Turkey’s Growing Reliance on U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas Represents a Purposeful and Strategic Policy to Improve Energy Security As Turkey’s second-largest supplier of liquefied natural gas this past winter, the United States has become a significant player in the country’s gas industry. By topping five billion cubic meters and surpassing more established …
Read More »From Caspian to Continental: Türkiye’s Bid to Supply Europe with Turkmen and Azeri Gas
Significant progress has been made in establishing Türkiye as a major regional gateway for the transit of natural gas, especially in enabling the shipping of gas from Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan to Europe. Its strategic positioning in the global energy market is strengthened by its participation in significant infrastructure projects like …
Read More »Iran, Israel race to court Azerbaijan as rivalry in Caucasus heats up
Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian and Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev in a bilateral trade forum, Baku, April 28, 2025
Read More »Türkiye’s Steel Dome Air Defense Solution
On 7 August 2024, Turkish defense firm Aselsan’s CEO Ahmet Akyol unveiled on his X/twitter account the “Steel Dome” concept to build a network-centric, AI-assisted, layered air defense system that would protect the nation’s entire air space at all altitudes/ranges, against all types of airborne threats.[1] Although the concept resembles Israel’s …
Read More »Iran Grapples with the Collapse of the Shia Crescent
The fall of Assad marks a pivotal blow to Iran’s regional strategy, reshaping its influence in the Middle East. Radical shifts in the regional balance of power have forced Iran to reconsider its long-held foreign policy of propping up anti-U.S. and anti-Israel forces—the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” a strong network of proxy …
Read More »Navigating U.S.-Türkiye Relations: Key Challenges and Prospects After the 2024 Election
The U.S.-Turkey relationship faces considerable challenges and opportunities during Trump’s second term, emphasizing defense cooperation, economic ties, and regional security. Observers in Ankara are cautiously optimistic that Trump’s transactional diplomacy could help resolve contentious issues, leveraging common interests in this crucial bilateral relationship despite the complex geopolitical environment.[1] The personal …
Read More »Geopolitical Rivalries in the South Caucasus: Evaluating the Aras Corridor as an Alternative to Zangezur
Rival transit corridor projects have centered on the South Caucasus as it becomes more and more important in connecting Europe and Asia. These corridors serve as hubs for international trade integration, regional stability, and economic progress in addition to being routes for transit. The Zangezur Corridor is unique among these …
Read More »Azerbaijan’s green shift: Energy transition, COP29 commitments, and US collaboration
The following article is based on research conducted under the State Department’s Title VIII Fellowship, for the Black Sea Program at MEI. During summer 2024, the author traveled to Baku and Karabakh and interviewed 15 policymakers from various government ministries, the private sector, academia, the parliament, and energy agencies. Azerbaijan …
Read More »Powering up: Turkey-Iraq transmission line is part of a broader strategic shift
On July 21, 2024, Baghdad inaugurated a new power line connecting Turkey and Iraq to handle Turkish electricity imports. This 115-kilometer (71-mile) transmission line is expected to deliver 300 megawatts of energy to a power station west of Mosul with the aim of supplying northern Iraq, including the regions of Nineveh, Salahuddin, and …
Read More »Charting a Course: Türkiye’s Ambitious Plan for Middle Corridor Trade Expansion
Dr. Umud Shokri,Dr. Serhat Suha Cubukcuoglu,Sultan AlRubaei Amidst rising tensions and disruptions to maritime trade along the Mediterranean-Indian Ocean route, another trade corridor that roughly coincides with the ancient Silk Road has once again heightened in importance: The Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), is …
Read More »