This podcast features Gönül Tol, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI), where she focuses on Turkish politics, US-Turkey relations and regional dynamics in the Middle East in conversation with University of Washington Jackson School International Studies Professor Reşat Kasaba, an expert in the history and politics of the Middle East. The discussion focuses on how Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has used international diplomacy to strengthen his political power in Turkey and enhance Turkey’s place in the Middle East and North Africa. It also covers how Trump’s second term is affecting the domestic politics and foreign policy in Turkey. Photo: Gönül Tol. Recorded on Feb. 9, 2026
