Turkey and Syria: When “Soft Power” Turned Hard

Turkey and Syria: When “Soft Power” Turned Hard

The onset of the so-called Arab Spring in late 2010 took governments around the world by surprise, and Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi, AKP) government was no exception. Repositioning itself to meet new circumstances, it gradually turned its back on some of the defining principles of its previous policy. Opposed to…

Russia Must Bring the “Asia-Africa Growth Corridor” to the Far East

Russia Must Bring the “Asia-Africa Growth Corridor” to the Far East

Russia’s 21st-century grand strategy is to become the supreme “balancing” force in the Eurasian supercontinent, to which end it’s recently pioneered several non-traditional partnerships across the landmass, with one of the most exciting being the incipient rapprochement with Japan. It’s absolutely vital that Russia establishes itself as a credible player in the Asia-Pacific region, but…

EU Finally Stands Up to US ‘Bullying’ Over Iran Sanctions

EU Finally Stands Up to US ‘Bullying’ Over Iran Sanctions

History may one day rule this was the fateful geopolitical moment when the European Union clinched its PhD on foreign policy. Last week, EU foreign policy head Federica Mogherini and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, announced at the UN a “special purpose vehicle” (SPV) to deal with the Trump administration’s sanctions on Iran after…

The Maldives Might Not Become an Indian Satellite, At Least Not Yet

The Maldives Might Not Become an Indian Satellite, At Least Not Yet

The opposition pulled off a surprise win in the Maldives’ presidential elections last weekend. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih trounced President Abdulla Yameen by a 16-point margin even though the US, India, and many Western countries fearmongered that the incumbent would resort to vote rigging in order to remain in power. It’s for this reason why many…

The US Military-Industrial Complex’s Worst Nightmare: The S-300 May Destroy and Expose the F-35

The US Military-Industrial Complex’s Worst Nightmare: The S-300 May Destroy and Expose the F-35

The tragic episode that caused the death of 15 Russian air force personnel has had immediate repercussions on the situation in Syria and the Middle East. On September 24, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed allies and opponents that the delivery of the S-300 air-defense systems to the Syrian Arab Republic had been approved by President Vladimir Putin. The…