks between the West and Iran. But is Iran’s concession to the nuclear watchdog a gesture of goodwill or just posturing ahead of possible talks? And is a nuclear deal with Iran still on the cards?

Guests:

Murat Aslan

Faculty Member at Sabahattin Zaim University

Borzou Daragahi

Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council