Metin Gurcan

Metin Gurcan is a columnist for Al-Monitor's Turkey Pulse. He is a founding member of Ali Babacan's new political party, and served in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Iraq as a Turkish military adviser from 2002 to 2008. After resigning from the military, he became an Istanbul-based independent security analyst. Gurcan obtained his PhD in 2016 with a dissertation on changes in the Turkish military over the preceding decade. He has published extensively in Turkish and foreign academic journals, and his book “What Went Wrong in Afghanistan: Understanding Counterinsurgency in Tribalized, Rural, Muslim Environments” was published in August 2016. On Twitter: @Metin4020

Turkey | Nov 18, 2021

Erdogan envisions alliance of Turkic-speaking states

The recent summit of Turkic-speaking states has fueled Ankara’s ambitions to lead a Turkic regional economic and security complex, but major geopolitical, economic and institutional hurdles remain.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is awarded the Supreme Order of Turkic World.

Turkey | Oct 18, 2021

Russia hasn't cleared Turkish attack on strategic Syrian town

Ankara has yet to secure a go-ahead from Moscow for an anticipated assault on the Syrian town of Tell Rifaat, which is controlled by Kurdish groups.

Turkey | Oct 12, 2021

Is Erdogan testing Biden with request to buy more F-16s?

Ankara’s surprise request to purchase F-16 jets from the United States looks like a rational decision dictated by military realities, but some suspect it might well be a gambit to set the stage for warplane negotiations with Russia.

Illustration picture shows an F16 fighter jet landing after a press conference of the Belgian defence, to discuss the missions it's involved in, and to look back on the Desert Falcon mission, at the military air base in Kleine-Brogel, Peer on Oct. 1, 2021.

Turkey | Oct 7, 2021

Geopolitical rivalry in Caucasus gets militarized

The geopolitical power struggle in the Caucasus is growing increasingly militarized as converging interests pit Iran and Armenia against Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Israel.

Turkey | Sep 30, 2021

Erdogan's personalized diplomacy with Putin may have been point of Sochi summit

The latest summit between the Turkish and Russian presidents in Sochi may have been more about style than substance.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi on Sept. 29, 2021.

Turkey | Sep 29, 2021

Top generals step down in ominous sign for Turkish military in Syria

Top generals in charge of Turkey’s military operations in Syria have sought retirement amid escalating tensions in Idlib, fueling questions over Ankara’s Syria policies.

Turkey | Sep 22, 2021

How an Islamic State suspect lived as a shopkeeper in Turkey

The Turkish judiciary’s weakness in dealing with Islamic State suspects comes under the spotlight after a bombshell report on how a Syrian man suspected of ordering the burning to death of two Turkish soldiers in 2016 walked free from court and lived as a shopkeeper in Turkey.

Iraqi fighters of the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation units) stand next to a wall bearing the Islamic State (IS) group flag as they enter the city of al-Qaim, in Iraq's western Anbar province near the Syrian border as they fight against remnant pockets of Islamic State group jihadists on Nov. 3, 2017.

Turkey | Sep 14, 2021

Turkey’s defense industry suffers setback but future remains promising

The Turkish defense industry saw a significant decline in its revenues last year according to newly released data, but companies in the sector remain optimistic about their growth prospects.

People look at military weapons on May 9, 2017, during the opening day of the 13th International Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul.

Turkey | Sep 8, 2021

Erdogan heralds massive military complex to coordinate military, security agencies

A planned joint complex to house Turkey’s top military bodies is touted as a move to enhance the army’s coordination and interoperability, but political and economic motivations also lurk behind the project.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech following an evaluation meeting at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on April 5, 2021.

Turkey | Sep 3, 2021

How will Taliban’s return affect jihadi movements in Turkey, Syria?

Salafi-jihadi groups in Turkey and neighboring Syria may look for inspiration from the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, but their prospects appear rather limited at present.