Category Archives: Uncategorized

Time for Russia to Demonstrate Her Peacemaking Capacity

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Ali Tuygan

9 September 2015 Article 11 of the Minsk Agreement of February 12, 2015 reads as follows: “Carrying out constitutional reform in Ukraine with a new constitution entering into force by the end of 2015 providing for decentralization as a key … Continue reading →

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High Time to End the Syria Conflict

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Ali Tuygan

September 7, 2015 The key to resolving Europe’s refugee problem does not lie in Brussels. It lies in ending the Syria conflict. But even then, conditions prevailing in the wider Middle East will continue to compel people to seek a … Continue reading →

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From Arab Spring to Europe’s Autumn of Refugees

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Ali Tuygan

September 3, 2015 The West has misread and mismanaged the Arab Spring. The first glaring mistake was the Sarkozy-led Libya intervention (*). PM Cameron readily became his partner and President Obama felt that he had to join in. In introducing … Continue reading →

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Syria’s Unsustainable Conflict

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Ali Tuygan

31 August 2015 Efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict appear to be gaining momentum. Whatever the outcome, recent diplomatic flurry can be attributed to the following: • The completion of the Iran nuclear deal, • ISIL’s … Continue reading →

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Turkey: Elections Again

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Ali Tuygan

27 August 2015 The Turkish political scene looks complicated, confusing. Analysts, columnists, pollsters are extremely busy. I believe that the current picture also offers a unique opportunity for analytical brevity. Turkey held parliamentary elections on June 7, 2015. In the … Continue reading →

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Termination of the Mistral Contract

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Ali Tuygan

17 August 2015 The French-Russian deal for the sale of two Mistral class amphibious assault ships was announced by President Sarkozy on December 24, 2010 and signed in his presence by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin and French Defense … Continue reading →

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2013 German Federal Election – 2015 Turkish Parliamentary Election

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Ali Tuygan

12 August 2015 The last German federal election was held on Sunday, September 22, 2013. The Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) led by Chancellor Merkel won nearly 42% of the vote and nearly 50% of the seats in the … Continue reading →

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The Middle East: More Confusing Than Ever…

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Ali Tuygan

10 August 2015 Contrary to initial expectations the Arab Spring brought further chaos to a region already troubled by unresolved conflicts; beset by internal political, economic and social problems. But widening sectarian clashes and the emergence of ISIL have added … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Syria Conundrum

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Ali Tuygan

3 August 2015 A country’s foreign policy is shaped by its identity, sense of belonging, world outlook and geographic location. This last one is a constant; others are subject to evolution, change and definition/redefinition within the limits of reason. The … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Metamorphosis

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Ali Tuygan

28 July 2015 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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