Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Rich Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies with a deep expertise in sanctions policy who previously served on the White House NSC, joins Thanos Davelis to look at why we need to be paying attention to this new flotilla set to depart Turkey for Gaza, which has the potential to spark a diplomatic crisis.

Sinan Ciddi, a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), joins Thanos Davelis to look at why Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is taking steps to restrict exports to Israel now, and break down how this fits into the broader post-election narrative after the oppositions sweeping victory on March 31st.

We've just seen consecutive visits to the US by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, with both officials discussing a series of issues - from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to trade and investments - with the White House, the State Department and Congress.

When China's Belt and Road Initiative was formally launched in 2013, it was touted as a world-spanning push to replicate the economic and political impact of the Silk Road. As it made investments across the world - including in the port of Piraeus during the depths of the financial crisis - Western capitals sought to counter Beijing's growing influence.

Whatever the result of the US elections in November this year, relations between Washington and Athens will remain strong, US Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt said during a group discussion at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank in Washington, DC on Monday.

This new year finds Washington in a bind over how to effectively engage with Turkey, a trend we've documented for at least half a decade. The tug of war over Sweden and F16s, and Ankara's stance on the Arab-Israeli conflict, are the latest examples of this.

On Wednesday the US and a host of international allies warned that Iran-backed Houthi militants will face "consequences" if they continue to "threaten lives" and disrupt trade in the Red Sea. Earlier this week, what's become an increasingly volatile crisis gained a new dimension as Iran sent a warship to the region, escalating tensions.

Is it time to reconsider Turkey's NATO membership? With the alliance having to constantly grapple with an uncooperative and at times even combative Turkish leader in President Erdogan, the question is as timely as ever.

Turkey will start coming under pressure from the United States over its stance on the Middle East crisis very soon, according to Jonathan Schanzer, who is senior vice president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, one of the most influential think-tanks in Washington.

Despite the pressure on Turkey to ratify Sweden's NATO membership bid, with the US saying the sooner this happens the better, Turkey's President Erdogan poured cold water on rising hopes that a deal might be near. While the US is keen on Sweden joining NATO, Erdogan is keen on getting US F-16s, and it seems some have hinted that a quid pro quo could be on the cards.