Tag Archives: Turkey

Lebanon and Middle East’s Vicious Circle

Posted on August 15, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

August 15, 2020 On August 4, only two days before the 75th anniversary of the dropping of world’s first atomic bomb, Beirut experienced its own Hiroshima. Exactly a month ago Turkey had its own tragedy when 6 were killed and … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Distorted Priorities (2)

Posted on August 6, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

August 6, 2020 Merriam-Webster defines “crystal gazing” as, “1: the art or practice of concentrating on a glass or crystal globe with the aim of inducing a psychic state in which divination can be performed,  “2: the attempt to predict … Continue reading →

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Turkey’s Polarization Continues Unabated

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

July 27, 2020 The sermon delivered by Professor Ali Erbaş, the President of Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), at the opening of Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque has rightly aroused indignation, anger among those who remain attached to Turkey’s founding principles … 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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Turkish-French Tensions Over Libya

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Ali Tuygan

June 29, 2020 Two weeks ago, France accused Turkey of harassing a French frigate off the coast of Libya while it carried out checks on a Turkish ship that it suspected of breaking the UN arms embargo. Turkey denied the … Continue reading →

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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 →

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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 →

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2019: The Year in Review

Posted on December 22, 2019 by Ali Tuygan

December 22, 2019 During the past year, climate change, corruption, street protests, polarization and disarray in the West dominated the global agenda. Frequent fires are part of California’s natural state but since the 1970s, the amount of area burned in … Continue reading →

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