Today I spoke with Dr Marcus Papadopoulos, historian, analyst and author of the new book “Arise Rossiya: The Return of Russia to World Politics”

We cover the recent unrest in Turkey and backlash against the growing Syrian refugee population, now believed to be an estimated five million. We talk about emerging energy sector alliances that may be surprising in who they bring together, partnering Israel with Lebanon to counter the rise of Russian influence in the region with Iran and Hezbollah. Marcus addresses the erratic leadership of Erdogan driven by ideological sectarian policies and delusions of a return to the Ottoman Empire. Marcus always brings new insight and perspective to geopolitical analysis, I highly recommend listening to his bringing together of all the loose threads.