The answer to this question is, probably not. Turkey is quite different from Iran in its modern history, domestic political system, economic structure, society, and foreign policy. Nevertheless, Turkey’s growing assertiveness in the Middle East, its slow drift away from the West in favour of closer relations with Russia and China, and its willingness to… [Read more]
Following the release of two recent reports on Business Monitor Online, on the geopolitical implications of the souring diplomatic relationship between Turkey and Israel, Mark Schaltuper, Head of Europe Country Risk and Financial Markets hosts a panel of Europe, Middle East and North Africa analysts, as well as Business Monitor’s Head of Political Risk Analysis,… [Read more]
The Turkey-Israel alliance, until recently one of the pillars of Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern geopolitics, is under strain like never before. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to send warships to accompany humanitarian aid vessels aimed at breaking Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. This raises the spectre of a tense stand-off… [Read more]
One of the biggest unknowns in global politics at present is the matter of whether the US and/or Israel will attack Iran’s nuclear facilities to prevent the country from developing the atomic bomb. Every now and again, reports crop up in the international media that the US is reinforcing its aircraft carrier presence in the… [Read more]
Regular readers of this blog will know that my colleagues and I have recently been discussing the growing possibility of Israeli military action against Iran’s nuclear programme (I highly recommend listening to Business Monitor’s Podcast on this subject). However, let us now do a little thought experiment: flash forward five years, and imagine that Iran… [Read more]
On this week’s Business Monitor Podcast, BMI’s Head of Middle East Analysis Elizabeth Martins and Middle East Analyst Andrew Fargus discuss rising political risks in Iran concerning the nuclear situation. With diplomatic tensions escalating, Fargus assesses the implications of a potential Israeli strike on Iran, and discusses the latter’s retaliatory options. At home, the Iranian… [Read more]
I have been talking about the possibility of an Israeli incursion into Gaza on Business Monitor Online for about a year now, and one of the possibilities I have flagged up was that of Egyptian troops manning a new, de-Hamasified Gaza Strip, to allow Fatah to regain and consolidate control. As I said at the… [Read more]
