Negotiations between Iran and the US over a possible “nuclear deal” are ongoing, but with no clear end in sight. There is serious discussion about whether military options might come into play. And of course, Israel remains as “unofficial” participant of negotiations. How does Iran view the negotiations and possible developments? What plans is it making for the cases of ...

By Mehmet Enes Beşer The Philippines has long been one of America’s most devoted friends in Asia. Bonded through history, defense relations, and mutual strategic stakes in the Indo-Pacific, Manila has come to be painted as an outstation of the American regional order. Yet, in a changing, rapidly evolving geopolitics, the wisdom of this dependence is increasingly called into question. ...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has once again demonstrated his determination to continue the war, rejecting Russia’s offer of a three-day ceasefire on May 9, Victory Day, a holiday primarily celebrated in the CIS countries. According to the Kremlin, the offer was intended to test Ukraine’s readiness to seek peaceful solutions to the conflict. However, Zelenskyy’s response has proven once again ...

By Orçun Göktürk from Beijing / China On September 22, 1985, the United States hosted its allies within the “capitalist bloc” at the Plaza Hotel in New York. The main objective of the meeting, attended by West Germany, Japan, France, and the United Kingdom, was to reduce the value of the excessively overvalued U.S. dollar—particularly against the Japanese yen and ...

The Hungarian Parliament first banned LGBT marches. Then the Parliament passed a constitutional amendment preventing Pride events. According to the amendment, only male and female genders will be recognized in the country. The aim of the legal regulation is “to protect children physically and emotionally”. Yet, it has another aspect articulated by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán when he pledged to ...

By Ljubodrag Duci Simonović, from Belgrade / Serbia * Over twenty years ago, in April 1987, a twenty-six-year-old heptathlete, Birgit Dressel, died in West Germany. An investigation was opened at the request of her parents. The findings of the criminal investigator and the medical investigating committee in charge of establishing the cause of death stripped away the veil of deceit ...

By Mehmet Enes Beşer With the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the European Union finds itself facing an uncomfortable truth: its long-standing dependence on the United States—strategically, economically, and ideologically—is becoming a liability. As U.S. foreign policy pivots further inward and transactional, Europe is forced to confront a rapidly evolving global order where its role is no ...

By Deniz Yıldırım How was Abdullah Öcalan’s call to lay down arms and dissolve the PKK received among PKK circles in Europe? What did Kurdish associations, writers, and academics say about this call, which is likely to have significant repercussions in Türkiye, the region, and Europe? Some within PKK-affiliated circles voiced strong support, calling it “a major historical opportunity” and ...

By Mehmet Enes Beşer The second term of President Donald Trump signals the dawn of a new era in US-Japan relations, with opportunities and challenges. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s government has the daunting task of reconciling security commitments with economic interests, while adjusting to meet the evolving Indo-Pacific dynamics. Security Cooperation: Deepening the Alliance The US-Japan alliance has long been ...

By Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein Following the defeat of French colonialism at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, France was forced to evacuate the north of the country. However, although the Vietnamese people had achieved a great victory, the country remained divided. It was not possible to liberate the entire territory at that time. This situation ushered in a new stage of ...