Macron suggests ‘partnership’ with EU for Turkey, not membership
Source:FRANCE24 Date:06Jan2018
French President Macron tries to re-anchor Turkey ot EU, can he succeed? This comment by Erdogan reveals how hard it will be: Erdogan responded that some “columnists and opinion leaders
Turkish Banker Is Convicted in Plot to Evade Iran Sanctions
Source:New York Times Date:04Jan2018
It is a dark day for Turkey and its banking system as a jury in NY finds a banker Mr Hakan Atilla guilty of violating Iran sanctions. The verdict, if not overturned on appeal could further
A tough year ahead for Turkey
Source:Hurriyet Daily News Date:03Jan2018
One of Turkey’s premier political commentators, Mr Murat Yetkin published his predictions for 2018.
‘Things will get worse in 2018 with continued arrests and purges’
Source:Ahval News Date:01Jan2018
Howard Eissenstat, an associate professor at the history department of St. Lawrence University and a research assistant at Washington D.C.-based think-tank Project on Middle Eastern Democracy
Turkey’s Erdogan Tries to Play Nice, After a Year of Bashing Europe
Source:New York Times Date:01Jan2018
By now, the crosswinds of Mr. Erdogan’s public statements have sealed his reputation as a leader of changeable temperament who seems to shift Turkey’s policies along with his moods. Analysts of
Iraqi Kurdistan, R.I.P.
Source:The Gulf Today Date:01Jan2018
The Iraqi government has cracked down and the Kurdish region is no longer semi-autonomous, autonomous or nearly independent. The bid for freedom has, for now at least, been crushed without
Heavy fighting as Syrian forces enter rebel-held Idlib province
Source:The National Date:30Dec2017
Ankara can’t cleanse Idlib of pro-el Qaeda militants, which gives Assad cover to attack the rebel-held province. Soon Turkish and Syrian militaries might face each other.
US sanctions on the horizon for Turkey in 2018
Source:Hurriyet Daily News Date:30Dec2017
Better late than never we might think, however, the closure of the visa parenthesis was indeed getting rid of the least difficult of the problems between the two countries. It almost feels like
Turkey’s Stalinist prosecution of journalists for tweets and blogs
Source:Washington Post Date:28Dec2017
THESE ARE dark days for journalists in Turkey, now the leader among governments that imprison news-gatherers. In one week alone, nearly 70 journalists were on trial on false accusations of
Turkey and Syria engage in a war of words as Erdogan and Assad call each other “terrorists”
Source:South China Morning Post Date:28Dec2017
It amazes me to find many well-informed pundits claiming that Erdogan has changed Syria policy in the direction of recognizing Assad’s legitimacy. Turkey has not conceded defeat in Syria.