Atilla's Musings

The Global Competitiveness Report 2018

Source:World Economic Forum Date:17Oct2018

Makes sobering reading for  Developing Economies in particular for Turkey, which incidentally slipped three places in the rankings.   This is paragraph I liked best:  Weak institutions

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How can Turkey survive US sanctions on Iran?

Source:al Monitor Date:15Oct2018

Best review of the impact of Iran sanctions on Turkey   Whether Turkey will again try to evade sanctions and if that is possible under the careful watch of the agencies will also depend on

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What’s behind Erdoğan’s apparent support for the liberal international order?

Source:Brookings Papers Date:10Oct2018

The article doesn’t serve justice to its title, but answers many relevant questions such as the reasons for Turkey’s economic decline and its attempts to shift trade and investment to

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The intentions behind Turkey’s use of ‘mosque diplomacy’

Source:Arab News Date:07Oct2018

A state-sponsored strategy to establish mosques in a number of countries, from Cuba to China, has emerged as a soft-power instrument for Turkey, one that aims to create a unified Turkish

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Helping Turkey Find Its Way Back to the West

Source:Bloomberg Date:05Oct2018

Eminently sensible policy suggestions from a retired general: Losing Turkey from the trans-Atlantic world would be a geopolitical mistake of near epic proportions. Yet the U.S. and its European

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Can Erdogan’s New Powers Help Fix Turkey’s Economy?

Source:The National Interest Date:30Sep2018

A very insightful analysis of how Erdogan’s new powers interact with Turkey’s  economic crisis by Nader Habibi.

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What Russia and Turkey Really Want in Syria

Source:Haaretz Date:26Sep2018

The two countries, with Turkey, the U.S. and Iran in the mix, have carefully tip-toed around one another for years in order to avoid this very situation. But, as the war winds down each of the

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The Myth of Authoritarian Competence

Source:the Atlantic Date:25Sep2018

An in-depth study of one-man regimes and how Turkey’s brought economic and democratic ruin:   For nearly six months, one of the world’s top economies has been gripped by crisis,

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Report to Congress on U.S.-Turkey Relations

Source:USNI Service Date:21Sep2018

Great background material about Turko-American relationship and Turkish foreign policy objectives at large.

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When strongmen fight: The US and Turkey need diplomats to resolve their leaders’ dispute

Source:Brookings Papers Date:19Sep2018

Very interesting comparison between Trump and Erdogan:  Disagreement over a jailed pastor has devolved into a personal fight between two strongmen, adding significant strain to relations between

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