Insight Turkey

Insight Turkey, a quarterly journal in circulation since 1999, is published by SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

We are excited to announce that the newest issue of @InsightTurkey is out now! 📢
​Focusing on Türkiye’s strategic connectivity and route politics, this edition bridges deep academic framework with real-time geopolitical analysis. 🌍

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

Are the Middle East’s crises rooted in ancient divisions, or in borders drawn by imperial powers? Muhammed Fatheen M.K. examines how Sykes-Picot shaped fragile states, sectarian politics, and enduring instability across the region.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

Did Armenia’s 2026 election settle the country’s future, or deepen the debate over its direction? Intigam Mamedov explores the clash between European integration, Russian influence, regional peace, and a polarized domestic landscape.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

What turns presence into power—and power into recognition? İbrahim Efe analyzes Türkiye’s growing footprint in Africa and the structural gap between its material capabilities and its status in African and international perceptions.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

Is Türkiye still a bridge between East and West, or is it becoming a hub that shapes Eurasian connectivity? @cagrierhan examines the Middle Corridor, Development Road, and Ankara’s pursuit of strategic autonomy through infrastructure and regional networks.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

When routes break, power shifts.
Türkiye is moving from bridge to hub as competing corridors reshape trade, connectivity, and geopolitical influence.
Explore corridors, resilience, and strategic power in Insight Turkey, Summer 2026, Vol. 28 No. 3.

[Dr. Engin Koc /إنقن كوتش @KocEngin16]

I am pleased to share that our article, “Middle Power Mediation and Strategic Autonomy: The Case of Türkiye and the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” co-authored with Robert Mason, has accepted to publish in @InsightTurkey

[Yusuf Bahadır Keskin @ysfbhdrkskn]

I'm happy to share that my latest article has been published in Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey

📌 Global Trade Resilience and Compensatory Connectivity: The Case of Türkiye’s Multi-Axis Railway Strategy

Recent disruptions across critical maritime chokepoints (Bab al-Mandab, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Hormuz) have underscored the systemic vulnerabilities of relying heavily on a limited set of maritime trade routes.

In this study, I introduce the concept of "compensatory connectivity" as an actor-enabled mechanism through which integrated, commercially viable land connections can partially mitigate specific network vulnerabilities during crises.

Focusing on Türkiye’s strategic positioning, the article presents a structured, comparative analysis of three key transport axes based on capacity, cost, transit time, operational constraints, and institutional integration:

The Middle Corridor: Currently operational, offering limited evidence of crisis-time rerouting.

The Development Road: Institutionalized but incomplete, representing substantial future potential capacity.

The Modern Hejaz Axis: A prospective initiative with long-term strategic implications.

Key takeaway: While land corridors provide critical resilience and risk mitigation, they act as vital complements to maritime transport rather than immediate replacements.

I hope this framework contributes to ongoing discussions on supply chain resilience, geoeconomics, and regional connectivity.

[Muhittin Ataman @MuhittinAtaman]

Dergimizin @InsightTurkey son sayısı çıktı. Bu sayıda, ülkemizin güzergah politikasını (connectivity, bağlantısallık) farklı yönleriyle analiz ettik. Ayrıca, farklı konulara odaklanan başka yazılar da var. Yetkin kalemlerin katkıları okuyucularını bekliyor.

[SETA @setavakfi]

Türkiye’nin Bölgesel Rolü Nasıl Değişiyor?

Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan’ın TEKNOFEST’te verdiği mesajlar, Türkiye’nin iç siyaset ile dış politikayı birbirini tamamlayan iki alan olarak ele aldığı yeni dönemin çerçevesini ortaya koyuyor.
İç cephenin tahkimatı ve Terörsüz Türkiye süreci, Türkiye’nin yalnızca kendi güvenliğini güçlendirmesi açısından değil, bölgesinde daha etkin inisiyatif alabilmesi bakımından da önem taşıyor.

@InsightTurkey Editörü @MuhittinAtaman değerlendirdi.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

To what extent are transactional leadership styles and internal divisions redefining trans-Atlantic commitments? Valeria Giannotta analyzes the structural challenges confronting the alliance as the international system undergoes far-reaching change.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

How should NATO adapt to a security environment increasingly shaped by threats below the threshold of conventional war? @ColibasanuAnto argues that managing the gray zones across its borderlands will be a critical challenge in 2026.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

What lies beyond the threat of conventional aggression for NATO in 2026? @ColibasanuAnto explores why the alliance must confront the increasingly complex gray zones defining its borderlands.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

What happens to trans-Atlantic ties when transactional leadership meets growing internal fractures? Valeria Giannotta ( @valegiannotta ) explores the pressures reshaping the alliance at a time of profound global transformation.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

Why does NATO need to rethink its approach to security in 2026? @ColibasanuAnto examines how managing the complex gray zones along the alliance’s borderlands has become a defining strategic challenge.

[SETA @setavakfi]

Cumhurbaşkanı Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Birleşmiş Milletler 81. Genel Kurulu vesilesiyle bulunduğu New York'ta, SETA ve İletişim Başkanlığı iş birliğiyle Türkevi'nde düzenlenen yuvarlak masa toplantısında ABD'li düşünce kuruluşlarının temsilcileriyle bir araya geldi.
https://t.co/Lbfo5WNUDE

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

Why must NATO look beyond conventional aggression in 2026? @ColibasanuAnto argues that the alliance’s central challenge is navigating the complex gray zones increasingly shaping its borderlands.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

Why is an exclusionary 'buy European' defense model self-defeating for NATO?Belgium’s Minister of Defense, @FranckenTheo , proposes a transcontinental joint production model, identifying Türkiye’s defense-industrial capacity as a vital strategic asset for the alliance.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

How are transactional leadership and internal divisions transforming trans-Atlantic commitments? @valegiannotta examines the structural tensions testing the alliance amid a rapidly changing international order.

[Insight Turkey @InsightTurkey]

How can hub-state logic help explain Türkiye's strategic position within NATO's evolving geo-economic security architecture? İnci Taşdemir and Bedia Tekin use power pricing and valuation tools to highlight Ankara's critical leverage.