Turkey Is No Ally

“Turkey isn’t an ally; it’s a strategic competitor. President Trump has praised Erdogan as “a friend.” But the administration would do well to acknowledge reality before America’s strategic position is hopelessly undermined in Europe and the Middle East.”

Coups, Mobs, and Charisma: a Pattern in the Turkish Political Culture

“The prospect of a future coup remains unlikely for as long as Erdogan remains in office. Barring a democratic loss in 2019, it would be reasonable to say that Erdogan has become a de facto Sultan who survived an onslaught of his former Janissaries.”

Erdogan’s New Empire – Lecture

In my recent lecture for the Koscuzsko Chair Intermarium Series at the Institute of World Politics, I talk about Turkey’s future under President Recep Erdogan and its implications for American foreign policy and the Middle East.

The Russian Origins of the Turkish Coup

A former Turkish intelligence official has indicated that the recent failed coup in Turkey was not the work of Gülenists, rather, it was a Russian-backed operation designed to ensure that the corrupt Turkish President Erdogan remains in power and moves Turkey away from the West and into Russia’s camp.