Understanding Middle East Dynamics at Orion Policy Institute

Middle East

Jul 22 , 2024

Policy Brief

Erdogan’s Reconciliation with Reality: Back to Rapprochement with Assad

Suleyman Ozeren

Over a decade ago, Turkey-Syria relations have undergone a dramatic shift when then Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) decided to end their policy of ‘zero problems with the neighbors’ and interfered in the uprising in Syria. The AKP’s overly ambitious Neo-Ottomanism

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Terrorism & Extremism

Jul 10 , 2024

Op-Ed

UN-led Meeting with the Taliban on Afghanistan: Seizing Opportunities or Betraying Promises?

Marta Furlan

Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, Doha has hosted three UN-led meetings on Afghanistan. The latest was held on June 30 and July 1, and it marked the first time that representatives from the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate (specifically, from the Ministries of Counter-Narcotic, Trade, and Foreign Affairs) attended

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Terrorism & Extremism

Apr 10 , 2024

Podcast

Hussain Soherwordi: Pakistan’s Strained Relationship with Afghanistan and Challenges Ahead

Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi

In this episode of Orion Talks, Suat Cubukcu is joined by Professor Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi. Professor Soherwordi delves into the current economic and political landscape of Pakistan, shedding light on its relations with the Taliban government in Afghanistan and the tense dynamics between the two nations. He discusses the recent

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Jan 17 , 2024

Op-Ed

Strategic Tensions in the Red Sea: Navigating the Complex Dynamics of the Middle East Conflict

Cem Demirci

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched “Al-Aqsa Flood,” an operation within Israeli territory. Subsequent developments heightened the risk of escalating the military conflict between Israel and Hamas into a regional conflict that could engulf the entire Middle East. Thereupon, the United States as a global power dispatched two aircraft carrier

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Jan 14 , 2024

Op-Ed

The Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea and New Dilemmas for the United States

Marta Furlan

Since the start of the Hamas-Israeli war last October, the Houthis – the Zaydi Shia armed group belonging that controls northern Yemen – has emerged as a crucial and threatening regional actor. Ironically, this has happened three years after their removal from the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. First,

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Terrorism & Extremism

Oct 17 , 2023

Expert Panel

The Hamas-Israel Conflict and Its Global and Regional Implications – 3

Sara Harmouch

In this Expert Panel Series, we gathered perspectives from various subject experts on the Hamas-Israel conflict and its global and regional impact on geopolitics. This second paper of the Expert Panel Series features Sara Harmouch’s insights in response to our inquiry. The October 7th attack, supported by Iran and Hezbollah,

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Terrorism & Extremism

Oct 17 , 2023

Policy Brief

The October War Between Hamas and Israel: A Look into Responses from the Neighborhood

Marta Furlan

“On the morning of Saturday October 7th – a day that was holy not only for being shabbat but also for being Simchat Torah 1– Israelis woke up to a horrifying reality. In an attack that was largely unprecedented for its level of strategic sophistication, Hamas launched thousands of rockets

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Terrorism & Extremism

Oct 14 , 2023

Expert Panel

The Hamas-Israel Conflict and Its Global and Regional Implications – 2

Colin P. Clarke

In this Expert Panel Series, we gathered perspectives from various subject experts on the Hamas-Israel conflict and its global and regional impact on geopolitics. This second paper of the Expert Panel Series features Colin P. Clarke’s insights in response to our inquiry. The October 7th attack by Hamas on Israel

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Terrorism & Extremism

Oct 13 , 2023

Expert Panel

The Hamas-Israel Conflict and Its Global and Regional Implications – 1

Suleyman Ozeren

In this Expert Panel Series, we gathered perspectives from various subject experts on the Hamas-Israel conflict and its global and regional impact on geopolitics. This first paper of the Expert Panel Series features Dr. Suleyman Ozeren’s insights in response to our inquiry. Hamas’ attacks on civilians have drawn comparisons to

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Middle East

Aug 11 , 2023

Policy Brief

The Evolution of the Iran-Houthis Partnership and Its Implications for Yemen and Regional Dynamics

Marta Furlan

For eight years, beginning in early 2015, Saudi Arabia and Iran supported opposing parties in the Yemeni conflict – the internationally recognized government and the Houthi armed group respectively. While the Saudi investment failed to pay off due to the government’s limited credibility, scarce legitimacy, and deep internal divisions, the

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Jun 9 , 2023

Op-Ed

Syria’s Return to the Arab League: Navigating the Captagon Dilemma

Adnan Nasser

Syria’s return to the Arab League on May 7th and the arrival of its leader Bashar al-Assad in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (KSA) sparked a loud yet silent shock across the region. Countless lives have been lost in the war that has also forced millions of Syrians to flee their country

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Terrorism & Extremism

Jun 5 , 2023

Policy Brief

What Does ISIS’ Survival Tell Us About Countermeasures?

Suleyman Ozeren

ISIS: The Resilient Insurgency Despite ISIS’ loss of territorial control over its so-called Islamic Caliphate and the international community’s concerted effort to eradicate it, the group has proven resilient to total defeat. It has shown a remarkable ability to adapt. This resilience can be attributed to several factors, including the

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