Tag Archives: Turkey

Prime Minister Yıldırım’s Visit to Washington

November 6, 2017 On October 29, Secretary Tillerson made the following remarks on the occasion of Turkey’s National Day: “… Turkey has been a close American ally for more than 60 years. We are strategic partners in addressing the causes … Continue reading

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Turkey in Low Spirits

October 30, 2017 Turkey’s current mood is one of gloom. Much of this is unpredictability related. We Turks don’t know what tomorrow may bring not to speak of the months and years ahead. We are constantly on edge, anxious and … Continue reading

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Turkey: A Nation Divided

April 17, 2017 Turkey’s experience with democracy has witnessed many ups and downs. Sometimes, it was democratically elected governments overstepping their powers, at other times it was the failure of politicians to find common ground leading to military coups or … Continue reading

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Trump Administration and the Middle East: First Impressions

January 16, 2017 For understandable reasons, President-elect Donald Trump’s press conference and the Senate confirmation hearings of his team could not reflect a well-coordinated foreign and security policy approach. A reluctance to go into specifics as well as conflicting views … Continue reading

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Turkey’s Relations with the West

January 9, 2017 In early April 2009 Mr. Obama visited Ankara on his first trip abroad as US President. His address to the Turkish Parliament was full of praise for Turkey’s “strong, vibrant, secular democracy”. In May 2013, Prime Minister … Continue reading

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About Pipe Dreams

January 4, 2017 After a violent year and minutes into 2017 Turkey hit world headlines. Again, the reason was a terrorist attack. And again, it was followed by the customary anti-terrorism ritual. Minister of the Interior visited the crime scene. … Continue reading

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Iraq, Afghanistan, Terrorism and a Word on Turkey

July 18, 2016 On July 6, 2016, Mr. Tony Blair responded to the Report of the Iraq Inquiry during a two-hour-long press conference. Answering a question, he said that there was a decision and it was a controversial decision – … Continue reading

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Orlando: A Collage of Views on the Background

June 20, 2016 Phrases like “radical Islam”, “jihadist terror”, “Islamic extremism” and “Islamophobia” have been with us for quite some time. The Orlando massacre must have galvanized the behind closed doors debate on them. And, while some use them openly … Continue reading

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Turkey’s Distorted Priorities

May 16, 2016 Turkey must have become world’s number one country for its failure to properly determine national priorities. We have witnessed a series of terrorist acts causing great loss of life. Widescale military operations are continuing against the PKK … Continue reading

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The Obama Legacy: A View from the Middle East

May 2, 2016 It was a few months before the 2008 US Presidential election. I was talking to my American colleague at UNESCO. I said to her that since American presidents’ decisions have global implications, democratic countries should also have … Continue reading

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