Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Huseyin Ozdemir
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China's strategic tilt: Choosing Russia over the US
In the delicate dance of global diplomacy, recent high-level meetings have unveiled a geopolitical pivot in the making. While China preferred to remain neutral in the conflict between the United States and Russia, Beijing has lately made steps that could be interpreted as a strategic lean towards Moscow. For example,...
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Russia’s Red Army cultural diplomacy backfires in Turkiye
Russia’s mastery of symbolism extends far beyond its geopolitical manoeuvres, permeating even its cultural diplomacy. Renowned for leveraging diplomatic tools as soft power, Moscow often employs seemingly innocuous events to advance its agenda on the global stage. One such example emerged with the scheduled tour to Turkiye by Russia’s...
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Russian military companies in Africa: A post-Wagner outlook
In the past decade, Russia has joined the chorus of governments using private military companies (PMCs) to shape the security landscape in Africa. However, the recent mutiny of Wagner against the Kremlin has caused some noticeable shifts in the relationship between the central power in Moscow, PMCs and their clients. The...
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Putin’s gambit amidst Israel’s war on Gaza
On the evening of 29 October, an angry mob provoked and organised through a Telegram channel alleged to be operated from Ukraine ran amok at Makhachkala Airport after receiving information about an aircraft carrying Israeli passengers landing there. The mob became violent, and climbed onto parked aircraft, attempting to...
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Hanging by a thread: Can Wagner survive the post-Prigozhin era?
Private Military Company (PMC), Wagner, may carry on without its charismatic founder and leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, but many experts believe it will never restore its former glory. A controversial plane crash Rumours are rife about the plane crash that claimed the lives of Wagner’s top brass. Many pundits believe that the...
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The Suwalki Gap and Putin's gambit for Prigozhin
The Prigozhin saga is unprecedented in Russian history. In the past, if a highly placed personality lost the trust of the Kremlin and were declared enemy of the state, the price would be dire. Prigozhin appears to be an exception. While his mutiny had many military personnel killed, including several pilots,...
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What does the Kremlin think about Turkiye's stance on Sweden's NATO bid?
Some experts argue that Turkiye’s approval of Sweden’s NATO membership will strain its ties with Russia. However, a more nuanced approach is needed to understand the issues at stake. Turkiye-Russia relations go way beyond superficial analysis. Since the Russo-Turkish War of 1676–1681, they have fought on many occasions, and have...
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The G7 Hiroshima Summit echoes nuclear fears
The G7 group of world leaders have had their sights on the Russia-Ukraine war. Over the past few weeks, speculation has been rife about a major Ukrainian counteroffensive, reflected by talks about supplying Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets. This development came after German Leopard-2 tanks were also supplied to...
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Who benefits from the murder of Vladlen Tatarsky?
The recent murder of Maxim Fomin, a popular pro-war blogger known as ‘Vladlen Tatarsky’, has once again cast a shadow of uncertainty over Russia’s domestic politics. Fomin’s assassination resembles the attack on Darya Dugina, another influential figure who supported the war in Ukraine and held great sway over the...
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This Russian call to occupy Istanbul is an outrageous provocation
A Russian “expert” recently made controversial comments about Turkiye following the 6 February earthquakes. Semyon Bagdasarov is a reserve army colonel of Armenian descent. He served as a deputy in the Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly, and is the director of the Moscow-based Centre for the...
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The pyrrhic battle for Bakhmut is a deadly flashpoint for Russia and Ukraine
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has witnessed battles and skirmishes with a high number of casualties. The defending side has often been favoured in these. However, the protagonists have also been locked in military action over relatively insignificant locations. A case in point is the city of...
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Wagner moves from the shadows to the spotlight
In recent months, the cities of Soledar, Vuhledar and Bakhmut have become the main focal points of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. However, the fact that there has been little significant change in the front lines for months has increased concerns that the conflict may be grinding to a stalemate. From...