Author Archives: Ali Tuygan

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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.

Venezuelan Crisis: A Divided World and Turkey

January 30, 2019 A polarized Venezuela is in deep political, economic and humanitarian crisis. Hopefully, crisis would not turn into conflict. On the one side there is President Nicolas Maduro, his supporters, the military and on the other side the … Continue reading

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Turkey’s Syria Labyrinth

January 25, 2019 After his remarks in Israel John Bolton’s visit to Turkey was doomed to failure. So, it was left to Senator Lindsey Graham to repair or at least control the damage. In Ankara, he publicly said everything possible … Continue reading

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Middle East Stability Still Faraway

January 18, 2019 It has been a month since President Trump declared victory against ISIS in Syria and said US troops were returning home. It was only to be expected that the decision would lead to questions. Because, this was … Continue reading

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Syria: Moment of Truth for the West

January 11, 2019 Defeating ISIS in Syria and ousting President Assad are no longer compatible. They never were. The West must make a choice. The following questions can help find the answer: Was the Western intervention in Syria about promoting … Continue reading

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Trump’s U-turn in Syria and Turkey

January 8, 2019 President Trump’s surprise announcement of the withdrawal of US troops from Syria has ended up, unsurprisingly, in another U-turn. On Sunday his national security advisor John Bolton said, “We don’t think the Turks ought to undertake military … Continue reading

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Syrian Conflict: Moment of Truth for Turkey

January 1, 2019 It has been two tumultuous weeks which started with President Trump’s tweet announcing the withdrawal of US troops from Syria. On December 20, responding to a question on the US pullout and ISIS by the correspondent of … Continue reading

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2018 In Retrospect

December 25, 2018 It has been a chaotic year with no or little progress in overcoming world’s outstanding challenges: U.S.-Russia tensions, Middle East turmoil with numerous sub-titles, Ukraine conflict, the future of the JCPOA, North Korea’s nuclear program, migration, trade … Continue reading

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Trump’s Decision to Withdraw from Syria

December 22, 2018 President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria seems to have surprised even shocked many, particularly in Washington. His brief announcement left many questions unanswered. Had he been a consistent leader steering his administration in close … Continue reading

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The Imperative to Contain Middle East Conflicts

December 8, 2018 With rising but controlled tension over the Kerch Strait incident, a cancelled Trump-Putin meeting, uncertainty regarding U.S.-North Korea dialogue, the war in Yemen, continuing turmoil in the broad Middle East, U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, the prospect … Continue reading

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Notes on the G20 Summit

December 3, 2018 The remedy to world’s problems is effective multilateralism. Since the U.N. resists reform and is dysfunctional, regular international gatherings of leading countries understandably create expectations. The G20 is such a group. Collectively, G20 members make up 85% … Continue reading

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