Category Archives: Uncategorized

Dangers of Overreach

Posted on July 10, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

July 10, 2019 Seven years ago, Ankara was partnering with Western countries and some Gulf states for regime change in Syria. Leaders of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP) were claiming that this was going to be accomplished within … Continue reading →

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U.S. Policy Toward North Korea and Iran

Posted on July 3, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

July 3, 2019 On April 27, 2018 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un crossed the line that has divided the Korean Peninsula for the last 65 years, for a historic summit with President Moon Jae-in. The two leaders signed the three-page … Continue reading →

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Deal of the Century First Episode: Disappointment

Posted on June 28, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

June 28, 2019 On June 22, the White House released the first of a two-part Middle East peace plan, “the deal of the century”. Three days later, in Bahrain, President Trump’s senior adviser Jared Kushner presented the administration’s vision of … Continue reading →

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A Sigh of Relief for Now

Posted on June 23, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

June 23, 2019 Everybody knew this was a landmark election, the last exit on the road authoritarian rule. And finally, the people of Turkey, for a multitude of reasons including their disapproval of the annulment of the March 31 Istanbul … Continue reading →

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Time to Launch “Operation Enduring Diplomacy”

Posted on June 18, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

June 18, 2019 Two oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman. Washington holds Iran responsible. Iran denies the charge. While some observers draw attention to the possible role of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps in the attacks, others draw … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s S400s/F35s Conundrum

Posted on June 14, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

  June 14, 2019 The last episode of the S400 missiles/F35 fighters controversy has taken Turkey-US relations to unprecedented lows. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan sent a letter to his Turkish counterpart. For some, this was an “ultimatum”.  Ankara’s earlier … Continue reading →

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Closing of Ranks in the East, Disarray in the West

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

June 7, 2019 In the West, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Venezuela and Jared Kushner’s Middle East peace plan took a back seat during the week. It was President Trump who dominated the headlines. Attention initially focused on the jabs he took … Continue reading →

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The Mecca Summits

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

June 2, 2019 The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held summit meetings in Mecca last week. All three were chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman. The … Continue reading →

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The Unbreakable Bond Between Turkey’s Democracy and Foreign Policy

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

May 31, 2019 A fundamental reality of foreign relations is that a country’s international standing is largely a reflection of its internal strength. And this invariably depends on respect for the rule of law, strong institutions and a broad national … Continue reading →

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Fighting for Survival?

Posted on May 22, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

  May 22, 2019 Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party’s (JDP) principal theme in the recent municipal election campaign was “the fight for Turkey’s survival”. The party and its supporters in the media claimed that Turkey was under the siege … Continue reading →

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