The American empire seems to be sinking deeper into a quagmire of war with Iran, with only bad options on the horizon. Donald Trump is now being urged to resolve this disaster as quickly as possible. Perhaps the decisive factor is that the war has begun to strain the lives of Americans. Once again, the lesson of “economy, stupid” resurfaces, ...
By Serhat Latifoğlu The threat by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent by sending letters to 2 Chinese banks threatening sanctions if Iranian money found is a manifestation of the US’ military desperation and defeat. It is already evident that sanctions to be imposed on China will prove futile, much like those imposed on Russia. The most concrete proof of this ...
Editor-in-Chief of Aydınlık Newspaper Tevfik Kadan summarized the important parts of Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s speech at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum regarding multipolarity and Turkiye. Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s two-hour speech was significant, containing important messages for Türkiye and Europe between the lines. Lavrov stated that “European countries, under pressure from Brussels, stopped buying gas from ...
UWI author and political scientist Onur Sinan Güzaltan gave a presentation on the consequences of the Iran/US-Israel war and possible future developments at a conference titled “Energy and the Global Economy: Its Significance and Impact in the Aftermath of the Ukrainian and Middle East Crises” organized by the Russian House International Relations Club in Mumbai, India. We present Güzaltan’s speech ...
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 ...
Now we are witnessing a new cycle of negotiation and escalation from Trump and his team. While Washington tightens its grip on Iranian oil export routes, ending a brief waiver that allowed oil shipments to pass through, and announcing that commercial vessels have changed course due to naval pressure, talk of resuming negotiations with Tehran has emerged. It now appears ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer As the momentum of the world towards carbon neutrality picks up speed, ASEAN is at a turning point. Most ASEAN member countries have already submitted updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement, while others have formally set themselves on a path towards net-zero in the mid-century. But these promises—beautifully worth a lot as they ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Transition to sustainable energy technologies is not just a technical matter for ASEAN countries—it is a political, structural, and economic reorientation of development itself. From solar photovoltaics to premium biofuels, from geothermal power plants to smart grids, the region’s capacity to incorporate clean technologies within its fold will determine if it can develop energy demand sky-high ...
An attention-grabbing, and somewhat “surprising” meeting took place in Damascus. On April 5, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Syrian President Sharaa, and Ukrainian President Zelenskiy came together. Zelenskiy had visited Türkiye on April 4, where he met President Erdoğan, before flying to Damascus. The meeting took place at a time of rising tensions in the Black Sea. A Turkish tanker ...
On March 26, a Turkish-operated oil tanker named Altura was attacked in the Black Sea. Türkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu made a statement, saying “A foreign-flagged ship operated by a Turkish company, which had loaded crude oil from Russia, reported an explosion in its engine room after midnight to our emergency call center. We believe that the ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer ASEAN member countries’ energy industries are changing as a result of rising demand, decarbonization requirements, and complex geopolitics. While the region is moving towards cleaner, more inclusive, and more resilient energy systems, the risk diversification challenge—namely addressing structural vulnerabilities and crisis-driven disruptions—acquired an added significance. While pursuit of energy diversification has so far been associated with ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer The ASEAN region boasts some of the finest solar irradiation in the world, offering a geographical advantage in tapping solar power to meet its rapidly growing energy needs. With Southeast Asian economies industrializing, urbanizing, and modernizing, solar power has emerged as the cornerstone of the region’s renewable energy policy. The majority of such countries, led by ...