On January 5, 2021, the Navy Department released “A Blue Arctic,” which it described as the Navy’s “strategic blueprint for the Arctic [Ocean].” The 28-page paper recognizes that the Arctic Ocean is gradually turning from “white” to “blue,” meaning that “reduced ice coverage is making Arctic waters more accessible and navigable.” The melting polar ice...
There is a good deal of interest these days in the growth of the Chinese navy, known officially as the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Most of the discussion tends to focus on the steady and significant increase in the inventory of PLAN ships and submarines, as well as the gradual expansion of the operational...
John Arquilla presciently argued in 1993 that warfare is no longer about who has the more superior capital, labor, and technology; rather, victory is determined by who has the best information about the battlefield. Over the past decade, Russian information warfare has become more openly aggressive, and the United States must go on the offensive in...
Last year, Selcuk Bayraktar helped swing conflicts in Libya and Azerbaijan, thousands of miles from his home in Turkey. Now Russia and Pakistan are being asked to share production, and that risks alienating traditional allies within NATO. By Selcan Hacaoglu A former MIT research student married to the younger daughter of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Bayraktar...
Riddle me this: does a contender intent on overthrowing the international system harbor “limited” or “unlimited” political goals? By James Holmes* Riddle me this: does a contender intent on overthrowing the international system harbor “limited” or “unlimited” political goals? This may sound like an idle exercise in academic hairsplitting. Far from it. In fact, the answer...
![Retired admirals’ letter signals a possible rift within Erdoğan’s government [vid]](https://armynow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/admirals-360x360.jpeg "Retired admirals’ letter signals a possible rift within Erdoğan’s government [vid]")
The outcry following the publication of a letter penned by 103 retired Turkish admirals on Sunday showcases a possible rift within President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government. In their letter, the admirals warned against any decision that undermined the Montreux Convention, an international convention that regulates the passage of ships into and out of the Black...
Turkey’s sole goal under Erdogan over the last decade has been to isolate Israel and empower Hamas terrorists and Israel’s enemies. By Jerusalem Post Editorial* Turkey is again rolling out media narratives about “reconciliation” with Israel. The latest attempt by Turkey to influence media narratives on this so-called reconciliation were articles that appeared in Turkish...
Iranian and Hezbollah troops are busily establishing a long-term presence and transferring advanced weapons into Syria and Hezbollah, including drones, surface-to-air missile systems and rocket artillery. By Sébastien Roblin* Now that Assad’s hold on power is secure, it’s becoming clear that growing infrastructure of Iranian bases in Syria is likely there to stay—and that Iran...
There are many longstanding causes of the widening rift between Ankara and Washington and the view from Turkey is one of frustration and anger. By Ali Demirdas* The current crisis between the United States and Turkey is the result of America’s ever-growing frustration with Turkey which began particularly in the early 2000s, when Turkey began to increasingly...
By Amin Saikal* The signing of a 25-year cooperation agreement between the oil-rich and regionally influential, but U.S. sanctioned, Islamic Republic of Iran and the globally powerful, but U.S. pressured, People’s Republic of China inserts a new strategic pincer in the Middle East for the United States and its allies. Former U.S. President Donald Trump must bear most...
