Its no secret that relations between Washington and Ankara had been strained under the Biden administration. While there were also periods of very public disagreements during his predecessors term, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Donald Trump often found common ground on key issues. Now, with Trump back in office, all eyes are on how he'll address a long-standing source of tension in US-Turkiye relations: How the US will handle FETO, the group behind the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. Last year, FETO suffered a significant blow with the death of its leader, Fetullah Gulen, who had been living in the US for over two decades. Many prominent FETO members had openly criticised Trump and questioned his fitness for office. But with Trump’s return to the White House, the group appears to be shifting its tone. Notably, former NBA player and prominent FETO member Enes Kanter attended Trump’s election victory party at Mar-a-Lago. Kanter also has ties to several of Trumps cabinet picks, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The question now is whether this could be an opportunity for the US government to finally address this persistent irritant in US-Türkiye relations. Guests: Mehmet Celik Daily Sabah Editorial Coordinator Valeria Giannotta CeSPi Observatory on Türkiye Scientific Director Ahmet Keser Hasan Kalyoncu University Professor

In this special edition of Strait Talk, we turn our focus to Kazan, Russia, where the latest BRICS summit is taking place. We had the opportunity to sit down with Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary for the President of Russia, to discuss BRICS’ expanding influence and the potential membership of Türkiye. Guest: Dmitry Peskov Press Secretary for the President of Russia

It's been one year since Israel launched its all-out invasion of Gaza. Over those 12 months, Israel unleashed air strikes on an almost daily basis, levelling entire neighbourhoods. After weeks of constant bombardment from the sky, the Israeli military sent in its ground troops. A year later, health officials in Gaza say more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed, with nearly 100,000 injured, a large portion being women and children. Continued international pressure for a ceasefire has also failed, and with US President Joe Biden entering the final weeks of his presidency, Israel's assault on Gaza is seeing no end in sight. Guests: Sami Al-Arianm, Professor at Istanbul Sabahittin Zaim University Katrin Ravey, Legal Adviser to Law for Palestine Omar Ashour, Professor of Security & Military Studies at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies

Turkish President Erdoğan has once again called for justice in Palestine, especially Gaza, which has been under Israeli attacks for nearly a year. During his address to the United Nations General Assembly, he criticised the UN's inaction against Israel. Erdoğan also reiterated the need for reform at the world body, and directly called out Western countries At the 79th session at the UNGA in New York, Erdoğan also urged the international community to stop Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Turkish president said a global alliance should do the same as it did with Hitler 70 years ago. Erdoğan also held sideline meetings in New York, including with UN Chief Guterres and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as the Armenian and Greek prime ministers. Iran's newly elected president also addressed the UNGA, where he too heavily condemned Israel while also offering an opening to the West over its nuclear programme. Guests: Yucel Acer Researcher at SETA Suay Nilhan Acikalin Associate Professor at Haci Bayram Veli University Samuel Doveri Vesterbye Managing Director at European Neighbourhood Council

Over the past months, Armenia has been pivoting away from Russia towards Western countries. Yerevan has been searching for new allies ever since it was defeated in the Karabakh war. The country is accusing Moscow of failing to protect it from neighbour and longtime rival Azerbaijan. And now, the EU says it’s ready to start talks on visa liberalisation for Armenian citizens seeking short visits to the Schengen zone. The announcement was made together with the approval of a military aid package worth more than 10 million dollars which the bloc has allocated to Yerevan. And, earlier this month, Armenia also carried out a 9-day joint military exercise with the US, just a month after Yerevan said it would quit the Russia-led CSTO - a military alliance of post-Soviet states. The Russian foreign ministry criticized both the drills and the EU’s decision, saying these moves could destabilise the South Caucasus. As for Baku, it called the latest developments provocative actions that it says show Armenia s preparation for another war with Azerbaijan. Since Baku regained control of the Karabakh province in September, the two sides have been working towards a peace deal after decades of conflict. Strait Talk, hosted by Ayse Suberker, is TRT World’s programme that features in-depth analysis of Türkiye’s role in the world. Guests: Samuel Doveri Vesterbye Managing Director at European Neighbourhood Council Farid Shafiyev Chairperson at the Center of Analysis of International Relations

After 17 years of hostility, Hamas and Fatah finally signed an agreement to form a national unity government. The deal, mediated by Beijing, aims at maintaining Palestinian control over Gaza once Israel's war on the enclave ends. The two factions have been at odds after elections in 2006 saw Hamas gain power in Gaza. While the group believes in armed resistance against Israeli occupation, Fatah has sought the negotiation path, hoping to establish a Palestinian state as part of a peace deal with Israel. The Beijing declaration is expected to strengthen and unify rival Palestinian factions. The move comes as Israel itself is grappling with divisions and calls for a change in leadership. Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing increasing pressure at home for his handling of the conflict, addressed US lawmakers on Wednesday, as Washington reels with dramatic changes to the presidential campaign after Joe Biden's withdrawal. The visit follows Israel's strike on a Yemeni port last weekend that is raising fears of a widening conflict that could also engulf Lebanon. Strait Talk, hosted by Ayse Suberker, is TRT World’s programme that features in-depth analysis of Türkiye’s role in the world. Guests: Tamer Qarmout Assistant Professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies Chris Doyle Director at CAABU Kamel Hawwash Founding Member of BPC

It was a busy week for Türkiye’s energy diplomacy with Africa. Over just two days, Ankara secured two key agreements, one with uranium and mineral-rich Niger, and the other with Somalia. Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, who attended both meetings, said significant progress had been made and that for Somalia, the search for hydrocarbons off the horn of Africa will begin this year. The Turkish seismic vessel Oruc Reis is expected to set sail for the Somali coast by the end of this year as part of the agreement. In March, Turkiye and Somalia signed a deal on offshore oil and natural gas cooperation, which followed a defence agreement in February. And last week, a high-level delegation from Türkiye visited Niger's capital Niamey to cover everything from energy, defence, intelligence sharing and mining. The visit came after the West African nation severed mining contracts with key Western countries, including France, and called for French and US troops to leave the country. Guests: Thomas O’Donnell Global Fellow at Wilson Center Michael Amoah Visiting Senior Fellow at LSE

Dozens of people in Armenia have been arrested this week after protesters blocked streets throughout the capital Yerevan. Demonstrators have one demand, that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resign. The embattled leader, who stepped down three years ago over similar mass protests, is under fire at home over his plan to make peace with long-time rival Azerbaijan. At the heart of protesters' anger, is the Armenian government's decision to return four border villages to Baku. Strait Talk, hosted by Ayse Suberker, is TRT World’s programme that features in-depth analysis of Türkiye’s role in the world. Guests: Eugene Chausovsky Senior Director at Newslines Institute Richard Giragosian Director at Regional Studies Centre