Atilla's Musings

Sinan Ulgen: Europe needs a new framework for Turkey

Source:Financial Times Date:20Nov2023

The writer is the director of the Istanbul-based Edam think-tank and a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe     Sinan Ulgen finds a way to square the circle, seperate  accession from a new

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Bobby Ghosh: Turkey Is Key to Solving the Gaza Crisis

Source:Bloomberg Date:09Nov2023

Ghosh makes interesting points. The shortcoming of this analysis is that Erdogan may no longer  be wanted as an interlockuter by Israel.  Egypt and  Saudi Arabia, too, may frown at a non-Arab

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Amberin Zaman: Erdogan’s dreams of eclipsing Ataturk unfulfilled as Turkish republic turns 100

Source:al Monitor Date:28Oct2023

I lvoed it.  Erdogan has Ataturk envy!   A must read for those  who beleive Turkey is becoming more Islamic!   Yet the results of Erdogan’s attempted counter revolution — the conversion of a

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Marc Pierini: Turkey at 100

Source:Carnegie Date:24Oct2023

Pierini nails it on the nose:   Ultimately, Turkey at 100 faces the challenge of making its domestic and foreign ambitions compatible with its structural economic constraints and its massive

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David Lepeska: Do US sanctions on Turkey point towards a double standard?

Source:The National Date:22Sep2023

A seminal article  on the extent of Turkish companies breaking  Russia sanctions and the prediction for the endgame   Fortunately, the designations did not target any government-linked

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Explainer: What is happening between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh?

Source:Reuters Date:20Sep2023

A cease-fire was declared in Nagorno-Karabagh between Armenian and Azeri authorities’. I doubt it will last. Baku is determined to take back the entire NK region.  The fate of the Lachin Corridor

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European Parliament Report Slams Turkey on Russia Ties

Source:Greek Reporter Date:17Sep2023

This report compelled Erdogan to state that relations with EU “will be ended” if necessary.    I think it is the paragraph below which angered him   The report takes a critical

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Jack Straw: We should never have let Cyprus join the EU

Source:Politico Date:08Sep2023

Many of us who had witnessed this process believed there had been serious duplicity on the part of Greek Cypriot negotiators. In retrospect, we could, and should, have put Cyprus’ accession on

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US naval diplomacy reaches Turkey in latest sign of rapprochement

Source:al Monitor Date:31Aug2023

Spectacular reporting from al Monitor staff on Turko-American relationship. Here is the summary   US Ambassador to Turkey Jeff Flake hosted Selcuk Bayraktar, CEO of Turkey’s homegrown drone

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Henri Barkey: Erdogan the Survivor

Source:Foreign Affairs Date:29Aug2023

A great article by Turkey expert Henri Barkey about the state of Turko-American relations.    It correctly analyses Erdogan’s motives and weaknesses. US must adopt a new approach to deal

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