In the light of Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, Ankara has adopted a cautious approach towards the Syrian Kurds and has decided to take Moscow’s concerns into account before making any move in northern Syria.
Associate Fellow, IDSA, Dr Mohd Muddassir Quamar’s article on GCC Summit, titled ‘GCC Summit Fails to Provide a Breakthrough’ was published by the All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on December 11, 2018.
The article analyses the Gulf crisis after the Qatari Emir decided to not attend the 39th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh.
The book traces India’s Saudi Policy and locates the current state of bilateral relations and the challenges it faces. It argues that during the Cold War the relations were largely shaped by the Pakistan factor which in turn inhibited both sides from exploring the importance and value of one another. As a result, the relations were largely transactional and marginal. The end of the Cold War coincided with two interesting developments, namely, significant growth in India’s economic power and influence and the de-hyphenation of Pakistan from its Middle East policy. This resulted in greater political engagements between India and Saudi Arabia and was strengthened by the growing energy trade ties. For long expatiate population and haj have been the backbone of the relations, and they have been new instruments as India looks to enhance its engagements with the Kingdom through investments opportunities, political contacts, shared security concerns and strategic cooperation. India’s Saudi policy, however, face many challenges most importantly the regional instability, the Iran factor, low oil price and the international dynamics. The book will be the first comprehensive work on the India-Saudi relations. Though targeting a wider audience, it will be academically grounded and based on primary sources collected from India and Saudi Arabia.
Associate Fellow, IDSA, Dr Md. Muddassir Quamar’s chapter titled, ‘Saudi Foreign Policy after Arab Spring: Continuity and Change,’ has been published in KM Sajad Ibrahim edited book ‘West Asia in the Twenty First Century: Domestic and External Challenges' (pp. 111-130).
Two factors explain Washington’s lack of enthusiasm for sanctioning Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi affair despite domestic and international pressure.
The election results for the parliamentary and presidential elections, held on June 24, 2018 have not thrown any surprises. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have emerged victorious with significant margins, even though Erdogan would have preferred a more thumping win. The elections that were due in November 2019 were preponed with the idea that Turkey needs a stable polity with a presidential system and that it cannot wait for another year and half to see the implementation of the shift from parliamentary to presidential system.
Associate Fellow, IDSA, Dr Md. Muddassir Quamar’s article on India and USA’s stand on Jerusalem, titled ‘India, Jerusalem, and Trump: Policy Transition and Ramifications’ was published in the latest CLAWS journal.
Associate Fellow, IDSA, Dr Md Muddassir Quamar’s article on India-Saudi Arabia relations, titled ‘Changing global dynamics bring Riyadh, Delhi closer’ was published by India Review and Analyses on September 16, 2018.
Modi’s assumption of power in May 2014 in New Delhi and the change of guard in Riyadh in January 2015 gave a new momentum to bilateral ties. With a distinct working style, the two leaderships developed a strong personal rapport and a better political understanding of each other’s concerns, writes the author.
Associate Fellow, IDSA, Dr Md Muddassir Quamar’s article on Idlib, titled ‘Idlib: A Catastrophe In The Making’ was published by the Air World Service, an External Services Division of All India Radio on September 11, 2018.
India has maintained a neutral stand on the Syrian conflict and advocates a policy of non-interference. New Delhi has condemned use of chemical weapons and has been worried about the proliferation of terrorist groups in that country, writes the author.
The rise of the Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP), its domestic and foreign policy successes and its early response to the Arab Spring made it popular in the Arab world. Many inside Turkey, the US and the Arab world saw the AKP as an Islamist party with a difference, that could be a ‘model’ for the Arab countries struggling with a democratic deficit.
Turkey Treads a Fine Line in Syria
In the light of Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, Ankara has adopted a cautious approach towards the Syrian Kurds and has decided to take Moscow’s concerns into account before making any move in northern Syria.