Search Results (106)

Revealing the complex system of transboundary conflicts would help to understand the behavior of states and anticipate potential actions that would collectively reflect the state doctrine. However, a specific approach to the state political doctrine (SPD) for governing transboundary water has not been formalized. The core academic contribution of this research is to formalize the structure of the SPD for transboundary water, which might assist in fostering water cooperation and peacebuilding in one of the most conflict-prone regions—the Middle East and South Africa—by examining the upstream countries’ behavior. Case studies include Turkey in the Euphrates–Tigris Basins, Israel in the Jordan River Basin, and Ethiopia in the Nile River Basin. The theoretical framework presents a new paradigm that systematically links a state’s essential drivers, political philosophy, and potential actions, employing the Hegelian dialectic of thesis–antithesis–synthesis and the three Doctrines of Being, Essence, and Concept to articulate the state’s behavior and its indispensable core principles for survival. It is integrated with Arnold Toynbee’s challenge-and-response theory to analyze upstream motives. This study reviewed 328 documents and pieces of literature alongside 105 expert discussions. The key findings include the three upstream countries embracing different SPDs to address specific challenges at the state level, where Turkey employs the Water-Bank Doctrine, Israel utilizes the Identity-Seeking Doctrine, and Ethiopia adopts the Nation Rise Power Doctrine. Besides the critical external challenges that limit water availability, such as the impact of climate change, the time factor is a crucial key to shifting the bargaining power and impacting the adopted SPD, thereby affecting water diplomacy and regional water cooperation. Full article

Pistachio is a nut originating from the Middle East, and the main varieties grown and exported in Turkey are Kirmizi and Siirt pistachios. Due to their strategic importance in the agricultural economy, they need to be classified correctly. This study aims to classify Kirmizi and Siirt pistachios using various deep learning-based models and k-fold cross-validation. For this purpose, the seven convolutional neural network models trained by transfer learning and the proposed MSU-CNN model are used for classification with k-fold cross-validation. The dataset used in this study consists of 2148 images, 1232 of which belong to Kirmizi pistachio and 916 to Siirt pistachio. The K-fold cross-validation method is applied to enhance the generalization ability of the classification model, prevent overfitting, and improve performance reliability. The AlexNet, GoogLeNet, proposed MSU-CNN, VGG16, EfficientNet-b0, ResNet-18, Inception-v3, and ResNet-50 models achieved classification accuracies of 94.88%, 96.79%, 96.79%, 97.90%, 98.88%, 99.02%, 99.21%, and 99.63%, respectively, with average results based on 5-fold cross-validation and the highest accuracy attained by ResNet-50. The performance of models was evaluated using classification accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, F1-score, and ROC-AUC values. According to the results, many of the proposed models proved to be effective in the identification of pistachio species. Full article

Although the relationship between ESG performance and firm performance has been the subject of several studies, the nonlinear relationship between ESG performance and the corporate performance of insurance companies remains less explored, specifically in the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey (MENAT) region. Moreover, the moderating effect of institutional quality on this relationship has not been examined. To fill this gap, this paper investigates the nonlinear impact of ESG performance on the financial performance of insurance companies in the MENAT region, as well as the moderating effect of institutional quality. To achieve this, a sample of 31 insurance companies located in the seven MENAT countries was constructed over the period 2017–2022. The sample was selected based on the completeness and availability of ESG-related data. This ensured a standardized dataset to enhance the reliability of the results. To estimate this relationship, the System Generalized Method of Moments (SGMM) was used. This technique was used to address endogeneity issues. The empirical results indicate that the performance of the insurance companies is better for those with better ESG performance. Moreover, the quality of institutions is an even more important factor in enhancing the ESG practices–corporate performance nexus. More in-depth analysis is needed to show how these various relationships might be altered with ESG criteria. The findings of this research would, therefore, be beneficial to insurers in terms of an increased understanding of how effective integration of ESG practices, both at the institutional and company level, could be streamlined to enhance their long-term competitiveness and profitability. Full article

