Category Archives: Uncategorized

2016: A Year of Turmoil

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Ali Tuygan

December 29, 2016 I had started my summing-up for the year 2015 with the following: “Arab Spring turmoil has continued to dominate world’s agenda with the war in Syria, ISIL terrorism and the refugee problem as top items. The confrontation … Continue reading →

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The Obama Legacy and the Middle East

Posted on December 26, 2016 by Ali Tuygan

December 26, 2016 President Obama assumed office on January 20, 2009. Washington’s relations with Moscow were troubled as a result of the military conflict between Russia and Georgia. The US was moving closer to withdrawal from Iraq but the war … Continue reading →

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Aleppo’s Continuing Tragedy

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Ali Tuygan

December 19, 2016 The tragedy of Aleppo which has become the symbol of the devastation and the suffering caused by the Syrian conflict appears to have entered a new phase. The agreement reached between Russia and Turkey for the evacuation … Continue reading →

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The Battle for Aleppo and Beyond

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Ali Tuygan

December 12, 2016 On December 4, 2016 Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the Saban Forum (*). More than anything else he vented pent-up frustration with the Middle East. He was extremely blunt in his criticism of Israel’s settlement policy. … Continue reading →

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West’s Populist Surge and a Lesson from the Past

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Ali Tuygan

November 2, 2016 “Populist Surge” is now on top of West’s agenda and likely to stay there. Mr. Trump’s election victory surprised the world. As expected, President Hollande announced that he would not seek re-election. On Sunday, Austria will hold … Continue reading →

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BROOKINGS ORDER FROM CHAOS U.S.-Turkey relations under Trump may hinge more on Turkey than on Trump

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Ali Tuygan

  Authors Kemal Kirişci TÜSİAD Senior Fellow – Foreign Policy, Center on the United States and Europe Director – The Turkey Project Ali Tuygan Retired Turkish ambassador to Canada, Saudi Arabia, Greece, and UNESCO; Former under-secretary, Turkish Ministry of Foreign … Continue reading →

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Democracy’s Challenge

Posted on November 28, 2016 by Ali Tuygan

November 28, 2016 All peoples aspire to democracy. Regardless of the level of respect they have for fundamental rights and freedoms all regimes claim to be democratic in some form because it remains the ultimate source of legitimacy to govern. … Continue reading →

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Turkey, European Union and NATO

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Ali Tuygan

November 14, 2016 “Turkey’s traditional foreign policy, bitterly criticized by the present Government for having betrayed Turkey’s potential, stood on pillars. Our relations with the United States and the European Union constituted the first two. A third one was our … Continue reading →

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From Arab Spring to Turkish Autumn

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Ali Tuygan

November 7, 2016 The EU summit held in Brussels on December 17, 2004 decided that accession negotiations with Turkey would start on October 3, 2005. The process was accordingly launched at the Luxembourg Intergovernmental Conference. This was two years after … Continue reading →

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The West and the Middle East

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Ali Tuygan

October 31, 2016 Middle East turmoil has led some analysts to look back and speculate on the Sykes-Picot agreement and whether or not current borders would survive. The very first of President Wilson’s Fourteen Points read: “Open covenants of peace, … Continue reading →

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