The opening ceremony of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway (BTK), which was held on October 30 in Baku, has paved the way for the completion of the historical project for Eurasia in the South Caucasus region. The leaders of Azerbaijan and Turkey and the prime ministers of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia, as well as delegates from Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, attended the ceremony. Therefore, the project is also called “Iron Silk Road”.
Trilateral Partnership and Self-Isolation Shape the Geopolitics of the Caucasus
Aralık 9th, 2017 
oztarsu Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway links Asia and Europe
Kasım 20th, 2017 oztarsu 
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) Railway was opened Oct. 30 in a ceremony in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The presidents of Azerbaijan and Turkey and the prime ministers of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia, as well as delegates from Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, attended the ceremony. This inauguration was described as a historical event because of the importance of the project’s mission ― the BTK Railway is called the “Iron Silk Road” in the region.
Azerbaijan should be careful for new provocations
Ekim 19th, 2017 oztarsu 
Militarization of Armenia is not a new development since it became a vital agenda for the country from the independence, said Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu, analyst at the Turkish Strategic Outlook analytical center.
Oztarsu made the remark as he commented on news that the Armenian side has approved the deal with Russia on weapons supply to Armenia through a $200 million deal. The Armenian government approved the first $100 million loan package, which will be extended to Armenia for 20 years.
Georgia to start new projects with Korea
Haziran 9th, 2017 oztarsu 
Georgia, which is located at the heart of the Caucasus region, has a great willingness to improve relations with South Korea. The country’s newly appointed Ambassador Otar Berdzenishvili has shared his significant projects for the bilateral relations with journalists during a press meeting in early May.
Korea’s Springboard: Smart City Concept
Haziran 5th, 2017 oztarsu 
A significant conference was held in early April and provided good opportunities to show Korean economic and urban progress to the world journalists.
Government establishes new cities in the empty areas of the country and gets benefits economically as well as inviting foreign investors. So, the Korean governors follow the concept of Smart City.
Korea-peaceful power in East Asia
Nisan 20th, 2017 oztarsu 
One hundred journalists from 55 countries discussed the role of media in building peace, at the five-day 2017 World Journalists Conference which was organized by Journalists Association of Korea in early April. The program included significant topics to discuss especially on conflict resolution and the role of media. The program started in Seoul and continued in other cities such as Suwon, Busan, Incheon. It was a valuable step of South Korea which will host Pyeongchang Winter Olympics next year, with the theme of peace against conflict.
New Armenian policy for the Nagorno-Karabakh issue
Nisan 17th, 2017 oztarsu 
Azerbaijan’s breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region voted in a referendum to change the presidential powers on February 20. The separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region has strengthened the leader’s powers in a referendum that international observers warned was illegal.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a territorial and ethnic conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which by de-facto, is Armenian-controlled by the self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh regime. Yet, it is internationally recognized as an inseparable part of Azerbaijan.
Güney Kore’den Dünyaya Bir Çağrı Var
Nisan 12th, 2017 oztarsu Güney Kore’de Nisan ayının ilk haftasında düzenlenen ve 55 ülkeden 100 gazetecinin katıldığı Dünya Gazeteciler Konferansı önemli konuların ele alınmasını sağladı. Seul’de yapılan program Busan, Incheon, Suwon gibi şehirlerde devam etti. Özellikle 2018 yılında Pyeongchang Kış Olimpiyatları’na ev sahipliği yapacak olan ülkenin çatışmaya karşı spor yoluyla barış teklifi programın ana temasını oluşturdu.
Büyük devletlerin satranç tahtası: Kafkasya
Ocak 6th, 2017 oztarsu 
Kafkasya, Türkiye’nin kuzeydoğusunda Karadeniz ve Hazar denizi arasında yer alan toprakların genel adı. Avrupa ile Asya’nın sınırında bulunması ve yeni enerji projelerinin üstünden geçiyor olması Kafkasya’nın stratejik önemini her geçen gün artırıyor. Yakın tarihimiz boyunca uzun ve yıkıcı savaşlara sahne olan Kafkasya, yeni bir gerginlikle gündemde. Türkiye’nin iyi ilişkiler içinde bulunduğu iki ülke İran ve Azerbaycan arasında İsrail üzerinden karşılıklı restleşmeler yaşanıyor. İki ülke yetkililerinin karşılıklı tehditleri bölgede yeni bir gerilimin fitili mi ateşleniyor sorusunu sordururken bu gerilim üzerinden Rusya-Türkiye ve Gürcistan’ın da dahil olduğu Kafkasya’nın genel siyasetini konunun uzmanı ile değerlendirdik. Kafkasya konusunda önemli araştırmalarda bulunan Strategic Outlook Enstitüsü Kafkasya Uzmanı Mehmet Fatih Öztarsu Kafkaslardaki son gelişmeler ile ilgili sorularımızı cevapladı.
Turkey’s choice between Shanghai, EU
Aralık 19th, 2016 oztarsu 
Turkey, located between Europe and Asia, faces several conflicts due to recent political tension. Its geographical location provides significant opportunities as well as vital threats. The current Turkish government is trying to eliminate dangers and puts forth great efforts to create sustainable security in the region. But it seems that neither the European Union nor the U.S. is interested in Turkey’s efforts which are still hosting up to 3 million Syrian migrants.
Today Turkish officials are discussing plans for what will come after its normalization process with Russia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned the willingness of Turkey to be part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) instead of the European Union. According to analysts, his words have different meanings. Actually, Turkey as a part of Europe, wants to share a trump card against the EU in the case of a failed migration deal.
