The European Union has intensified its efforts to turn the Nabucco pipeline project into a reality, now that Turkey has pledged to throw its weight behind the project. Due to its geographical proximity to the suppliers, Turkey is a linchpin in the network, which is... MORE

The Turkish military is expected to use the opportunity provided by the National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Thursday, February 21, to issue a strongly worded warning to the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government over its attempts to lift the headscarf ban in universities... MORE

Last year Russia and China recorded an unprecedented increase in bilateral trade. In 2007, Russia’s trade with China reached $48.16 billion, up 44.3% over 2006, according to Russian statistics. This follows a recent trend, as in 2006 bilateral trade amounted to $33.4 billion, up 15%... MORE

While the issue of Ukraine’s possible entry into NATO is currently filling the European press, Macedonia is also facing the issue of accession. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki to discuss the issue on February 14; later that... MORE

The recent angry exchanges between the Turkish and German governments over the integration of Turks living in Germany have highlighted the increasing vulnerability of Turkish policy to the personality of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On February 10, Erdogan told an audience of around 18,000... MORE

Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine met on February 12-13 in Moscow for their final bilateral summit before the end of Putin’s presidency. The meeting opened with Yushchenko describing Russia repeatedly as Ukraine’s “strategic partner” in front of the assembled media.... MORE

The Ukrainian opposition has blocked parliament since the end of January, demanding a referendum on NATO membership. The Party of Regions (PRU) and the Communist Party (CPU) are confident that Ukrainians will say no to NATO. They believe public support for membership in the Alliance... MORE

While Turkey may become a foreign oil resource sometime in the future, decades of investment in hydroelectric power are now paying off, and the country is in the extraordinary position of being able to export one of the Middle East’s most precious resources – water.... MORE