Author Archives: Ali Tuygan

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.

The Forbidden Word “Ceasefire”

February 26, 2024 On February 17, Chancellor Scholz addressed the Munich Security Conference. Mentioning the tragic death of Alexei Navalny, he declared that to all intents and purposes, President Putin has brought the economy, education, science, and culture in Russia … Continue reading

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The Middle East, A Look at the Recent Past

February 21, 2024 The following are two posts from nearly three years ago. Both draw attention to the usual pattern of regional conflict. Where the war in Gaza might lead remains to be seen.

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The War in Ukraine Two Years On

February 19, 2024 On February 16, 2023, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny died at a penal colony above the Arctic Circle, marking a dark day for Russia. A Le Monde article was titled “Navalny’s death buries the last hope for … Continue reading

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The Middle East, World’s Region of Conflict

February 12, 2024 US State Department’s Office of the Historian says that  Secretary of State Warren Christopher “eschewed confrontation in favor of negotiation with friend and foe alike”. Indeed, during his tenure as Secretary of State, from January 1993 to January … Continue reading

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Iraq and Syria Refuse Being Made Punching Bags

February 5, 2024 On January 3, twin blasts near the burial site of Qasem Soleimani, the former head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, killed a hundred people and injured scores in the southern Iranian city of Kerman adding to concerns … Continue reading

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Ankara’s Troubled Relations with Washington

January 29, 2024 Türkiye’s governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power following the general election on November 2, 2002. This marked the end of the coalition government led by Prime Minister Ecevit, the prominent leader of Türkiye’s democratic … Continue reading

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Russia, China, and the War in Gaza

January 25, 2024 On October 7, 2023, a comment by Russia’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the conflict, which has continued for 75 years, cannot be resolved by force and can be settled exclusively by political and diplomatic … Continue reading

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US and Israeli Leaders on Different Wavelengths

January 22, 2024 On January 18, Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed that Israel under his leadership will not compromise on less than total victory over Hamas, and they will win. “In any arrangement in the foreseeable future — with an arrangement … Continue reading

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The Question of the Endgame in Gaza

January 17, 2024 That the US and the UK reacted militarily to Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea was no surprise. What is striking is how after years of war, Yemen, a country going through the world’s … Continue reading

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Growing Concerns About a Wider Middle East Conflict

January 6, 2024 The killing of Hamas’s Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut on January 2, and the twin blasts near the burial site of Qasem Soleimani that caused the death of nearly a hundred Iranians the next day have raised worries … Continue reading

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