By Mehmet Enes Beşer Australia keeps calling itself a “middle power.” Fine. But the label is starting to feel like one of those old stickers on a suitcase: once useful, now mostly nostalgic. Because the world Australia learned to do “middle-power diplomacy” in—the world of patient committees, slow consensus, and polite press releases—has changed shape. Not completely. But enough that ...
By Erkin Feyyaz Eşli The European Parliament has approved a €90 billion loan to Ukraine. That way, the EU is making a demonstrative attempt to preserve its relevance in a changing world – to the detriment of European citizens. Europe Loses Another Sovereignty-Oriented Leader On 14 April, in a sensational victory at Hungary’s parliamentary elections, the opposition Tisza Party led by Péter ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer China’s abrupt emergence as a global player in new energy vehicle (NEV) exports is one of the most dramatic trends in the automobile industry today. No longer held to be the “world’s factory” for low-cost manufacture, China’s rise as an international player in the electric vehicle market is testament to deep-seated structural potential—first and foremost, its ...
As always, the diplomatic agenda in Türkiye remained intense last week. The week was marked by meetings held and agreements signed between Turkish officials and their Western counterparts. The top topic was the “Strategic Partnership Framework Document” signed by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during his visit to London. Another development of the week was President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s meeting with ...
From 25 to 29 April 2026, the first international forum of SOVINTERN was held in Moscow under the leadership of the A Just Russia Party, with the participation of numerous partner parties and organizations. Bringing together more than 200 participants representing over 100 political parties, movements, and organizations from more than 70 countries, the forum marked a significant global gathering ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Japan’s diplomacy with Laos rarely makes the front page, and that’s exactly why it’s worth paying attention to. Tokyo’s big strategic relationships (India, Vietnam, the Philippines) come with press conferences and clear security narratives. Laos is different. It sits inland, keeps its language careful, and has spent decades practicing the art of not looking like it’s ...
By Adem Kılıç, Political Scientist The Ukraine War, the genocidal war in Gaza, the subsequent 12-day wars, and the U.S.-Iran war have ushered the global system into a period of restructuring, particularly in terms of energy supply security and logistical realities. This global rupture, deepened by the intensifying U.S.-China competition triggered by the effects of these wars, has ceased to ...
Germany and Brazil are expanding their cooperation and focusing on new joint projects, particularly in the raw materials and defense sectors. This is one outcome of talks held yesterday, Monday, in Hanover between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva. Among other things, Brazil’s navy, which has already ordered four frigates from the German warship ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer There’s a phrase New Delhi repeats whenever Kashmir comes up: internal matter. It’s said with the confidence of a closing argument, as if the words themselves are supposed to end the conversation. But Kashmir isn’t a zoning dispute. It’s a contested political future, an unfinished promise from 1947, and—most importantly—a lived reality for millions of Kashmiris ...
A New Global Resource Race As the global economy accelerates toward decarbonization and digital transformation, critical minerals have become indispensable to modern industry. Lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements, and platinum group metals underpin electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and advanced technologies. Their rising importance is reshaping global supply chains and intensifying geopolitical competition. In this context, Africa—and particularly South Africa—has ...
The Turkish Psychologists Association (TPD) has exposed the blatant double standards of the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA). While the EFPA cites “political neutrality” regarding Israel’s military aggression in the Middle East, its previous expulsion of Russia over the Ukraine conflict reveals a deeply rooted selective morality within Western-centric scientific institutions. As the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Among the Asia-Pacific geopolitics geographies in transition today, few bilateral relations have so much low-key potential as China and Thailand. For centuries, united by mutual culture, good commerce, and overlapping strategic interests, the two nations have shared a stable friendship traditionally described as “as close as one family.” But in today’s dynamic era of economic rebuilding, ...