Orientul Mijlociu

Erdogan steps up pro-refugee rhetoric as 20,000 Ukrainians come to Turkey

The Turkish president’s pro-refugee rhetoric aims to deliver a positive message to Western allies and slash the opposition, but activists wonder if it is sincere.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged that “unfortunate people” who have sought shelter in Turkey would not be sent to their war-torn countries, simultaneously attacking the opposition’s anti-migrant rhetoric and signaling to the Western allies that he would not “weaponize” the refugee issue.

No magic tap for Europe to replace Russian gas via Turkey

Europe has been looking to Azerbaijan, Israel and other countries to transit gas via Turkey, but assuming political obstacles can be overcome, the massive investments needed will take time to realize.

The build-up of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders and the subsequent brutal invasion has sent European leaders rushing to find new sources of natural gas to replace at least a significant part of the 155 billion cubic meters of gas that the European Union imported from Russia last year — around 40% of its total consumption. But securing new pipeline gas supplies will not be easy or quick. The simple fact is that there is no “magic tap” that the EU can turn on.

How War In Ukraine Is Reverberating Across World’s Regions – Analysis

eyond the suffering and humanitarian crisis from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the entire global economy will feel the effects of slower growth and faster inflation.

Impacts will flow through three main channels. One, higher prices for commodities like food and energy will push up inflation further, in turn eroding the value of incomes and weighing on demand. Two, neighboring economies in particular will grapple with disrupted trade, supply chains, and remittances as well as an historic surge in refugee flows. And three, reduced business confidence and higher investor uncertainty will weigh on asset prices, tightening financial conditions and potentially spurring capital

Will Erdogan draw lessons from Putin’s Ukraine mistakes?

As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan watches Russian forces flounder in Ukraine, he may be rethinking his own ambitions — or concluding that Turkey is in a better spot than ever.

Turkey’s diplomatic isolation was the focus of excited punditry in recent years. But today, Ankara is running out of red carpet as a deluge of foreign dignitaries knock at its door.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: To Reduce Our Defensive Capabilities And Regional Involvement Because Of The Sensitivities Of Others Would Be Naive And Amateurish

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a March 10, 2022 public address which aired on Channel 1 (Iran) that making concessions to the U.S. and other super powers would have put Iran in “great danger.” He explained that it is “naive and amateurish” to say that Iran should reduce its “defensive force” and its “foreign defense capabilities,” and he emphasized that Iran’s strategic “depth” is a result of its regional involvement. In addition, he said that the nuclear issue is about Iran’s scientific progress and its future technology.

How Russia’s assault on Ukraine affects Middle East

Senior bureaucrats believe Erdogan will “wipe the opposition off the table” in next year’s elections, excelling as he does in every major crisis.

With Turkey facing a major economic crisis and presidential elections scheduled for June 2023, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces a host of challenges. Yet the Turkish leader is a master of crisis management, and even the Russian invasion of Ukraine could provide unique opportunities.