Even more than NATO's ongoing military operations, the so-called Arab Awakenings and eurozone crisis have reshaped its strategic operating environment and the relative capabilities of its various members. But while most European member states are grappling with austerity measures and defense cuts, one actor has increased its involvement and commitment:...

Washington, D.C. -- Last week in Washington's venerable Willard Hotel, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and former Governor Hailey Barbour of Mississippi drew comparisons between their states and the Republic of Azerbaijan. They were part of a buoyant celebration of Azerbaijan's 20-year relationship with the United States. Their sentiments, and...

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's April 30 visit to Washington arrived at a time in which the stakes have never been higher in Tokyo. This was the first summit in D.C. since the devastating 3.11 disaster in 2011 and since the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) swept to power in...

Co-written by Amy Studdart

On the eve of North Korea's Unha-3 rocket launch, Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) were on high alert. They installed interceptors in Okinawa and sent destroyers to the East China Sea -- maneuvers that haven't been seen for a decade. In the end, the rocket...

The Turkey of today has far more tools at its disposal than ever before to advance its agenda as a leading regional power. Having sought the role of regional mediator over the last decade, Turkey's litmus test of leadership comes in Syria, beginning with how Ankara deals with a Bashar...

WASHINGTON, DC -- One year ago this week, a magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami devastated the northern Tohoku region of Japan, causing the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Many observers have pointed to 3/11, as it is now called, and its aftermath coming after two decades of slow economic growth...

Co-authored with Ece Ozcelik

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's visit to Washington this week came at a pivotal juncture of bilateral and international affairs. Dr. Davutoğlu was enthusiastically welcomed by an audience in Washington eager to engage on a host of topics including Turkey's new foreign policy vision, the Arab...

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's visit to Washington this week comes at a pivotal time in U.S.-Turkish relations. The importance of Turkey to the U.S. administration can be traced by the number of high-level visits by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in July 2011, Secretary of Defense...

Turkey has received widespread attention in 2011, as has the dramatic improvement in its relations with the United States. The volatility of U.S.-Turkish relations, which was demonstrated by the low of 2010 with the Mavi Marmara and UN Iran sanction incidents followed by the high of 2011, is a sign...

The emergence of a "new" European Union, in the wake of a sleepless and tumultuous summit held 20 years after the treaty that led to the creation of the political union and the euro currency, was met with ambivalence in Turkey. The irony of Europe's perennial "sick man" being the...

Over the last decade in which I have been working on Turkey I have delivered and listened to more speeches on U.S.-Turkish relations than I care to recall. Particularly when coming from official sources these speeches tend to cover the traditional contours and terrain of our two nation's great history,...

Co-Authored with Emiliano Alessandri.

WASHINGTON -- The United Nations' recent report investigating the deaths of nine Turks when Israel stopped a flotilla trying to break a Gaza blockade has brought an end to a suspenseful episode in Turkish-Israeli relations. But with closure (of a sort) comes an opening (of a...

A decade on from the fateful Tuesday morning of September 11, 2001 every American still remembers where they first heard the news or were when America came under attack. Most of us remember the horrific images and the accompanying feelings of fear, horror, panic, rage, and sickness. Despite having experienced...

The Turkish election results are in with few surprises but with major questions as to Turkey's political directions. The Justice and Development Party (AKP), with its conservative-Muslim roots, claims the most victory, taking over half of the votes and improving three straight elections in a row, though it will lose...

This post was co-authored by Dr. Philipp C. Bleek

Exactly one year ago this week, Turkey and Brazil unveiled an agreement they had jointly negotiated with Iran, intended to be a significant step toward resolving the international community's concerns regarding Tehran's nuclear activities. Instead of being the diplomatic triumph Ankara...

The striking characteristic of the democratic revolutions sweeping the Arab world is how they all began domestically with grassroots organization, but are now entering a darker, more violent phase where international actors become critical.

The stakes are especially high in Syria, which sits at the center of the Arab world...

At the start of the Arab revolutions, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) tentatively placed Turkey on the side of the pro-democracy movements, starting with Tunisia and then Egypt. In contrast to 2009, when Ankara backed the Ahmadinejad administration following Iran's disputed elections,...

The dramatic changes in Turkish foreign policy and strategy in its regional and international relations in the first decade of the new century stand in sharp contrast with that of its immediate past. At no time since their days at the helm of the Ottoman Empire have Turks commanded as...

In an unexpected move, the Turkish government has expressed opposition to proposals for economic sanctions and any type of military intervention by the international community against Moammar Khadafy and his supporters. This response to the Libyan uprising stands in sharp contrast with Turkey's strong condemnation of Hosni Mubarak during the...

As a longtime ally of the West and new partner of Iran and Syria, Turkey has been seeking the role of mediator and model in every available arena, including Egypt, Lebanon, and Tunisia. As a G-20 founding member, holder of a seat on the UN Security Council, European...