Tag Archives: Turkey

Turkey’s Municipal Elections: A Yellow Card for the Government

Co-authored with Yusuf Buluc (*) April 1, 2019 The significance of an election in a democratically governed country is determined by the context and the framework in which it is held, as well the political backdrop. If these parameters were … Continue reading

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The Christchurch Tragedy

March 21, 2019 The Christchurch massacre was a horrendous crime. It was a ghastly, dastardly act of terrorism. The innocent people who died there ranged in age from 3 to 71. The enormity of the crime shocked the people of … Continue reading

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Crisis in Venezuela and Turkey

February 7, 2019 BBC’s country profile on Venezuela starts with the following: “Venezuela is a country of striking natural beauty, ranging from the snow-capped Andean peaks in the west, through the Amazonian jungles in the south, to the beaches of … Continue reading

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Syria: Moment of Truth for the West

January 11, 2019 Defeating ISIS in Syria and ousting President Assad are no longer compatible. They never were. The West must make a choice. The following questions can help find the answer: Was the Western intervention in Syria about promoting … Continue reading

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Trump’s U-turn in Syria and Turkey

January 8, 2019 President Trump’s surprise announcement of the withdrawal of US troops from Syria has ended up, unsurprisingly, in another U-turn. On Sunday his national security advisor John Bolton said, “We don’t think the Turks ought to undertake military … Continue reading

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Syrian Conflict: Moment of Truth for Turkey

January 1, 2019 It has been two tumultuous weeks which started with President Trump’s tweet announcing the withdrawal of US troops from Syria. On December 20, responding to a question on the US pullout and ISIS by the correspondent of … Continue reading

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2018 In Retrospect

December 25, 2018 It has been a chaotic year with no or little progress in overcoming world’s outstanding challenges: U.S.-Russia tensions, Middle East turmoil with numerous sub-titles, Ukraine conflict, the future of the JCPOA, North Korea’s nuclear program, migration, trade … Continue reading

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Trump’s Decision to Withdraw from Syria

December 22, 2018 President Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria seems to have surprised even shocked many, particularly in Washington. His brief announcement left many questions unanswered. Had he been a consistent leader steering his administration in close … Continue reading

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Khashoggi, Turkey and the Yemen War

November 26, 2018 After “The End” in a movie comes the closing credits with the names of the director, writer, producer, leading cast, supporting cast, director of photography and others who have contributed to its making. “The End” in the … Continue reading

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The Path to Middle East Supremacy

November 20, 2018 Arab spring and the Syrian conflict have led some observers to look at Middle East developments through the prism of regional “rivalry” or “competition”. Countries generally mentioned are Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Israel is also prominently … Continue reading

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