Quoted in Business Insider’s article, our Senior Fellow Suleyman Ozeren shared his views about the post-Assad defense and security posture in Syria, the prospect of rebuilding a new army, Turkey’s potential key role in the process, and the regional governments’ approach and engagement with Al-Sharaa and his HTS’ rule in
The Yemeni civil war began in 2014 when Houthi rebel forces took control of the capital Sanaa. Already destabilized by the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, the country is now home to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. With almost 75% of its population in urgent need of humanitarian assistance,
On April 13 and October 1, 2024, the hostility between Iran and Israel turned into open confrontation after several decades of shadow war, marked by bombings, assassinations, and sabotage. On these dates, Iran launched hundreds of drones and ballistic and cruise missiles at Israel in retaliation for the April attack
Orion Policy Institute hosted a live webinar on Thursday, December 19, 2024, between 10-11 am (EST) titled, “Syria and the Region After Assad.” The panelists were: 1- Caroline Rose, Director at New Lines Institute 2- Suleyman Ozeren, Professorial Lecturer at American University and Senior Fellow at Orion Policy Institue 3-
Orion Policy Institute hosted a live webinar on Thursday, December 12 between 10 AM – 11:30 AM (EST) titled, “The Arab Spring Uprisings: Where Are We Now?” The panelists were: 1. Dr. Sahar Khamis, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland. 2. Dr. Shadi Mokhtari,
While the Israeli-Hamas conflict and, more recently, the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict, have dominated discussions on the Middle East for much of the past year, the focus of attention is now (re-)shifting to Syria, where the armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a widely unexpected and remarkably effective offensive on Aleppo,
A supposed Kurdish peace initiative that was floated in Turkey presents an intricate strategic landscape, promising to shape regional and domestic political dynamics. While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan consolidates power domestically across the judiciary, media, and government institutions, often at the expense of democratic freedoms, former U.S. President Donald
Sudan’s modern history has been marked by protracted civil wars and non-democratic governance systems. Behind the conflicts between armed groups and militaristic rules, women and children have borne the brunt. Yet another conflict over the control of the state erupted in April 2023, leading to the largest refugee and displacement
At the end of August, Egypt began sending equipment, ammunition and a small number of soldiers to Somalia, with the aim of reaching ten thousand troops in the coming months. Egypt intends to be the main force in the peacekeeping mission announced by the African Union to replace the current
Iran-Turkish relations undermine U.S. foreign policy objectives in the Middle East. Turkey and Iran have mutually beneficial ties despite their regional rivalries and competition. Their partnership encompasses three objectives: energy security, international trade, and sanctions evasion. In 1934, the Shah of Iran and the Turkish President met to discuss an
The October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel not only ignited a war in Gaza but also a severe escalation along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut and killing Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran are heightening regional tensions. Each strike deepens the fears of a
MENA region with a population of about 493 million people is one of the most populated regions in the world. This region has been very important in the international community due to its huge oil and gas reserves and sensitive geopolitical position. Throughout history, this sensitive situation has not been
