Turkiye, US ride out the storm of regional tensions

Ankara’s response to the US strikes on Iran was interesting for Turkiye observers. The attack came while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was visiting Turkiye. Araghchi held a rare press conference in Istanbul. Notably, he was not joined by a Turkish official, likely a deliberate move by Ankara to position itself as a neutral facilitator. Second, Erdogan hopes to position Turkiye as a venue for peace talks between Trump and Putin. Trump has reportedly expressed a willingness to attend such talks if Putin agrees. Third, Ankara is eager to maintain dialogue with Washington on Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Fourth, Syria remains a critical sticking point in Turkish-American relations (Read more at Arabnews).