Tag Archives: Syrian conflict

Turkey’s Middle East Policy Coming Full Circle

Posted on December 6, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

December 6, 2021 The so-called “Friends of Syria Group”, now history, held its first meeting in Tunis on February 24, 2012.  On April 1, 2012, it met for the second time in Istanbul. Later that month in 2012, Turkey’s Foreign … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tough Choices for Ankara

Posted on November 8, 2021 by Ali Tuygan

November 8, 2021 Another operation by the Turkish Armed Forces in Syria is looming. President Erdogan gave the signal last month. Military reinforcements were sent to the border. On October 26, the Turkish parliament approved a motion extending authorization to launch … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Turkey Needs to Pivot to Diplomacy

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

June 22, 2020 Ataturk was the hero of our War of Independence, the founder of the Republic and Turkey’s greatest ever reformer. His motto was, “peace at home, peace in the world”. Suffice to say, we no longer have peace … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Syrian Quagmire

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

May 18, 2020 Syria’s relations with Moscow have traditionally been close and steady. Russia operated a military base in Tartus for more than four decades. In the mid-1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, U.S. Secretary of State Warren … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Idlib Problem Still with Us

Posted on April 27, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

April 27, 2020 Coronavirus is seen as the greatest global challenge of modern times. Because, the death toll in some countries has reached tens of thousands. Just as important is the shock of unpreparedness, helplessness and vulnerability of a technologically … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Front Lines of the Battle Against Covid-19

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

March 27, 2020 “Operation Enduring Freedom”, “Operation Resolute Support”, “Operation New Dawn”, “Operation Unified Protector”, “Operation Decisive Storm”, to name a few, were recent decades’ ambitiously titled military interventions seeking to achieve narrow ends. Although diplomacy and multilateralism were sidelined, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Idlib Ceasefire: Only a Respite

Posted on March 8, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

March 8, 2020 On March 6, Presidents of Russia and Turkey met in Moscow. In remarks to the press before their meeting, President Putin said the situation in Idlib has deteriorated so much that the two leaders needed to have … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Ultimatum That Boomeranged

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

(Co-authored with Yusuf Buluç)[i] The people of Turkey held their breath on the eve of the deadline set in the ultimatum  President Erdoğan served on the Syrian regime promising severe military punishment if  its forces  were not to withdraw to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Turkey’s Narrowing Horizons

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

February 27, 2020 In the fall of 1966, I took a series of exams to join the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Among other things, we were asked to comment on a widely used metaphor, “Turkey is a bridge between East and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment