Tũrkish Pulse

  by Martin Aslan Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime fell in December 2024. The entire country now has to be rebuilt, reorganized, and unified. For its part, Russia, a supporter of Bashar al-Assad, seems to have been pushed out of Syria. Although the Daesh caliphate fell in March 2019, its actions still represent a danger for Syria and the surrounding countries. In this chessboard, Türkiye is positioning itself as Syria's 'savior' by supporting the new government. It is offering military assistance in the fight against Daesh terrorism and, above all, against the Kurds, Türkiye's sworn enemies. Syria is thus being conditioned by Türkiye, which is seeking to impose its anti-Kurdish position. Let's not forget that the Arab-Kurdish forces (SDF 1 ) played an active part in the fight against Daesh. The civil war in Syria In the context of the Arab Spring, peaceful demonstrations against the regime of Bashar al-Assad were violently repressed by the authorities. This prote...

by Martin Aslan While war rages in the Middle East or in Ukraine over claims to ancestral lands, the South Caucasus remains a battleground of discord between Turkic and Armenian populations. This region has been crossed by serious ethnic and geopolitical events since the beginning of the 20th century. Today, Armenia is perceived as an obstacle to the free movement of Azeri populations towards Nakhichevan  exclave and more broadly between the Baku and Ankara axis. Negotiations to find a compromise are underway to stabilize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Origins of the conflict At the end of the First World War, Armenia, very weakened, won three battles (Battles of Sardarapat, Bach Abaran and Karakilisa) against Türkiye, which recognized Armenian independence on June 4, 1918 with the Treaty of Batum. Armenian territory represented only 10,000 km² around Yerevan. By refusing the Treaty of Sèvres, Mustafa Kemal took up arms again against Armenia between September and Decembe...

  by Martin Aslan In 2001, Jim O'Neill 1 identified four emerging countries likely to become the world's leading economies by 2050. Brazil, Russia, India and China had adopted a market economy and embarked on reforms (in the field of education, foreign direct investment and business start-ups) to integrate into the global economy. In 2006, the four nations decided to join forces in an economic partnership. Today, the group has grown to include nine member states. Compared to the G7, the BRICS + alliance is a symbol of hope for emerging countries. It is also a magnet for countries in South America, Africa and South-East Asia. However, the weight of China, but also of India, risks weakening the development of other member countries. China, whose GDP is higher than that of the other countries combined, tends to want to show its supremacy and to act unilaterally. The weight of economic growth and demographic growth The strength of the BRICS + lies in their rate of economic and dem...

  by Martin Aslan When it comes to oligarchy or oligarchs, everyone thinks of Russia and the countries that made up the former Soviet Union. This kind of power structure does not only concern this part of the world. Indeed, many wealthy people come from African continent. According to some people the next great oligarchs will be African. The following article will deal with some of few influential figures who are growing financially despite political changes, revolutions and coups. BURKINA FASO Mahamadou Bonkoungou and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Mahamadou Bonkoungou is Chairman of EBOMAF (Bonkoungou Mahamadou and son). The EBOMAF Group is active in a wide range of sectors: insurance, banking, trade, retail, civil engineering, hotels, industry, leisure, mining, catering, health, social services and transport. Its founder is nicknamed "the friend of presidents". He has survived the succession of Burkina Faso's most recent leaders: from Blaise Compaoré to Captain Ibrahim Traoré, h...

by Martin Aslan The self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh is a country not recognised by the international community. It has been in conflict with Azerbaijan since the end of the Soviet era. Relations between the players in this conflict are complex and sometimes inconsistent. Türkiye, Russia and Iran contribute to complicate the situation: Türkiye supports Azerbaijan, which is close to Israel; Iran supports Christian Armenia; Russia keeps relations of opportunity with all these players. Economic interest seems to be the common link for all of them whereas ideological, religious or historical relations are not.  The origins of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Nagorno-Karabakh was an oblast attached to the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia. Following tensions between Russia and Armenia, the region was allocated to Azerbaijan in 1923. In 1991, following the end of the Soviet era, the republics under Moscow's tutelage gained their independence. Nagorno-Karabakh, with its predom...

by Martin Aslan During the Ottoman period, Palestine was under Turkish rule for 400 years. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1923 and a period under British mandate, a Partition Plan was voted by the UN General Assembly on 29 November 1947 for the creation of a Jewish state and an Arab state. By rejecting this decision, Palestine came into conflict with the Hebrew state. The Palestinian question has become a symbol, a pretext that allows Muslim countries to amplify their anti-Western rhetoric. Palestine under ottoman influence  The seizure of the Caliphate in 1517 marked a turning point in the history of the Ottoman Empire. 1517 was also the year in which Palestine became subject to the empire. Once Caliph, Suleiman the Magnificent had the Dome of the Rock and the city walls of Jerusalem restored between 1538 and 1535. In 1541, he closed the Golden Gate to prevent the Jewish Messiah from entering. As the Ottoman caliphate became hegemonic, non-Muslims had a subordinate st...

(photo: Arab News) by Martin Aslan As the attack on October 7 of this year burst out in extreme violence on both sides, it seems necessary to look back on a long lasting conflict that worries the international opinion like no other. During the Ottoman period, Palestine was under Turkish ruling for 400 years. After the collapse of the Ottoman empire and under the British mandate, a Partition Plan was voted by the UN General Assembly on 29 November 1947 for the creation of a Jewish state and an Arab state. By rejecting this decision, Palestine entered a long lasting conflict with the Jewish state. Now a symbol, the Palestinian issue has become a token for some Muslim countries to amplify their anti Western rhetoric.  A throwback to the 16th century – Ottoman ruling: 1517 is a turning point for the Ottoman Empire: Suleiman the Magnificent takes the Calif after conquering Egypt and within the same year, Palestine is falls under Ottoman control. From 1535 to 1541, the Emperor orders the...