Hakan Fidan
Hakan Fidan is a Turkish intelligence chief and diplomat who served as head of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) from 2010 to 2023. In June 2023, he was appointed as Turkey's Foreign Minister under President Erdoğan's government following his re-election.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who served as Iran's Supreme Leader since 1989, was reportedly killed on February 28, 2026, in joint US-Israeli military strikes targeting Iranian military and governmental sites. His death, if confirmed by Iran, marks a pivotal moment for the Islamic Republic, which he led for over 36 years, shaping its anti-Western foreign policy and consolidating a de facto military dictatorship.
Donald John Trump
Donald Trump, the 45th U.S. President, successfully ran for and won the 2024 presidential election, becoming the 47th President of the United States and the second president to serve non-consecutive terms. Since his inauguration in January 2025, his second administration has focused on a robust executive order agenda, immigration reform, and a non-interventionist foreign policy, while also facing ongoing legal challenges and engaging in significant business ventures, including the expansion of Trump Media & Technology Group.
Brexit
Brexit refers to the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, a process initiated by a 2016 referendum and formally completed on January 31, 2020. Since then, the UK has navigated a new relationship with the EU, marked by ongoing negotiations, economic adjustments, and efforts to manage the Northern Ireland Protocol through mechanisms like the Windsor Framework. As of early 2026, the Labour government is pursuing a 'reset' of UK-EU relations, while economic analyses continue to assess the long-term impact of the departure.
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring was a series of pro-democracy uprisings, protests, and armed rebellions that swept across much of the Arab world starting in late 2010, challenging long-standing authoritarian regimes. While initially leading to the overthrow of several dictators and a brief democratic transition in some nations, many countries subsequently experienced civil wars, authoritarian resurgence, or continued political instability and humanitarian crises, with these consequences still unfolding in 2026.
Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden is an American whistleblower who, in 2013, leaked highly classified documents from the National Security Agency (NSA) revealing extensive global surveillance programs. Facing espionage charges in the U.S., he was granted asylum in Russia, where he has resided since, eventually becoming a naturalized Russian citizen in 2022. He continues to advocate for privacy and digital rights, frequently commenting on surveillance and artificial intelligence.
Julian Paul Assange
Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, gained international notoriety for publishing classified US military and diplomatic documents. After years of legal battles, including seeking asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and spending over five years in a high-security British prison, he was released in June 2024 following a plea deal with US prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to one charge under the Espionage Act and returned to his native Australia, ending a protracted legal saga.
İbrahim Kalın
İbrahim Kalın is a prominent Turkish bureaucrat, academic, and diplomat who currently serves as the Director of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) of Turkey, a position he assumed in June 2023. Prior to this, he was the Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for nearly a decade. Kalın is also a respected scholar of Islamic philosophy and has played a crucial role in shaping Turkey's foreign policy and national security strategies.
TikTok US Ban
The long-standing effort by the U.S. government to ban or force the divestment of TikTok due to national security concerns culminated in a federal law in 2024. After a brief suspension in January 2025 and multiple executive delays, TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, finalized a deal in January 2026 to transfer majority ownership of its U.S. operations to an American-led joint venture, allowing the platform to continue operating.