Author Archives: Ali Tuygan

Unknown's avatar

About Ali Tuygan

Ali Tuygan is a graduate of the Faculty of Political Sciences of Ankara University. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January 1967. Between various positions in Ankara, he served at the Turkish Embassy in Brussels, NATO International Staff, Turkish Embassies in Washington and Baghdad, and the Turkish Delegation to NATO. From 1986 to 1989 he was the Principal Private Secretary to the President of the Republic. He then served as ambassador to Ottawa, Riyadh, and Athens. In 1997 he was honored with a decoration by the Italian President. Between these assignments abroad he served twice as Deputy Undersecretary for Political Affairs. In 2004 he was appointed Undersecretary where he remained until the end of 2006 before going to his last foreign assignment as Ambassador to UNESCO. He retired in 2009. In April 2013 he published a book entitled “Gönüllü Diplomat, Dışişlerinde Kırk Yıl” (“Diplomat by Choice, Forty Years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”) in which he elaborated on the diplomatic profession and the main issues on the global agenda. He has published articles in Turkish periodicals and newspapers.

NATO’s Vilnius Summit

July 13, 2023 On February 19, 2021, at the 2021 Virtual Munich Security Conference, President Biden addressed the global community for the first time. He defined the partnership between Europe and the US as the cornerstone of all that the … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Unease Over the Supply of Cluster Munitions to Ukraine

July 9, 2023 The decision by the US to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions has led to strong criticism from humanitarian groups; met with the disapproval of some members of the US Congress, and created unease in some NATO capitals … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Unrest in Moscow and Greater Uncertainty in Russia-West Relations

July 3, 2023 Last week’s developments in Russia have been described as a “rebellion”, “uprising”, “coup”, and “mutiny”. The exception was China. Neither President Xi Jinping nor senior officials of the Chinese government said a word about what was happening … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The US-China-India Triangle

June 26, 2023 I have just finished reading Odd Arne Westad’s book titled “The Cold War, A World History”. It is indeed a remarkable book giving the reader deep insight into the period extending from the end of the Second … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

China-US Competition in the Middle East

June 21, 2023 The title of one of my recent posts was, “A Light Breeze of Change in the Middle East”. Hopefully, it would continue to blow more and more strongly and turn into a “wind of change” after decades … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Question of the Endgame in Ukraine

June 18, 2023 In a recent Foreign Affairs article titled “Ukraine’s Winnable War, Why the West Should Help Kyiv Retake All Its Territory” Gideon Rose said: “A common view of the war sees it as a military deadlock destined to … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wars and War Crimes

June 5, 2023 It has been a year and a half since Russia invaded Ukraine. Despite the havoc it has caused and the widespread resentment with its global impact, like many other wars, the world is getting used to living … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Türkiye Chooses Authoritarian Rule Over Democracy

May 29, 2023 The title of my last post on Türkiye was “An Election to Determine Türkiye’s Identity and Future”. And these were my concluding remarks: “Pablo Neruda once said, “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Strategic Competition vs. Ending the War in Ukraine

May 22, 2023 Soon after the Russian onslaught against Ukraine, most observers agreed that the conflict would gradually become a protracted war. In other words, the fighting would lose intensity, and perhaps ceasefires would be declared, only to be followed … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

President Assad’s Syria Back in the Arab League

May 8, 2023 Yesterday, following an extraordinary meeting in Cairo, the Arab League re-admitted Syria to its ranks after an 11-year absence. According to CNN, “Syria, from tonight, is a full member of the Arab League, and starting tomorrow they … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment