Category Archives: Uncategorized

Global Leadership: The Moral Dimension

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

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

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Afghanistan Withdrawal (2)

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

July 13, 2021 On July 8, 2021, President Biden delivered remarks on the drawdown of US forces in Afghanistan and took some questions. With the words “Afghanistan” and “failure” now glued to one another, and reports from Kabul reflecting nothing … Continue reading →

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Lebanon’s Vicious Circle

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

July 5, 2021 On August 4, 2020, Beirut experienced its own Hiroshima. After the explosion thousands took to the streets in Beirut, once called the “Paris of the Middle East”, to express their anger with Lebanon’s leaders. On August 10, … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Political Mucilage

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

June 28, 2021 Canal İstanbul, called “a crazy project” by ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP) government remains high on our agenda. We are a divided, polarized nation but not on this issue. The large majority of Turks object to … Continue reading →

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President Biden’s First Overseas Trip

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

June 17, 2021 In June 1961, President John F. Kennedy, on his first overseas trip, visited France. At the time France had not withdrawn from NATO’s integrated military command and the Alliance headquarters was still in Paris. On June 1, … Continue reading →

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The Biden-Erdogan Summit (2)

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

June 16, 2021 In an earlier post, in addressing West’s Turkey conundrum I said: “On the one hand, most Western governments now regard JDP’s Ankara only a “nominal ally” if not an adversary, but they cannot turn their back on … Continue reading →

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Afghanistan Withdrawal

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

June 10, 2021 An open-ended US/NATO military engagement in Afghanistan was never an option. The aim was achieving optimal conditions for withdrawal. On April 14, President Biden announced that US troops as well as forces deployed by America’s NATO Allies … Continue reading →

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The Biden-Erdogan Summit

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

June 7, 2021 The Summit of Allied leaders will take place on 14 June 2021 at the NATO HQ in Brussels. Following a long-practiced tradition this will be the first NATO Summit after the new US President took office in … Continue reading →

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Secretary Blinken’s Middle East Tour

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

May 31, 2021 On April 29, 2018, Mike Pompeo made his first visit to Israel as Secretary of State. This is how Prime Minister Netanyahu started off their joint press conference: “Secretary Pompeo, it’s wonderful to welcome you. “This is … Continue reading →

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The Gaza Cease-fire

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

May 24, 2021 With the Egyptian-brokered cease-fire taking hold last Friday, the 11-day Gaza conflict is hopefully over. By and large, this latest episode also conformed to the pattern of Gaza confrontations. There were clashes at Jerusalem’s holy sites; Israel … Continue reading →

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