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the structural characteristics of the European gas supply system and changes in its network structure and the interaction and clustering among its nodes defined as countries, following the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine conflict. The methodology relies on social network analysis, which employs mathematics of the graph theory to examine the state and dynamics of the given network structure. The impacts identified involve the reduced reliance of the system on Russian gas, a considerable reduction in the strength centrality of Russia and Germany, and a higher dispersion of gas flows, largely due to the increased import of LNG flows. After the conflict outbreak, countries such as Italy, Austria, the Slovak Republic, and Hungary retained their high influential position, in terms of the PageRank centrality, while the Balkan countries, together with the Middle East gas suppliers (Turkey and Iran), formed a common group with Russia. The estimated changes stress the challenges posed to the EU countries to enhance connectivity infrastructure investments and explore alternative ways of gas supply to support the objectives of strategic autonomy, while promoting resilience and the path toward a carbon-free transition. Full article

Wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides) is the ancestral species of cultivated tetraploid wheat with BBAA genomes. Because of its full interfertility with domesticated emmer wheat, this wild species can serve as one of the most important genetic resources to improve durum and bread wheat. To clarify the magnitude of genetic diversity between and within populations of Turkish wild emmer wheat, 169 genotypes of ssp. dicoccoides selected from the 38 populations collected from the three sub-regions (East-1, West-1, and West-2) of the Southeast Anatolia Region of Turkey were molecularly and morphologically characterized. The populations showed significant variation in plant height, heading date, flag leaf area, spike length and number, spikelet, peduncle, lemma, palea, glume and anther lengths, glume hull thickness, anther width, and days to maturity. According to the results of nuclear-SSR analysis, the populations collected from the sub-regions East-1 and West-2 were the most genetically distant (0.539), while the populations collected from the sub-regions West-1 and West-2 were the most genetically similar (0.788) populations. According to the results of AMOVA, there was 84% similarity within the populations studied, while the variation between the populations of the three sub-regions was 16%. In the dendrogram obtained by using nuclear-SSR data, the populations formed two main groups. The populations from the sub-region East-1 were in the first group, and the populations from the sub-regions West-1 and West-2 were in the second group. From the dendrogram, it appears that the populations from the sub-region East-1 were genetically distant from the populations from the sub-regions West-1 and West-2. The results highlight the potential diversity in Southeast Anatolia for wild emmer discovery and utilization. Full article

Despite over four decades since its emergence, canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) remains a relevant disease for dogs. Few studies, primarily only recent ones based on phylodynamic and phylogeography approaches, have highlighted the impact of rapid and long-distance transport of dogs on the CPV-2 spreading dynamics. The present study reports the genomic characterization of a CPV-2 strain detected in a dog introduced into Italy from the coasts of North Africa through the Mediterranean Sea route to Europe. The nearly complete CPV-2 sequence was obtained and analyzed. The viral isolate was characterized as a CPV-2b variant, showing genetic signatures distinct from those of CPV-2 strains detected to date in Europe. Phylodynamic and phylogeographic approaches revealed a close correlation with CPV-2 strains recently reported in the Middle East (Turkey and Egypt), which likely originated or co-evolved from Asian ones. It is at least suggestive that the inferred spreading pattern overlaps with the routes often followed by migrants travelling from Asia and Middle East to Europe, passing through Africa. This evidence for the introduction of CPV-2 via the Mediterranean Sea route to Europe highlights the relevant role of the dog movements in the global spread of emerging or re-emerging viral pathogens. Full article

