A Policy-Oriented Think Tank Addressing Foreign Policy and National Security Issues for a Safe Israel

Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak

Expert on modern Turkey

Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak is an expert on contemporary Turkish politics and foreign policy, Turkish-Israeli relations, and the Kurds. He is co-editor of Turkeyscope, a publication of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University.

Articles by Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak

Erdogan Illustration

Erdoğan’s New Front: Exploiting Israel for Regional and Domestic Leverage

By framing Israel as a national security threat, the Turkish President deflects attention from the country’s internal challenges while addressing evolving regional power dynamics, including concerns about Iran, Hezbollah, and the Kurdish presence in northern Syria.

ANKARA, July 6, 2022 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L, Front) welcomes President of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (R, Front) in Ankara, Turkey, on July 6, 2022.

Turkey’s Deepening Inroads in Africa

Standing with his Somalian and Ethiopian counterparts Ahmed Moalim Fiqi and Taye Atske Selassie, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a press conference at his

"Africa and Israel: Building Strategic and Economic Bridges"

Turkey’s Policy in Africa and its Implications for Israel – Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak

The lecture was part of the session on the Middle East Regional Powers’ Struggle in Africa at the “Africa and Israel: Building Strategic and Economic Bridges” conference held on July 2, 2024, at Tel-Aviv University. The conference is a collaboration between the S. Daniel Abraham Center for International and Regional Studies at Tel-Aviv University, the Israel-Africa Relations Institute (IAI), and the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS).

Erdogan voting

Towards the end of AKP’s Hegemony in Turkey?

The Turkish opposition’s landslide victory in recent municipal elections indicate that with continued tacit Kurdish collaboration with the opposition and given the deteriorating economy and growing desire for change, the next general snap-elections may be far more challenging for President Erdoğan.

Pro Palestinian protest in Turkey

October 7 and the Collapse of Israeli-Turkish Normalization

The loss of Israel’s strong-state image in Ankara, together with Erdogan’s short-term need to deflect the opposition’s appropriation of the Palestinian cause have led the Turkish president to abandon his balanced realpolitik approach. For ties to return to normal, Israel will need to restore the perception of it as a strong nation and Turkey should distance itself from Hamas.

Erdogan and Herzog

The game changers in Israeli-Turkish relations

The post-Abraham Accords strategic environment in the Middle East and Azerbaijan’s emergence as a common denominator for Israel and Turkey are helping the two states come together.

A photo of Turkish President Erdogan is displayed in a window of the AK party headquarters in Kahramanmarash

Out of the Rubble? Turkey’s Post-Quake Diplomacy and Regional Opening

Two powerful earthquakes that struck Turkey’s southeast on February 6, 2023, have taken an enormous toll on lives and livelihoods, putting aside the economic and social damage of epic proportions inflicted on the country. Apart from the ensuing chaotic political atmosphere ahead of the general election in May, the tragedy also has implications for foreign policy.

15, May, 2022, Turkish flag next to the flags of Finland and Sweden Concept of a political conflict between a member of the North Atlantic Pact and candidates aspiring to join NATO

Turkey’s Rift with Sweden and Finland

Turkey’s relations with Sweden and Finland are at a crossroads, and it behooves all three countries to proceed with sensitivity to protect their national interests

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) poses for photos at a press conference after the Third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, on Dec. 18, 2021.

Turkey’s growing influence in Sub-Saharan Africa

For the last decade and a half, Ankara has shown an ever-increasing interest in Africa. The foundation of its foreign policy is focused on deepening penetration in the continent through its embassies, soft power agents, military forces, and defense industry.

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