This article is part of a collection of short essays written by the Fellows of the Middle East Institute to explore aspects of the ongoing war with Iran. The intent of the collection is to help readers see new and unexpected elements of the dynamics and impact of the ongoing hostilities and to think harder, deeper, and broader about the implications of the conflict.
Turkey: Ankara’s Nuclear Ambitions in the Post-Iran War Environment
In February 2026, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan suggested that shifting international dynamics could push Turkey to acquire nuclear weapons. That rhetoric, combined with Turkey’s civilian nuclear energy and research programs and its indigenous surface-to-surface missile development projects, has fueled concerns that these capabilities could eventually form the backbone of a Turkish nuclear weapons program.
When the US and Israel launched military action against Iran on February 28, 2026, it set in motion a chain of events that saw violence spread across the Middle East. Yet as the region found itself engulfed in conflict, Syria has experienced its most peaceful months in 15 years, and the government in Damascus appears determined to stay its course toward recovery.
Religious & Secular Elite Cooperation: Democratization in Turkey & the Middle East
Fri, 11/9/2012 12:30 pm to 2:00 pmThe Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies and the Institute of Turkish Studies at Georgetown University are proud to present a discussion with Professor Murat Somer of Koc University in Istanbul. Somer will examine how countries with semi-democratic or authoritarian centers, such as Turkey or the Arab Spring polities, must rely on cooperation between religious and secular actors to achieve greater democratization.
MEI Podcast 37 The Middle East Institute, the Foundation for Middle East Peace, and Churches for Middle East Peace Present “Fortress Israel” A book presentation by author Patrick Tylerwith introduction and commentary by Terence Smith Wednesday, October 244:00-5:30pmCarnegie Endowment for International PeaceRoot Room, 2nd Floor1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWWashington, DC 20036 Fortress Israel is a historical analysis of Israel’s military leadership and the country’s national security establishment.
MEI Podcast 37 The Middle East Institute, the Foundation for Middle East Peace, and Churches for Middle East Peace Present “Fortress Israel” A book presentation by author Patrick Tylerwith introduction and commentary by Terence Smith Wednesday, October 244:00-5:30pmCarnegie Endowment for International PeaceRoot Room, 2nd Floor1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWWashington, DC 20036 Fortress Israel is a historical analysis of Israel’s military leadership and the country’s national security establishment.
MEI Podcast 37 The Middle East Institute, the Foundation for Middle East Peace, and Churches for Middle East Peace Present “Fortress Israel” A book presentation by author Patrick Tylerwith introduction and commentary by Terence Smith Wednesday, October 244:00-5:30pmCarnegie Endowment for International PeaceRoot Room, 2nd Floor1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWWashington, DC 20036 Fortress Israel is a historical analysis of Israel’s military leadership and the country’s national security establishment.
MEI Podcast 37 The Middle East Institute, the Foundation for Middle East Peace, and Churches for Middle East Peace Present “Fortress Israel” A book presentation by author Patrick Tylerwith introduction and commentary by Terence Smith Wednesday, October 244:00-5:30pmCarnegie Endowment for International PeaceRoot Room, 2nd Floor1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWWashington, DC 20036 Fortress Israel is a historical analysis of Israel’s military leadership and the country’s national security establishment.
