The recent withdrawal of Ankara’s push to regulate how doner kebabs should be made across the European Union speaks volumes about the limits of Erdogan’s cultural ambitions. By insisting that the doner must be recognized as a “national dish” of Turkey and prepared according to rigid standards, Erdogan’s government overstepped the invisible line between cultural pride and … [Read more...] about Europe to Erdogan: Don’t Teach Us How to Eat
Opinion
Europe’s Imported Illusion: He must be an engineer
The photograph of a man sprawled on the pavement, drunk or stoned, captures in one frame what entire nations now grapple with. For years, Europe’s political elites have insisted that mass migration would bring doctors, engineers, and an economic renaissance. The line has become so tired and cynical that ordinary people repeat it only with bitter sarcasm: “He must be an … [Read more...] about Europe’s Imported Illusion: He must be an engineer
Erdogan’s Possible Collapse
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s long tenure at the helm of Turkish politics has been marked by the centralization of power, reliance on patronage networks, and balancing acts between East and West. But the same strengths that sustained him could also sow the seeds of collapse. One possible scenario combines political overreach, economic deterioration, and shifting alliances, creating a … [Read more...] about Erdogan’s Possible Collapse
Iran’s Defeat: From Ring of Fire to Ring of Ruin
Iran spent decades and an estimated trillions of dollars building a hostile network designed to encircle and ultimately destroy Israel. From Hezbollah in Lebanon to Hamas and PIJ in Gaza, Shiite militias in Iraq, Assad’s Syria, Houthi forces in Yemen, and covert terror infrastructure in Africa and Latin America, Tehran’s strategy was to create a “ring of fire” around the Jewish … [Read more...] about Iran’s Defeat: From Ring of Fire to Ring of Ruin
Snapback Sanctions Drive Iran Toward Stagflation and Unrest
The reactivation of UN snapback sanctions has thrust Iran into an economic crisis that its fragile regime is ill-equipped to handle. By restoring international restrictions on arms, finance, and trade, the sanctions choke off the few remaining channels Iran relied on to generate revenue. Combined with decades of mismanagement and corruption, the result is a toxic brew of … [Read more...] about Snapback Sanctions Drive Iran Toward Stagflation and Unrest