Geopolitical earthquakes are redrawing trade routes across Eurasia. Russia’s war in Ukraine has awakened Central Asian countries, which have discovered their strength through cooperation to develop their economies and attain independence. Without the constant attention of Russia, this cooperation contributes to developing the Middle Corridor , a key trade route linking China to Europe via Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, and the South Caucasus. It is an alternative to traditional east-west trade routes that bypasses Russia and Iran. The Middle Corridor is a regional initiative , not an external, imposed idea. It boosts regional cooperation, flexibility, economic growth, and diplomatic dialogue. While Russia and China try to maneuver according to new geopolitical developments, Iran is ignored in these initiatives. The Middle Corridor creates a strategic role for Turkey as a central energy hub connecting Europe to additional suppliers. The European Union (EU)...
In his opening speech at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on April 11, 2025, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described Israel as a “terrorist state” that threatens regional stability, aiming to “stir up ethnic and religious affiliations in Syria and turn minorities against the government.” Since the fall of Assad’s regime in December 2024, Turkey and Israel have emerged as dominant power brokers in Syria, filling the void left by the diminishing influence of Russia and Iran. This new reality on the ground has significantly worsened the already tense relationship between Turkey and Israel. There is an ongoing debate about the possibility of a direct military confrontation between Turkey and Israel over Syria, which the media often amplifies into a drumbeat of a forthcoming war. In fact, beneath the noise, both countries display many parallel responses to the developments in Syria and, at times, share overlapping agendas that eventually force them to establish dialogue chann...