Tag Archives: Russia

Nagorno-Karabakh: The Road Ahead

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

November 30, 2020 The last round of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan started on July 12, 2020.  During the war between 1988-1994, Armenian forces had occupied not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also the seven surrounding districts of Azerbaijan before a Russian-brokered … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Relations with Russia

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

October 19, 2020 In the beginning of the Syrian conflict Russia and Turkey were on diametrically opposite sides. Almost a decade later, despite some cooperation, they are just putting up with one another.

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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 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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The Day of Reckoning

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

June 15, 2020 The end of the Cold War raised hopes for a more peaceful and stable world with the “international community” collectively confronting global challenges. This proved a myth. After three decades, all we hear now is Cold War … Continue reading →

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Sailing in Uncharted Waters

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

April 7, 2020 The Arab Spring threw the Middle East in chaos. Then came the Ukraine conflict and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. As the Syrian conflict moved up on the international agenda the former receded. Despite on and off official … Continue reading →

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The Montreux Convention: Russia’s Perspective

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

January 28, 2020 “Canal İstanbul”, first introduced to the public as a “crazy project” by Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (JDP) Government, has become the subject of an increasingly heated discussion. Among the various aspects of the project currently debated … Continue reading →

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NATO at Seventy

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

Co-authored with Yusuf Buluç (*) December 5, 2019 Literature on “The Art of Human Survival” will have you believe that to have reached the age of seventy must be a testimony for having mustered this art. But for a military … Continue reading →

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