Rivalry and Cooperation:
Russia and Türkiye Navigate Libya’s Geopolitical Labyrinth

Issue Brief

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Egypt and Türkiye:
A Pragmatic Turn?

Issue Brief

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The First 100 Days:
Trump’s Middle East Policy Revisited

Afkār

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Recent
Publications

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May 20, 2025
Policy Note -
From Exile to Uncertainty: Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Consider Returning Home

The fall of the Assad regime after almost 14 years of war has brought hope to many Syrian refugees that a long-awaited return home is possible. The shift also comes as welcome news for the governments of host countries—not least Syria’s neighbor Lebanon, where politicians have long claimed that the presence of hundreds of thousands of refugees places a heavy burden on scarce resources.

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May 15, 2025
Issue Brief -
Egypt and Türkiye: A Pragmatic Turn?

In February 2024, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Egypt for the first time since 2012, effectively ending more than a decade of political and diplomatic rupture between Egypt and Türkiye.

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May 7, 2025
Issue Brief -
Rivalry and Cooperation: Russia and Türkiye Navigate Libya’s Geopolitical Labyrinth

Russia and Türkiye have emerged as simultaneous geopolitical rivals and partners in conflicts across the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, and Europe. Despite being on opposing sides in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine, Moscow and Ankara have managed to maintain cooperation and effectively navigate these conflicts to their mutual advantage.

learn more
May 20, 2025
Policy Note -
From Exile to Uncertainty: Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Consider Returning Home

The fall of the Assad regime after almost 14 years of war has brought hope to many Syrian refugees that a long-awaited return home is possible. The shift also comes as welcome news for the governments of host countries—not least Syria’s neighbor Lebanon, where politicians have long claimed that the presence of hundreds of thousands of refugees places a heavy burden on scarce resources.

learn more
May 15, 2025
Issue Brief -
Egypt and Türkiye: A Pragmatic Turn?

In February 2024, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Egypt for the first time since 2012, effectively ending more than a decade of political and diplomatic rupture between Egypt and Türkiye.

learn more
May 7, 2025
Issue Brief -
Rivalry and Cooperation: Russia and Türkiye Navigate Libya’s Geopolitical Labyrinth

Russia and Türkiye have emerged as simultaneous geopolitical rivals and partners in conflicts across the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, and Europe. Despite being on opposing sides in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine, Moscow and Ankara have managed to maintain cooperation and effectively navigate these conflicts to their mutual advantage.

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Events

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28 May 2025
upcoming event 4:00 pm GMT - 5:15 pm GMT
Yemen’s Scorching Summer: Strategic Crossroads for the US, Iran, and the Region
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11 May 2025
past event 9:00 am GMT - 4:15 pm GMT
The Future of China-MENA Cooperation: Navigating Uncertainty and Competition
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7 May 2025
past event 4:00 pm AST - 5:15 pm AST
The Question of Syrian Refugee Return
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28 May 2025
upcoming event 4:00 pm GMT - 5:15 pm GMT

Yemen’s Scorching Summer: Strategic Crossroads for the US, Iran, and the Region

learn more
11 May 2025
past event 9:00 am GMT - 4:15 pm GMT

The Future of China-MENA Cooperation: Navigating Uncertainty and Competition

learn more
07 May 2025
past event 4:00 pm AST - 5:15 pm AST

The Question of Syrian Refugee Return

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Afkar

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May 21, 2025
In Tripoli, A War on Militias Quickly Becomes a War of Militias

In the Libyan capital Tripoli, change is rarely peaceful or linear. This was starkly demonstrated once again in mid-May, when what like seemed a strategic victory for Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah quickly spiraled into the latest in the country’s long string of political and military crises.   The episode began when Abdelghani al-Kikli, the head… Continue reading In Tripoli, A War on Militias Quickly Becomes a War of Militias

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May 20, 2025
Can Qatar Thread the Needle Between LNG Expansion and Carbon Reduction?  

Qatar is poised to nearly double its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity—from 77 million tons per year (mtpa) to an ambitious 142 mtpa—by 2030. In an era defined by climate anxiety and calls to cut fossil fuel use, this expansion may seem counterintuitive. However, ramping up LNG exports can help major coal-reliant economies cut… Continue reading Can Qatar Thread the Needle Between LNG Expansion and Carbon Reduction?  

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May 17, 2025
Will the PKK’s Historic Disbandment Transform the Turkish Republic? 

On May 12, 2025, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, officially declared its dissolution after nearly five decades of armed insurgency against the Turkish state. The announcement was made in parallel congresses held in the Kandil Mountains and the Zap Valley, the two iconic strongholds of the movement in northern Iraq. Two hundred and thirty-two… Continue reading Will the PKK’s Historic Disbandment Transform the Turkish Republic? 

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May 21, 2025
In Tripoli, A War on Militias Quickly Becomes a War of Militias

In the Libyan capital Tripoli, change is rarely peaceful or linear. This was starkly demonstrated once again in mid-May, when what like seemed a strategic victory for Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah quickly spiraled into the latest in the country’s long string of political and military crises.   The episode began when Abdelghani al-Kikli, the head… Continue reading In Tripoli, A War on Militias Quickly Becomes a War of Militias

learn more
May 20, 2025
Can Qatar Thread the Needle Between LNG Expansion and Carbon Reduction?  

Qatar is poised to nearly double its liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity—from 77 million tons per year (mtpa) to an ambitious 142 mtpa—by 2030. In an era defined by climate anxiety and calls to cut fossil fuel use, this expansion may seem counterintuitive. However, ramping up LNG exports can help major coal-reliant economies cut… Continue reading Can Qatar Thread the Needle Between LNG Expansion and Carbon Reduction?  

learn more
May 17, 2025
Will the PKK’s Historic Disbandment Transform the Turkish Republic? 

On May 12, 2025, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, officially declared its dissolution after nearly five decades of armed insurgency against the Turkish state. The announcement was made in parallel congresses held in the Kandil Mountains and the Zap Valley, the two iconic strongholds of the movement in northern Iraq. Two hundred and thirty-two… Continue reading Will the PKK’s Historic Disbandment Transform the Turkish Republic? 

learn more