🌎 Geopolitics 101: Turkey's Ambitions for a New Empire

By Upward News | Created at 2025-04-05 13:04:27 | Updated at 2025-04-06 02:41:49 13 hours ago

Mentioned in this edition: Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, JD Vance, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Óscar Arias, Bashar Al-Assad, and more.

Good morning. Turkey’s president is seeking to make his country the Ottoman Empire again, and the West is…kind of okay with that. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin appears to be ramping up his military — a sign that US-led peace negotiations are not deterring Russian aggression.

🔎 WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

🇷🇺 Putin is drafting 160,000 soldiers amid peace talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the conscription of 160,000 additional troops — the largest conscription since 2011 — while simultaneously participating in US-led peace negotiations over Ukraine. The massive mobilization, coming during supposed diplomatic outreach, is likely a demonstration that if Putin does not get what he wants out of peace talks, he can easily continue the war.

🇮🇷 Iran called for a preemptive attack on a US-UK airbase. The Iranians are reportedly concerned the base will be a staging point for a US attack on Tehran. These growing fears come amid President Donald Trump’s ramped up rhetoric, recently threatening to bomb the country as “never seen before” if they don’t engage in nuclear talks. A large attack initiated by Iran that kills Americans could result in a serious counter-attack or even a broader war.

🇪🇺 The European Union is scrambling to respond to America’s new tariffs. After President Donald Trump slapped a 20 percent tariff on EU goods, Brussels promised a tough response. But their hands are mostly tied: not only would all 27 member states need to agree, but a European tariff could trigger an escalated response from the United States. Currently, Europe relies on American gas and other products, meaning a serious trade war could cripple the bloc’s economy.

🇰🇷 Asia’s top economies met in Seoul amid new US tariffs. Trade ministers from Japan, South Korea, and China met for the first time in over five years, pledging to deepen cooperation and revive stalled free trade talks. The move came days before President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, which included levies of 25 percent on South Korea, 24 percent on Japan, and 54 percent on China. This unified front signals that US tariffs may be accelerating economic realignment in East Asia rather than isolating China.

🇪🇺 EUROPE

Hezbollah-affiliated individuals were arrested in Barcelona and London.
The populist right German Alternative for Germany (AfD) is now tied with the center-right Christian Democrats for the first time ever at 24 percent.
France is threatening to suspend American investments in the country as a result of President Trump’s tariffs.
Denmark’s prime minister visited Greenland and said, “You cannot annex another country.” Her visit comes shortly after Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance visited an American base there.

🌏 ASIA-PACIFIC

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Mentioned behind the paywall: Chinese tariffs, Vietnamese tariffs, and a key Australian port.

🐪 MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

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Mentioned behind the paywall: American warplanes, military juntas, an Israeli strike, and Algeria undermining France.

🚢 THE AMERICAS

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Mentioned behind the paywall: a falling poverty rate, a free trade deal, and Donald Trump yanking a leader’s visa.

What’s happening: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to take advantage of the changing world order to transform his country into a major regional power. To do so, he is arresting opponents, asserting his authority inside the country, and flexing his muscles abroad with military expeditions into Syria…

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THE DAILY DEBATE

POLL RESULTS FROM YESTERDAY

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Today’s newsletter was written by Anthony Constantini, Brandon Goldman, and Ari David. We scoured 100s of sources to bring you stories and insights you won’t find in the mainstream media.