Molecular surveillance of FMD epidemiology is a fundamental tool for advancing our understanding of virus biology, monitoring virus evolution, and guiding vaccine design. The accessibility of genetic data will facilitate a more comprehensive delineation of FMDV phylogeny on a global scale. In this study, we investigated the FMDV strains circulating in Russia during the 2013–2014 period in geographically distant regions utilizing whole genome sequencing followed by maximum-likelihood phylogenetic reconstruction of whole genome and VP1 gene sequences. Phylogenetic analysis showed congruence in the topology of the phylogenetic trees constructed using the complete genome and VP1 gene sequence, clearly demonstrating that the isolates analyzed belong to two distinct genetic lineages: A/SEA97 in the Far East and Iran-05 in the North Caucasus. The A/SEA97 isolates exhibited a close genetic identity to those from China and Mongolia, whereas the Iran-05 isolates demonstrated clusterization with those from Turkey. The vaccine-matching studies with isolates from the Far East and North Caucasus revealed no antigenic homology with A/SEA-97 (r₁ = 0.015–0.29) and A/Iran 05 (r₁ = 0.009–0.17). The close genetic relationship of FMDV in the reported outbreak waves to those from neighboring countries indicates that animal movement could contribute to spillover and virus dispersal. The phylogenetic data reported here provide insight into the molecular epidemiology of FMD in the Eurasia region, elucidating the circulation pattern, molecular evolution, and genetic diversity, which is highly valuable for guiding vaccine designs and improving regional eradication policies. Full article

Dried fig production and trade are prominent in Mediterranean and Middle east countries, with Turkey as the major player. Concerns about the quality of Turkish supply in the EU market give chances to the Italian production to uphold quality standards and cope with the increasing demand. National consumption of dried figs is showcased in market reports and nutritional surveys, with insufficient insights on consumers’ preferences. This research combines qualitative and quantitative approaches to enrich the current knowledge and uncover consumers’ attitudes towards whole dried figs. A face-to-face survey was conducted to assess the relevance of selected intrinsic, extrinsic and credence attributes upon purchasing. A hierarchical cluster analysis detected four typologies of consumers and validate previous findings on taste being the prime purchasing driver. Price affects more the behaviour of low-income large families; the groups are featured by contrasting opinions on environmental and societal impacts of dried fig production, and its rootedness to the local context. This allowed to draft some considerations on possible marketing strategies tailored to different consumers. Full article

We report on the recent earthquakes (EQs) that occurred, with the main shock on 6 February 2023, principally in the central southern part of Turkey and northwestern Syria. This region is predisposed to earthquakes because of the tectonic plate movements between Anatolian, Arabian, and African plates. The seismic epicenter was localized at 37.08°E and 37.17°N with depth in the order of 10 km and magnitude Mw7.8. We use Graz’s very-low-frequency VLF facility (15.43°E, 47.06°N) to investigate the amplitude variation in the Denizköy VLF transmitter, localized in the Didim district of Aydin Province in the western part of the Anatolian region in Turkey. Denizköy VLF transmitter is known as Bafa transmitter (27.31°E, 37.40°N), radiating at a frequency of 26.7 kHz under the callsign TBB. This signal is detected daily by the Graz facility with an appropriate signal-to-noise ratio, predominantly during night observations. We study in this analysis the variations of TBB amplitude and phase signals as detected by the Graz facility two weeks before the earthquake occurrence. It is essential to note that the TBB VLF transmitter station and the Graz facility are included in the preparation seismic area, as derived from the Dobrovolsky relationship. We have applied the multi-terminators method (MTM), revealing anomalies occurring at sunset and sunrise terminator occasions and derived from the amplitude and the phase. Minima and maxima of the TBB signal are linked to three terminators, i.e., Graz facility, TBB transmitter, and EQ epicenter, by considering the MTM method. We show that the significant anomalies are those linked to the EQ epicenter. This leads us to make evident the precursor seismic anomaly, which appears more than one week (i.e., 27 January 2023) before EQ occurrence. They can be considered the trace, the sign, and the residue of the sub-ionospheric propagation of the TBB transmitter signal disturbed along its ray path above the preparation EQ zone. We find that the sunrise–sunset anomalies are associated with tectonic regions. One is associated with the Arabian–African tectonic plates with latitudinal stresses in the south–north direction, and the second with the African–Anatolian tectonic plates with longitudinal stresses in the east–west direction. The terminator time shift anomalies prior to EQ are probably due to the lowering (i.e., minima) and raising (i.e., maxima) of the ionospheric electron density generated by atmospheric gravity waves. Full article

