Category Archives: Uncategorized

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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On US-Russia Relations and Iran

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

May 16, 2019 During his first visit to Moscow on 6-8 July 2009 President Obama tried to “reset” relations. Unfortunately for the international community this failed to materialize. The Arab Spring led to a new set of confrontations. Snowden affair … Continue reading →

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The Last Exit

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

May 9, 2019 That Turkey has a strategic location is an axiom of our foreign policy. Although this is generally presented as an asset, it has always been a double-edged sword since we border on conflict areas, prominently among them … Continue reading →

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A Dark Day for Turkey

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

May 6, 2019 Turkey held municipal elections on Sunday, March 31. Late in the evening polling stations finished counting the votes. In Istanbul, like in other major cities, the result was a victory for the opposition candidate, Mr. Imamoglu. However, … Continue reading →

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Turkey-US Relations and Iran Sanctions

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

April 25, 2019 President Hassan Rouhani had called the JCPOA a “golden page” in his country’s history, opening a new chapter in Iran’s engagement with the world. It was hoped that the deal would end decades of hostile relations between … Continue reading →

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Arab Spring Aftershocks

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

April 12, 2019 In February, tens of thousands of Algerians took to the streets demanding an end to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s two decades-long rule. On April 3, he had to resign. To put it more accurately, he was removed from … Continue reading →

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Counting and Recounting …

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

April 7, 2019 On March 31 Turkey had municipal elections. The result was a yellow card for the government. However, the ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP) immediately asked for recounts in Ankara and İstanbul where, according to initial figures, … Continue reading →

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