Foundation for Defense of Democracies

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Sinan Ciddi and Endy Zemenides, the Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, join Thanos Davelis to look at why a new US administration cannot afford to look past Turkish President Erdogan's aggressive rhetoric. 

A series of attacks in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have left a Greek flagged ship, the Sounion, stranded, threatening to spill its 1 million barrels of oil into the sea. Greece has taken the lead in coordinating efforts to evacuate and tow the Sounion, but the threat of environmental disaster remains large.

Andrea Stricker, a research fellow and deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program, joins Thanos Davelis to look into the latest reports that the US and Turkey are reportedly discussing the possibility of US companies building nuclear reactors in Turkey, and break down how legislation in Congress targeting Russia's Rosatom could complica

With the US in the midst of an intense diplomatic push to prevent a war between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, Turkey has also waded into the mix.

While it's still unclear what Turkey is looking to achieve should a conflict erupt, it looks like a policy is taking shape, especially after Ankara followed up on Hezbollah's threats to Cyprus with its own "warning."

Rich Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies with a deep expertise in sanctions policy who previously served on the White House NSC, joins Thanos Davelis to look at why we need to be paying attention to this new flotilla set to depart Turkey for Gaza, which has the potential to spark a diplomatic crisis.

Sinan Ciddi, a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), joins Thanos Davelis to look at why Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is taking steps to restrict exports to Israel now, and break down how this fits into the broader post-election narrative after the oppositions sweeping victory on March 31st.

We've just seen consecutive visits to the US by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, with both officials discussing a series of issues - from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to trade and investments - with the White House, the State Department and Congress.

When China's Belt and Road Initiative was formally launched in 2013, it was touted as a world-spanning push to replicate the economic and political impact of the Silk Road. As it made investments across the world - including in the port of Piraeus during the depths of the financial crisis - Western capitals sought to counter Beijing's growing influence.

Whatever the result of the US elections in November this year, relations between Washington and Athens will remain strong, US Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt said during a group discussion at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank in Washington, DC on Monday.

This new year finds Washington in a bind over how to effectively engage with Turkey, a trend we've documented for at least half a decade. The tug of war over Sweden and F16s, and Ankara's stance on the Arab-Israeli conflict, are the latest examples of this.