Turkey

Since 2016, bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have experienced periods of acute tension in Yemen. Previously, these tensions never went past managed competition. Both states preserved areas of joint cooperation, avoided crossing one another’s red lines, and kept open lines of dialogue following every round of escalation or attempt to assert influence…

Political tensions in Hadramawt intensified over the course of the fall, as the rivalry between the Southern Transitional Council (STC), backed by the UAE, and the Hadramawt Tribal Alliance (HTA), led by Amr bin Habrish, escalated into crisis. At the end of November, public statements by STC figures framed the council as the only legitimate representative of southern political aspirations…

Since October 2023, the Middle East has witnessed a series of geopolitical developments, which Cairo has perceived as a direct threat to its national security. These include: 1) the Israeli war on Gaza; 2) Houthi escalation in the Red Sea and a subsequent decline in Suez Canal revenue; 3) Ethiopia's quest for a seaport and plans to establish a naval…

Turkey’s meaningful engagement with Africa began during the rule of the Justice and Development Party in 2008. That year, Turkey hosted the first Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit. Ankara’s quest for new horizons in its political and economic relations came during a period of notable economic growth, and over the past 15 years, it has successfully carved out a substantial presence in…

With a long flaming red beard, distinctive square face, unconventional white turban, and a voice that was immediately recognizable – Abdelmajeed al-Zindani was perhaps the most famous political-religious figure in Yemen of the past 50 years, a controversial persona who stirred endless debate, even after his death on April 22 in Istanbul at the age of 82. Al-Zindani was born…

Turkey might be expected to be involved in the Yemen war for a number of reasons: the Ottoman legacy, regional influence aspirations, the ruling party’s ideological ties with the Yemeni Islah party and early backing for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen in 2015. Yet today, it appears to be absent from the Yemeni equation. The reasons for this are…