Category Archives: Uncategorized

Tough Times for the People of Belarus

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

August 31, 2020 Following the Belarus presidential election, protesters took to the streets claiming that the result was rigged. With Ukraine conflict continuing across the border, theirs was an act of courage. Riot police reacted with violence. President Lukashenko has … Continue reading →

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The JCPOA, Middle East Peace, and the US Presidential Election

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

August 24, 2020 The UN Security Council has adopted seven resolutions[i] addressing Iran’s nuclear program. Only Resolution 2231 (2015) remains in effect today. After Iran and the P5+1 reached agreement on the JCPOA, the Security Council endorsed the deal through … Continue reading →

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Lebanon and Middle East’s Vicious Circle

Posted on August 15, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

August 15, 2020 On August 4, only two days before the 75th anniversary of the dropping of world’s first atomic bomb, Beirut experienced its own Hiroshima. Exactly a month ago Turkey had its own tragedy when 6 were killed and … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Distorted Priorities (2)

Posted on August 6, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

August 6, 2020 Merriam-Webster defines “crystal gazing” as, “1: the art or practice of concentrating on a glass or crystal globe with the aim of inducing a psychic state in which divination can be performed,  “2: the attempt to predict … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Polarization Continues Unabated

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

July 27, 2020 The sermon delivered by Professor Ali Erbaş, the President of Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), at the opening of Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque has rightly aroused indignation, anger among those who remain attached to Turkey’s founding principles … Continue reading →

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The Hagia Sophia: Balance Sheet of the Past Week

Posted on July 19, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

July 19, 2020 It has been a week since the Hagia Sophia was reconverted to a mosque through the annulment of the government decree of 1935 which had turned it into a museum. The change was presented as an auspicious … Continue reading →

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The Hagia Sophia

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

July 10, 2020 “Turkey is a bridge between East and West” is a widely used metaphor to define not only Turkey’s location between Asia and Europe but also its history, identity, culture with its blessings and contradictions. The city of … Continue reading →

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Sad Times for Democracy

Posted on July 5, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

July 5, 2020 China had a two-term limit on its president since the 1990s. Xi Jinping became president in 2012. In April this year, the National People’s Congress approved the removal the two-term limit, effectively allowing him to “remain in … Continue reading →

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Turkish-French Tensions Over Libya

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

June 29, 2020 Two weeks ago, France accused Turkey of harassing a French frigate off the coast of Libya while it carried out checks on a Turkish ship that it suspected of breaking the UN arms embargo. Turkey denied the … Continue reading →

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Turkey Needs to Pivot to Diplomacy

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

June 22, 2020 Ataturk was the hero of our War of Independence, the founder of the Republic and Turkey’s greatest ever reformer. His motto was, “peace at home, peace in the world”. Suffice to say, we no longer have peace … Continue reading →

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