The present research’s main objective was to apply thorough exploration approaches that combine remote sensing data with geochemical sampling and analysis to predict and identify potential chromitite locations in a complex geological site, particularly in rugged mountainous terrain, and differentiate the ultramafic massif containing chromitite orebodies from other lithologies. The ultramafic massif forming the mantle section of the Kırdağ ophiolite, located within the Erzurum–Kars Ophiolite Zone and emerging in the east of Oltu district (Erzurum, NE Turkey), was selected as the study area. Optimum index factor (OIF), false-color composite (FCC), decorrelation stretch (DS), band rationing (BR), minimum noise fraction (MNF), and principal and independent component analyses (PCA-ICA) were performed to differentiate the lithological features and identify the chromitite host formations. The petrography, mineral chemistry, and whole-rock geochemical properties of the harzburgites, which are the host rocks of chromitites in the research area, were evaluated to verify and confirm the remote sensing results. In addition, detailed petrographic properties of the pyroxenite and chromitite samples are presented. The results support the existence of potential chromitite formations in the mantle section of the Kırdağ ophiolite. Our remote sensing results also demonstrate the successful detection of the spectral anomalies of this ultramafic massif. The mineral and whole-rock geochemical features provide clear evidence of petrological processes, such as partial melting and melt–peridotite interactions during the harzburgite formation. The chromian spinels’ Cr#, Mg#, Fe³⁺, Al₂O₃, and TiO₂ concentrations indicate that the harzburgite formed in a fore-arc environment. The Al₂O₃ content and Mg# of the pyroxenes and the whole-rock Al₂O₃/MgO ratio and V contents of the harzburgite are also compatible with these processes. Consequently, the combined approaches demonstrated clear advantages over conventional chromitite exploration techniques, decreasing the overall costs and supporting the occurrence of chromite production at the site. Full article

The environmental degradation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region leads to significant challenges regarding economic sustainability and the attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs). The extensive use of fossil fuels in the region, as well as rapid urbanization and economic growth, has led to significant carbon emissions, together with unprecedented ecological footprints compromising environmental sustainability. The study aims to elucidate the influence exerted by technological innovation, trade openness, and natural resources on environmental sustainability in Turkey and Egypt for the period 1990–2022. In assessing the empirical relations, the study employed the Fourier function incorporate estimation techniques, that is, Fourier ADF for unit root test, Fourier ARDL, and Fourier NARDL for long-run and short-run elasticities of technological innovation (TI), trade openness (TO,) and natural resources rent (NRR) on load capacity factor (LCF) and inverted LCF (ILCF); finally, the directional causality evaluate through Fourier TY causality test. The results revealed that both Turkey and Egypt have severe environmental problems due to their high carbon emissions and ecological footprints. Technological change and international trade separately negatively affect environmental sustainability; however, these negative impacts have mixed character. On the one hand, technology can improve efficiency and reduce ecological footprints by obviating the use of high-impact processes or allowing cleaner production systems. In the same vein, trade openness helps transfer green technologies more quickly, but it can also lead to unsustainable resource extraction and pollution. The findings of the paper propose that in order to move forward, Turkey and Egypt need strategic policy shifts to ensure environmental sustainability, including transitioning towards renewable energy from fossil fuels while bolstering their capacity for energy efficiency. Policymakers must balance economic development with environmental conservation to reduce the harmful effects of climate degradation and help safeguard continued economic survival in the face of increasing climatic instability. This research helps to inform policy and investment decisions about how the SDGs can be achieved and how they are relevant for sustainable development in the MENA region. Full article

The Aegean region and its graben system constitute one of Turkey’s most significant seismic zones. The faults within the Aegean graben generate numerous earthquakes, leading to various human and economic losses. To better understand the seismicity of western Anatolia, it is necessary to obtain concrete findings regarding the seismic history of earthquake-producing graben faults. This can be achieved through paleoseismological studies and other relevant disciplines. This study focuses on paleoseismological investigations along the northern boundary fault of the Acıgöl graben, located east of the Aegean graben system. The Maymundağı fault zone has been examined in two separate segments: east and west. The Dazkırı segment to the east shows evidence of movement dating back at least 10,000 years, with subsequent intensified activity observed later on the western Bozkurt segment. An earthquake occurred approximately 2370 years ago east of the Bozkurt segment, followed by movements migrating westward, resulting in earthquakes approximately 1322 and 598 years ago. Further analysis of the western segment indicates an average recurrence interval of 724 years for earthquakes, with a slip rate of 0.58 mm/year. Based on these findings, a future earthquake can be expected in this region around 2028–2129 AD. Full article

