Latest Articles about Turkey

Obama Presidency: a New Era in Turkish-American Relations?

Many Turks joined the worldwide rejoicing over the Democrats’ victory and Barack Obama’s election as the next president of the United States. The Turkish public is sympathetic to Obama’s call for change as they find parallels in his story to Turkey’s experience with the reformist... MORE

Turkey Reorganizes Security Structure to Combat Terrorism

The October meeting of the Turkish National Security Council (Milli Guvenlik Kurulu – MGK) delivered major decisions regarding the reorganization of Turkey’s domestic security structure. In the areas of inter-agency counter-terrorism cooperation and border security, the changes are comparable with those made by the United... MORE

Turkey Supports Pakistan in Opposing U.S. Cross-Border Strikes

Many analysts have commented on Turkey's increasingly innovative and confident foreign policy initiatives, most recently its Caucasian Stability and Cooperation Platform to defuse tension in a region recently torn by armed conflict between Georgia and Russia. Ankara is now using its good offices in an... MORE

AKP Unable To Decide on Its Kurdish Policy

On November 2 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the eastern province of Hakkari to deliver a speech at a congress of his Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) local branch. In Hakkari, where the Democratic Society Party (DTP) has a strong municipal presence, DTP... MORE

Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul Visits Israel

Turkey’s Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul visited Israel on October 29 and 30 to expedite the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TAF) purchase of 10 Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) from Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). He was accompanied by a large delegation that included Undersecretary for Defense Industries... MORE

HOW DOES THE GLOBAL CRISIS AFFECT THE TURKISH ECONOMY?

On October 30 both the Washington Post and the Financial Times mentioned in reports about the global economic crisis that the Turkish economy was one of those that may have some difficulties during the crisis. The Financial Times reported that: "…moves by the Federal Reserve... MORE

TURKEY PURSUES ITS OWN FOREIGN POLICY LINE

If there is one constant of Turkish foreign policy, it is that Ankara puts the nation’s interests first and foremost, which occasionally discomfits neighboring countries and allies, who believe that their perceptions and interests should have more impact on policy formation than is often the... MORE

GENERALS IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE ARE HARMING THE AKP

In recent months the visibility of military generals in the public sphere has increased, creating the impression that Turkey has two legislative and two executive bodies, one elected civilian and one military. Former minister Hasan Celal Guzel claims that the civilian Prime Minister Erdogan is,... MORE