Category Archives: Uncategorized

President Putin Steps up the Assault on Ukraine

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Ali Tuygan

March 15, 2022 Western countries are experiencing a shock because it is for the first time since the end of the Second World War that the continent is witnessing a major armed conflict, the only exception being the break-up of … Continue reading →

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Brinkmanship versus Diplomacy

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Ali Tuygan

March 9, 2022 Merriam-Webster defines “brinkmanship” as, “the art or practice of pushing a dangerous situation or confrontation to the limit of safety especially to force a desired outcome”, and “diplomacy” as “the art and practice of conducting negotiations between … Continue reading →

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Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: The Refugees

Posted on March 7, 2022 by Ali Tuygan

March 7, 2022 During the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Western countries failed to help Moscow chart a new path. Some former members of the Warsaw Pact, which had remained forcibly under communist regimes since the end … Continue reading →

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Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and the Montreux Convention

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Ali Tuygan

March 3, 2022 The Turkish Government has decided to close the Turkish Straits to all warships as a result of Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine. So, I thought that an updated version of a post I had written two years … Continue reading →

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Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Ali Tuygan

March 1, 2022 In my last post, I said that President Putin would probably resist ordering a full-scale invasion of Ukraine because a bloody conflict will zero out his theory about the Russians and Ukrainians being one people. I proved … Continue reading →

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Russia-Ukraine Crisis Episode 3

Posted on February 23, 2022 by Ali Tuygan

February 24, 2022 It started with satellite photos of the Russian military buildup near Ukraine in early November 2021. Ever since, Russia and the West have been fighting a war of nerves with frenetic diplomacy accompanied by mutual accusations of … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Diplomatic Flurry

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Ali Tuygan

February 21, 2022 Although being overshadowed by the standoff in Ukraine, Turkish foreign policy has entered a remarkably busy period. Our leaders are paying visits to or receiving visitors from countries long considered adversaries. Ambassadors are probably getting ready to … Continue reading →

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Ukraine Crisis: Is Diplomacy Reaching a Dead-end?

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Ali Tuygan

February 14, 2022 Last week, Presidents Macron and Putin had a phone call. According to the Kremlin readout of the call, “at the French side’s initiative”, President Putin once again drew attention to the absence of a substantive response from … Continue reading →

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Ukraine Crisis, the Challenge for the Normandy Format

Posted on February 10, 2022 by Ali Tuygan

February 10, 2022 Since there is no likelihood of Russia and the West coming to an agreement soon on the Russian proposals for a new security architecture in Eurasia, the standoff at Ukraine’s borders has become a stress test for … Continue reading →

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Ukraine Crisis: A Reminder from the Middle East

Posted on February 7, 2022 by Ali Tuygan

February 7, 2022 The Russia-West standoff over Ukraine continues. The US and its European allies are warning of a serious risk of a Russian offensive against Ukraine. Moscow is claiming that the US is trying to pull Russia into an … Continue reading →

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