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.
The Third Annual Conference on Turkey: Regional and Domestic Challenges for an Ascendant Turkey
The Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies in collaboration with the Institute of Turkish Studies present:”Regional and Domestic Challenges for an Ascendant Turkey” June 27th, 20129:00am-5:00pmNational Press Club529 14th Street, NW 13th FloorWashington, DC 20045 Conference Schedule:8:45am – 9:00am: Registration9:00am – 9:15am: WelcomeAmb. Wendy J. Chamberlin, Middle East InstituteGönül Tol, MEI’s Center for Turkish StudiesRoss Wilson, Institute of Turkish Studies 9:15am – 10:00am: Opening KeynoteSenator John McCainUnited States Senate 10:00am – 10:30am: KeynoteAmb.
The Third Annual Conference on Turkey: Regional and Domestic Challenges for an Ascendant Turkey
The Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies in collaboration with the Institute of Turkish Studies present:”Regional and Domestic Challenges for an Ascendant Turkey” June 27th, 20129:00am-5:00pmNational Press Club529 14th Street, NW 13th FloorWashington, DC 20045 Conference Schedule:8:45am – 9:00am: Registration9:00am – 9:15am: WelcomeAmb. Wendy J. Chamberlin, Middle East InstituteGönül Tol, MEI’s Center for Turkish StudiesRoss Wilson, Institute of Turkish Studies 9:15am – 10:00am: Opening KeynoteSenator John McCainUnited States Senate 10:00am – 10:30am: KeynoteAmb.
Senator John McCain was uncharacteristically subdued in a key note address yesterday to the Middle East Institute/Institute of Turkish Studies conference on Turkey. He prodded President Obama to be more outspoken in denouncing the Assad regime and advocated a “safe zone” inside Syria along the Turkish border, but only in response to a question. He discounted the likelihood of NATO action, which the Europeans oppose, and suggested that the U.S. and Turkey should form the core of a coalition of the willing to support the Syrian opposition with arms and training.
Introduction to Higher Education and the Middle East: Empowering Under-served and Vulnerable Populations
Originally posted October 2010
This second edition of the MEI Viewpoints series on Higher Education and the Middle East focuses on Empowering Under-served and Vulnerable Populations.
This Opinion first appeared in Foreign Policy on May 30, 2012
The massacre in al-Houla, where Syrian military forces and allied militiamen massacred more than 100 civilians in cold blood, leaves no doubt about the intentions of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime: survival at any cost and through any means. Assad does not have a Plan B.
Turkey’s popular and outspoken Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was treated to a hero’s welcome last week when he met with Syrian refugees for the first time since Turkey opened its doors to the thousands of people fleeing Bashar Al-Assad’s crackdown. Erdogan’s pledge to defend the rights of the Syrian people and his call for Assad’s removal, however, fell short of expectations. Although Erdogan’s speech drew some applause, it was also interrupted by shouts of “We want arms for the Free Syrian Army and a buffer zone inside Syria!” The Turkish PM’s reiteration of his previous positi
Panelists will examine how the reverberations from last year's Arab Awakening, including the resulting unrest in Syria and the rise to power in Egypt of the Muslim Brotherhood, are re-shaping Hamas' relations with its patrons Iran and Syria, its rival, Fatah, and even the dynamics inside the organization itself.
The oldest peer-reviewed publication dedicated to the study of the modern Middle East, MEI’s flagship journal covers politics, society, and culture in the region.