The hepatitis D virus (HDV) superinfection of individuals with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection causes severe liver damage and the poorest long-term prognosis among viral hepatitis. This is attributed to the unique pathogenic mechanisms of HDV characterized by a direct cytopathic effect on hepatocytes and a significant impairment of the host immune response. The HDV genotype largely influences the extent of the pathogenic mechanisms with consequences on disease progression towards cirrhosis, liver decompensation, or hepatocellular carcinoma. In this context, identifying the circulating HDV genotypes in European regions with high prevalence, such as Romania, is crucial for effectively managing the long-term liver health. Here, we report the first comprehensive HDV study in Romania that clinically characterizes 82 patients and performs HDV genotyping by combining the nested-PCR reaction with sequencing analysis in 49 samples with an HDV-RNA load higher than 5000 IU/mL. While all isolates in our study belong to the HDV-1 genotype, the phylogenetic analysis based on sequence data from GenBank reveals the presence of the following potential three groups: (i) Italy and France; (ii) Spain; and (iii) Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Germany. This broad clustering highlights the recent surge in migration to and from Western Europe and the Middle East. Equally important, no differences in viral markers, clinical and paraclinical parameters, or treatment options were observed between these identified clusters. Nevertheless, this study considerably advances the understanding of hepatitis D epidemiology and clinical aspects in Romania. Full article

Multi-track synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) provides a good approach for the monitoring of long-term multi-dimensional earthquake deformation, including pre-, co-, and post-seismic data. However, the removal of atmospheric errors in both single- and multi-track InSAR data presents significant challenges. In this paper, a method of spatio-temporal correlation analysis using independent component analysis (ICA) is proposed, which can extract multi-track deformation components for the accurate retrieval of earthquake deformation time series. Sentinel-1 data covering the double earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in 2023 are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that co-seismic displacement in the east–west and up–down directions ranged from −114.7 cm to 82.8 cm and from −87.0 cm to 63.9 cm, respectively. Additionally, the deformation rates during the monitoring period ranged from −137.9 cm/year to 123.3 cm/year in the east–west direction and from −51.8 cm/year to 45.7 cm/year in the up–down direction. A comparative validation experiment was conducted using three GPS stations. Compared with the results of the original MSBAS method, the proposed method provides results that are smoother and closer to those of the GPS data, and the average optimization efficiency is 43.08% higher. The experiments demonstrated that the proposed method could provide accurate two-dimensional deformation time series for studying the pre-, co-, and post-earthquake events of the 2023 Turkey–Syria Earthquakes. Full article

Expanding refugee influxes have involved a rising number of European countries in recent years. In this context, our study investigates attitudes of international protection seekers regarding their prospects of staying permanently in a transit country such as Greece. This research was based on primary statistical data collected through the dissemination of structured questionnaires from a sample of refugees from the Closed Controlled Facility of Samos island, Eastern Greece, one of the most attended gates allowing access to Europe from Turkey and the Middle East. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics and results from a logistic regression contributed to the examination of factors that simultaneously determine the will of the refugees to stay in Greece instead of moving to another country. The main reasons they want to stay in Greece are primarily for employment opportunities and a better quality of life. They aspire to learn Greek to integrate better into the local society, actively seeking this skill from their initial arrival. However, their social integration into the local host community cannot be achieved effectively at the current time due to the absence of appropriate strategies at the local/regional levels. The need for employment (expressed by attempts to find work), the quality of life (access to public and private services), the country of origin, marital status and, finally, the sense of safety based on the existence (or, conversely, lack) of xenophobic and racist incidents are the main reasons that simultaneously determine their decision to stay permanently in Greece. Full article