Author: Steven Sahiounie

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey had planned to be crowned the longest-serving president of Turkey when the 2023 celebration of 100 years of the Republic of Turkey is to be held, but economic crisis, censorship, corruption, and low opinion polls make his dream uncertain. Erdogan has ruled Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister, and now as president. He managed to engineer sweeping powers for himself three years ago but has since driven the country into hyperinflation and a collapsing currency while dismissing three central bank governors since 2019, and sacking three bank…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On the Syrian-Jordanian border, just miles from the illegal US military base at Tanf, about 10,000 civilians are being held as captives to be used as leverage in the political solution to the Syrian conflict. In April, the US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, condemned the situation when she said, “deep moral wrong happening in Rukban.” The Syrian government has offered safe passage for civilians from Rukban to return to areas in Syria that are safe, and hundreds have taken up the offer. However, the US has not assisted in the process because…

Marc Finaud, Head of Arms Proliferation at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), says “the German government, as a key member of the European Union, is committed to a successful conclusion of the Vienna talks and return to full compliance with the JCPOA.” He adds that if there are disputes about access between Iran and IAEA, they can be solved by technical solutions instead of further complicating the Vienna talks.” Bazaar: The first meeting of the seventh round of Vienna talks came to an end while waiting for an agreement was unlikely. But in the last few days, following…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Tensions eased after US President Biden announced that putting American troops on the ground in Ukraine to deter a potential Russian invasion was “not on the table,” following a virtual summit between Biden and Russian President Putin on Tuesday. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned of the US and NATO risking a “nightmare scenario of military confrontation” in Europe following NATO’s expanding military infrastructure in Ukraine. While speaking at a conference of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Lavrov cited NATO’s military infrastructure being irresponsibly brought closer to Russia’s…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator An attempt on the life of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was uncovered by Turkish intelligence. The improvised explosive device was discovered under the personal vehicle of a police officer due to be on duty at a rally in Siirt for Erdogan on Saturday morning.  After the discovery of the bomb, it was defused by experts, and an investigation began into its origin.  “God willing, we will stabilize all fluctuations in prices and forex rates in not such a long time,” Erdogan told an audience Saturday morning at the rally held in Siirt. Failed…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The Syrian government has warned farmers in northeast Syria against using the wheat seeds supplied by USAID, which is a department of the US State Department in Washington.   The “seeds contain a high rate of nematodes [plant-parasitic worms], which reached 40 percent, and this poses a great danger to agriculture in the region, especially as its effects cause great damage that is exacerbated by the passage of time,” according to Said Hajji, head of the government’s agriculture directorate in Hasaka province. USAID says the wheat seeds it recently provided to farmers meet “high standards…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator The news is full of startling information about the US, Europe, Turkey, Russia and the Middle East.  China has been involved as well, and people are trying to make sense of the fast breaking news, which have politics, economy and the pandemic intertwined.  In an effort to understand the meaning behind these topics, Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse has interviewed the independent journalist Sonja van den Ende, who is an expert on the West and the Middle East, including Turkey. #1. Steven Sahiounie (SS):  The Russian/American tension is increasing politically, economically, and even militarily. In…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator On Monday, November 29, the parties involved in negotiations considering a new nuclear deal with Iran, the so-called ‘5 plus 1’, will meet in Vienna. Will Iran’s demands be met, and will the US be willing to compromise to avoid a regional military conflict, which all sides want to avoid? At the same time, there are rumored to be serious negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The outcome of those meetings may stabilize the entire region. However, in the border area of Iran and Azerbaijan, we see the hand of Israel causing chaos and…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Hundreds of migrants are roaming the forests along the huge border between Belarus and Poland as they attempt to make their way into the EU. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on Twitter last Wednesday that the rising tensions on the Belarus-Poland border were not a “migration crisis” but a “hybrid attack,” a form of irregular warfare that blends military and non-military methods. Most of the refugees attempting to cross the Belarusian-Polish border are from Iraq, but nationals from Syria, Africa, and Afghanistan are also among those making the journey to Minsk.…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Saif al-Islam Gaddafi will run for president of Libya in the country’s first direct presidential election set to be held starting on December 24.  He is the son of Libya’s late leader Muammar al-Gaddafi who was murdered on October 20, 2011. Gaddafi wore traditional garments as he addressed the camera and recited a verse from the Koran while announcing his bid to lead the country out of chaos and war. The UN-sponsored plan has called for both presidential and parliamentary elections to be held simultaneously. Gaddafi was captured by a militia after his father’s…