The discovery of oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean has led to major disputes. And one of the main disagreements is between Turkey and Greece and their links to the divided island nation of Cyprus. Hyder Abbasi explains what’s at stake.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed that the US signed an oil deal with the PKK-linked YPG terror group in northern Syria. Turkey's foreign ministry was quick to condemn the move, saying US support disregarded international law and violated the territorial integrity of Syria. So, what impact could the oil deal have on US-Turkey ties?

Guests:

Marwan Kabalan

Director of Policy Analysis at the Arab Centre for Research and Policy Studies

Mehmet Celik

Managing Editor of Daily Sabah

Fighting intensified last month in the occupied Karabakh region of Azerbaijan that Armenia illegally controls. In response, Turkey is helping Azerbaijan strengthen its defences. So, in what ways will this deepen cooperation between Ankara and Baku? Plus, since Brexit finally became a reality earlier this year, the UK has been scrambling to secure its trade relations. And now, Turkey and the UK are close to finalising a free trade deal. What could an agreement mean for both countries especially amid a pandemic and weakened global economy?

Guests:

Fariz Ismailzade

Vice Rector of ADA University

Oktay Tanriseve

Professor of International Relations at Middle East Technical University in Ankara

Christopher Gaunt

Chairperson of the British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey

Ozan Ozkural

CEO of Tanto Capital Partners

Since a brutal war that started in the late 1980s, Azerbaijan and Armenia have maintained a fragile truce. But Armenia continues to illegally occupy the Karabakh region. The area has seen flare-ups of violence over the years. But last month, fighting intensified in the north of the disputed territory. In response, Turkey is helping Azerbaijan strengthen its defences. So, what caused the recent flare-up and in what ways will this deepen cooperation between Ankara and Baku?

Guests:

Fariz Ismailzade

Vice Rector of ADA University

Oktay Tanriseve

Professor of International Relations at Middle East Technical University in Ankara

Azerbaijan and Armenia exchanged attacks along their shared northern border last month and Turkey is now stepping in. It's unclear how the skirmish began but, as Hyder Abbasi explains, clashes over the occupied Karabakh region are not rare.

The UK is Turkey’s second-largest trade partner after Germany. Post-Brexit, one key goal for Turkey is to secure a free trade agreement with Britain. Ankara is hoping that a deal will help Turkish manufacturers while London hopes to expand its lucrative services sector. We breakdown what an agreement could mean for both countries especially as the global economy sees significant challenges amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Guests:

Christopher Gaunt

Chairperson of the British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey

Ozan Ozkural

CEO of Tanto Capital Partners

Many Muslims save their entire lives for a chance to travel to the holy city of Mecca to complete the Hajj pilgrimage. But this year, the coronavirus pandemic has upended those plans. So, what restrictions has the Saudi kingdom imposed? And how will the scaled-down Hajj impact the country's economy? Plus, The coronavirus pandemic has decimated the world’s busy summer tourism season, but Turkey is hoping to be an outlier. But will travellers return? And what health measures are in place to keep them safe?

Guests:

Nawab Osman

Visiting Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley

Sara Bazoobandi

Fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington

Taha Arvas

Columnist for the Daily Sabah

Jennifer Iduh

Head of Research and Development at the European Travel Commission

The coronavirus pandemic has decimated the world’s busy summer tourism season, but Turkey is hoping strict measures will encourage tourists to return. So, what rules are in place to keep travelers safe?

Guests:

Taha Arvas

Columnist for the Daily Sabah

Jennifer Iduh

Head of Research and Development at the European Travel Commission

Turkey is welcoming visitors back to its shores. Hyder Abbasi reports from Kas and Antalya, two of the country's most popular destinations on the Mediterranean coast, to see how business is doing, if travelers are coming, and what’s being done to keep people safe.

Every year, usually about two million people visit Saudi Arabia to complete the Hajj pilgrimage. But as COVID-19 cases continue to increase there, the kingdom decided to ban foreigners and severely limit the number of locals taking part. So, what exactly are the restrictions in place? And how will the scaled-down Hajj impact the Saudi economy?

Guests:

Nawab Osman

Visiting Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley

Sara Bazoobandi

Fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington