Global Scans · Turkey · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Uncertainties over Turkey's eventual political position abound. With EU decisions in doubt, recent crackdown on opposition parties causing concerns, and being embroiled in complex Middle East politics and fighting terrorism on its borders and internally, which way will she swing?

• There is less division among member states regarding the view that Turkey's membership will not be very important for the rejuvenation of the EU's population. Elcano Royal Institute
• Steinmeier's doner diplomacy could have easily led to a frank and useful discussion of the Turkish state's political repression of Kurds, if Germany was not already for decades now complicit in persecuting Kurdish activists and extraditing them to Turkey. The Guardian
• The presence of Turkish military forces will prevent Iran from extending its influence over Syria and taking control of the oil fields. The American Conservative
• If attitudes towards Turkey are grounded on the post-national understanding of Turkey and the EU as a community sharing universal values, we expect comprehension and human rights to be positively correlated with support for Turkey's membership, and 'cultural differences' to be negatively correlated. Elcano Royal Institute
• Iraq's strategic geographical location gives it a unique advantage and the potential to become a major transport hub for the movement of people and goods between the Gulf region, Turkey and Europe. International Railway Journal
• PKK's presence in Iraq threatens the planned construction of a major trade route, the Iraq Development Road, that would connect the port in Basra, southern Iraq, to Turkey and Europe through a network of rail lines and highways. The Washington Post
• Effective immediately, Turkey will impose restrictions on the export of products from 54 different categories to Israel until a ceasefire is declared in Gaza. The Times of Israel
• The current situation has resulted in severe disruptions in the Red Sea and added to the interest in alternative land routes, including across the Arabian Peninsula and Levant or through Iraq and Turkey. PwC
• The EU and Turkey should protect opposition activists and refrain from returning them to Tajikistan, a country known for engaging in transnational repression, where they risk being tortured. Human Rights Watch
• Turkey has recognized the evolving dynamics of global politics and the need to balance potential threats from unstable regimes like Iran and Iraq. Eurasia Review
• Trump's return to the White House may provide an opportunity for Turkey to expand its military control over Iraq and Syria - and settle scores with the U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds that Ankara considers to be terrorists. Brookings
• Sanctions against Iran largely target its oil industry by threatening potential importers (like India, Japan, or Turkey) with penalties should they purchase from Iran. World101 from the Council on Foreign Relations
• Turkey has long advocated for more relaxed travel regulations for its citizens visiting the EU, with hopes that cooperation, including efforts to manage illegal immigration, could lead to further concessions from member states. IAM (immigration and migration)
• The hope that most non-Western states would stop trading with Russia proved unfounded; Russia has increased its trade flows with India, Turkey, and China, while many of Russia's neighbours quietly profit by reselling sanctioned goods to Moscow. The National Interest
• For Turkey, the EU's expectations will be effectively impossible to fulfil, as they would undermine the stability of its state system and require it to revise its policy towards the Mediterranean and Aegean seas as well as Russia and Syria. OSW Centre for Eastern Studies
• Germany will remain among the world's top ten steel-consuming regions together with China, India, United States, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Turkey, Mexico and Brazil. EUROMETAL
• The foreign policies of various geopolitical swing states - including India, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Brazil - will help shape future geopolitical relations. MIT OpenCourseWare
• Turkey will impose restrictions on the export of products from 54 different categories to Israel until a ceasefire is declared in Gaza. The Guardian
• Turkey's presence could potentially contribute to establishing a form of balance, limiting Ethiopia's maneuvering space and slowing down its efforts to proceed with its maritime agreement with Somaliland. Addis Standard

Last updated: 13 May 2024