By John W. Parks As of November 2024, construction has begun on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railroad (CKU) inside Kyrgyzstan. The railroad will connect the Uzbek terminal of Andijan to the Chinese terminal of Kashgar, passing through several Kyrgyz cities and the Fergana Valley along the way. Leaders of these countries have championed the construction of this... Continue Reading →
By John W. Parks Thinking of Central Asia as a roundabout, or a master key, or a distribution hub of global trade infrastructure, could not be any more correct. China, Iran, and the United States have recently ramped up their initiatives to include the Central Asian states in trade partnerships. Though the Great Powers have... Continue Reading →
By Julian Fischer-Lhamon Türkiye reacted relatively positively to President-elect Trump’s second electoral victory; markets rallied and President Erdogan invited Trump to visit the country and claimed to hope for a relationship reset. Cool relations between Washington and Ankara have persisted since the Trump administration when in 2018, the wrongful arrest of the American pastor Andrew... Continue Reading →
By Julian Fischer-Lhamon Conflict between Turks and Kurds has characterized the northern tip of the Middle East (specifically southeastern Türkiye, northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, and western Iran) for a century. However, it would be a mistake to assume that it is unyielding or permanent. In 2009 there was a wave of liberalization, since titled the... Continue Reading →
By Lexi Dean In 2021 the Myanmar army seized power from the civilian-elected government leading to widespread protests and increasing conflict calling for a return to democracy. This began escalating violence between the military and armed guerilla groups made up from the country’s ethnic minorities. The takeover also sparked the beginning of what is known... Continue Reading →
By John W. Parks. Edited by Jose Miguel This year’s ISCNE Army War College wargaming scenario was held at the Patterson School October 4-5, 2024. The scenario was attended by students representing China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Issues regarding water resource and great power competition was at the heart of all negotiations.... Continue Reading →
By Julian Fischer-Lhamon A few days ago Turkey attended a BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. The significance of this is underline by Turkey’s bid to join the group, which would make it the first NATO country to do so. This maneuver does not necessarily imply that Turkey is shifting away from the West, although relations... Continue Reading →
By Julian Fischer-Lhamon Turkey is in a precarious, though strategic, position between East and West. This also holds true for conflict between Israel and the Arab world. Nominally, Turkey’s leader, Erdoğan, is resolutely in favor of the Palestinian cause. However, his words do not align with his actions. As the East-West rivalry intensifies, Turkey’s balancing... Continue Reading →
By Lexi Dean The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Laos this past week to discuss economic, political, and security development. Representatives and leaders attending this summit examined regional concerns such as the Myanmar civil war, cybersecurity capabilities, and free trade agreements. One of the major disputes concerning Southeast Asian nations is the... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Williams Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba raised the idea of an ‘Asian NATO’ to counter Chinese security challenges. Ishiba’s commentary with the Hudson Institute, a U.S. think tank, highlighted Japanese leadership’s increasing defense posture within East Asia. Ishiba stated, “The absence of a collective self-defense system like NATO in Asia means that wars... Continue Reading →
The Patterson Journal of International Affairs 