Yahya Bostan All daily Yeni Şafak Columns

26.07.2025, Saturday
14:40

Yahya Bostan

54 columns listing

A New Phase in Syria: Ankara Puts Weapons on the Table

24 Temmuz 2025, Perşembe

The Turkish Ministry of National Defense made a statement with significant implications: Syria has officially requested support from Turkey, specifically in the areas of defense and counterterrorism. This marks a new phase in the Syrian conflict, and there are several layers to unpack here. For one, the fact that Syria reportedly made this request through the United Nations is notable. Then there’s Ankara’s message that in the new phase, diplomacy will be backed by hard power. The nature of the

The Russians didn’t deliver a memorandum — they issued an ultimatum

09 Haziran 2025, Pazartesi

No one has a magic wand. This is the first major conventional war of the new world order. More than a million people have died. Securing a ceasefire, laying the groundwork for peace, and getting it signed will require a tough and patient effort. The demands of the two sides are worlds apart. That gap won’t close without dialogue. What Turkish diplomacy is trying to do in Istanbul is exactly that: make peace possible by getting the sides to talk. There are stages that need to be completed along the

Ankara's patience has run out

06 Mayıs 2025, Salı

Let Me Show You, With Examples, What Turkish Diplomacy Has Been Dealing with in Cyprus for 50 Years And I don’t even need to dig that far back into history. Let’s just look at the latest developments, fresh off the press. The Greek Cypriots were told: “Let’s open new border crossings between the north and south to help bring the two communities closer.” They responded: “Fine, but let the crossings run east-west instead—so they’re more convenient for Greek Cypriots.” They were told: “Let’s clear

Cyprus and Syria: The cargo ship is changing course

01 Mayıs 2025, Perşembe

Today, I’ll talk about two critical issues: Cyprus and Syria. Let’s start with the more surprising development—Cyprus. It has just emerged that the situation on the island is entering a new, more positive phase. Meanwhile, Syria is being steered off course by intelligence-led provocations. Both developments are part of a wider power struggle, deeply interconnected. Let’s begin with Cyprus. By the time you read this, I’ll be in Cyprus, attending Teknofest in person. I’ve been trying to draw attention

For Netanyahu, the writing appears to be on the wall

24 Nisan 2025, Perşembe

We are living through days of closed-door diplomacy, where critical developments struggle to break into the headlines. There are two reasons for this: First, global and regional events are moving at a dizzying pace, making it hard to keep up. Second, in the age of information overload, separating signal from noise has become increasingly difficult. One such underreported event was a recent visit to Ankara. On April 19, a Hamas delegation arrived in the Turkish capital, holding talks with Foreign

Behind the scenes of the Damascus agreement: Trump is in a rush

14 Mart 2025, Cuma

In English, we say something is “Too good to be true.” That’s exactly how it feels. Kandil announced it would comply with the İmralı call. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) sat down with Damascus. Just look at the situation—if there weren’t forty years of baggage behind the scenes, we’d be celebrating. But we’ve learned the hard way that early excitement can come with a heavy price. So, we remain cautious. The agreement signed by Syrian President Shara and the SDF’s Abdi Şahin covers a wide scope.

Netanyahu is afraid of Türkiye

03 Mart 2025, Pazartesi

One of the most striking news stories in recent days is this: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his military secretary, R. Gofman, to Moscow. Tel Aviv wants Moscow to maintain its military presence in Syria." This report, which surfaced in the Israeli media, has an interesting background. Fear of Türkiye is growing by the day in Tel Aviv. It seems that Israel has not received the response it wanted from Türkiye regarding Syria. What is the current situation? Let’s explain. Israel’s

The US is pursuing regime change in European capitals

17 Şubat 2025, Pazartesi

U.S. President Trump met with Russian leader Putin, stating, “We have agreed on a path to end the war.” Saudi Arabia, eager to position itself as a key player, had been vying to host peace talks. To that end, it held multiple discussions with both the U.S. and Russia, offering “facilitation” incentives that included investment pledges. It seems to have secured its goal. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio is set to meet the Russian delegation in Riyadh, where Ukrainian President Zelensky will also be

Trump is unaware of the consequences of his actions

14 Şubat 2025, Cuma

It’s the nature of things. If your understanding of the region is at the level of "Turks have wanted to take Syria for two thousand years"... If you’re making policies based on rumors you’ve heard... If you try to solve the Middle East’s most deep-rooted issue with a brainchild exile project whispered by your son-in-law... Things will go off-track... You’ll shatter the perception bubble Israel has carefully built for nearly 50 years. I’m talking about President Donald Trump’s exile plan for Palestine.

Is the PKK Iran's missing link?

12 Şubat 2025, Çarşamba

February 8, 2025, Saturday… Two short news items appeared back-to-back in the media. The first was about a phone call between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Iranian counterpart, A. Arakçi. It might seem like a routine report. But an hour later, the second news item surfaced, setting off alarm bells for my journalistic instincts. According to this second report, MIT Head İbrahim Kalın had traveled to Tehran and met with Iranian Intelligence Minister I. Hatib and the Secretary General of the