By Mehmet Enes Beşer Singapore’s ascendancy as a maritime nation-state is perhaps one of the best instances of strategic foresight and anticipation in modern economic history. Through leveraging favorable geographical location, superior infrastructure, and strong governance, the city-state has established itself as a vital link in global supply chains, making use of its ports and other facilities. However, the international ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Throughout ASEAN’s existence, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has always been a cornerstone in terms of regional stability and development in Southeast Asia. With the advent of new global political developments, the ability of ASEAN to adapt and retain its centrality is put to the test. During its Chairmanship in 2025, ASEAN faces various problems ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer As the long-running trade dispute between the United States and the People’s Republic of China develops into a complex phenomenon that has ramifications for international markets, Southeast Asia is one of the regions affected most significantly. With Southeast Asia playing a significant role in international trade, as the main economic agents of the region increase tariffs ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Every time the “New Silk Road” comes up, the conversation always drifts toward trains, ports, highways, and cables. Everyone seems to think it’s just a giant construction project. But honestly, that misses what’s really going on. The real question is who’s in charge—who sets the rules, who gets the upper hand, and who finds themselves dependent ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer For about thirty years, globalization ran on a simple religion: the least cost wins. If a component could be made cheaper two time zones away, the supply chain stretched—proudly—until it wrapped around the planet. Executives optimized. Governments applauded. Consumers got used to abundance that felt normal, even permanent. Then the world started to feel brittle. Not ...
By Orçun Göktürk, from Beijing, China Türkiye’s diplomacy with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has cleared a critical hurdle. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan announced that Türkiye has been accepted as an ASEAN Dialogue Partner by a decision taken by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in Manila. This development is undoubtedly important. Ankara, albeit late, is coming to ...
If We Don’t Sleepwalk into It By Mehmet Enes Beşer “China is opening up” is one of those lines that comes back every few years like a recycled headline. It sounds reassuring on paper. It also sounds vague enough to mean almost anything. For ASEAN, the temptation is to treat it as background noise: China announces, markets react, officials smile ...
Speech of the Consul General of Iran in Istanbul. The Center for National Strategy (USMER) has organized an international conference on the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea on July 18 and 19 in Istanbul, Türkiye. Today, we present the speech of Aboulghasem Tahmasebi Shahrbabek, general consul of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Istanbul, Türkiye. The Strategic Importance of ...
It Can Pay For Its Own Future. By Mehmet Enes Beşer As the pecking order in the world’s capital economy, Europe has long been at the top of the list as one of the safest and most developed sources of foreign direct investment (FDI). For most of the developing world, European capital has been a capital with credibility, technology transfer, ...
Why Trump decided to seek rapprochement with China. By Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein In 2011, long before entering active politics, Donald Trump tweeted that China was the enemy of the United States and that his goal was to destroy it. He later asserted, “On trade, the Chinese are cheats.” A year later, in 2012, he commented, “The concept of global warming ...