The Armed Man on the Bosphorus: Turkey 2026

In recent years, Turkey has emerged as a rising regional power. It has independent defense industries, produces armed and unarmed UAVs, missiles, warships, and advanced weapons systems, and maintains an extensive military presence from Syria to the Horn of Africa. The Turkish vision was articulated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in his annual New Year’s address for 2026, in which he described Turkey’s military buildup as a “major leap forward” encompassing all domains of defense. Erdoğan frames this process as a “historic opportunity” for Turkey to convert military achievements into lasting success. However, the very military power that was expected to strengthen Turkey’s regional and international standing has, in recent years, isolated the country, entangled it both domestically and externally, and pushed it backward rather than forward.

Though an increasing number of states plan to recognize a Palestinian state, no such action—even in large numbers—can confer sovereignty. Under international law, statehood is “independent of recognition by the other states.” Such juridical status is based on Montevideo Convention (1933) requirements of (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) a government; and (d) the capacity to enter into relations with other states. In the specific matter of Israel, recognizing a Palestinian state would undermine a core provision of the Oslo Accords and corollary Arafat-Rabin commitments not to alter the status of territory prior to formal agreement on permanent status. Such premature recognition would also be at odds with the status of the EU and other states as witnesses to the Oslo Accords, and with the multiple endorsements of those Accords expressed in UN resolutions. Acts of recognition in this matter would prejudge the outcome of negotiations that were never completed because of relentless Palestinian terrorism, and would violate the Natural Law origins of international law.

Debunking the Genocide Allegations:
A Reexamination of the Israel-Hamas War from October 7, 2023 to June 1, 2025

This research offers a thorough historical exploration and a quantitative-statistical analysis of the allegation that the State of Israel committed genocide against the Gazan population following the October 7, 2023, massacre. Specifically, we address the claims that Israel intentionally starved the Gazan population, that IDF ground forces deliberately massacred civilians, and that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out indiscriminate bombings, failing to distinguish between combatants and civilians and conducting disproportionate strikes.