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Erdogan’s Way – Confrontation at Home and Abroad – May be Backfiring

Turkey’s governing Justice and Development Party has been well served by the confrontational style of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan… Continue reading

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Bluff and Bravado: Turkey’s Long Presidential Campaign

President Abdullah Gül criticized the government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan for its failure to push ahead with Turkey’s bid for EU membership and protested the continuing imprisonment of seven elected opposition members of the assembly… Continue reading

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Turkey’s Leadership Ambitions in NATO Weakened by Petty Politics

NATO’s May 20-21 heads-of-state summit in Chicago reminded everyone how Turkey is making important contributions to NATO in many key areas… Continue reading

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Will Erdogan be Elected President in 2012, Two Years Earlier than Anticipated?

Turkey may be headed toward an unexpected presidential election in August 2012, as the Constitutional Court is set to rule on the constitutionality of a temporary law… Continue reading

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The Coalition Crumbles: Erdoğan, the Gülenists, and Turkish Democracy

The authority of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been challenged by the security apparatus, the police and parts of the judiciary that enjoy the backing of the brotherhood of the Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen… Continue reading

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Turkey: in between Political Islam and the Military

This paper analyses the impact of domestic dynamics on its relations with Israel during the current AKP government and the RP led government in the 1990s… Continue reading

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Out of Tune in Tunisia: What’s Really Going on There and Throughout the Arab World

What is the current political situation in Tunisia? Simple… Continue reading

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Beyond Memory and Imagination: Civil-Military Relations and Turkey’s New Authoritarianism

The resignations on July 29, 2011, of the Turkish chief of staff and all three force commanders are without precedent in… Continue reading

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Is the AKP that “Vanquished” the Military Caught in the Trap of Militarism?

There is a grim irony to the fact that while the AKP’s 2007 victory represented a defeat for the military, victory four years later requires… Continue reading

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IHH Leader Yildirim: “We Will Not Hesitate to Sacrifice Shaheeds to Achieve the Flotilla’s Objective”

IHH, which plays a central role in organizing the upcoming flotilla to the Gaza Strip, joined Turkish Islamist organizations in… Continue reading

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Will the Arab Uprisings Result in the Emergence of a Sunni Bloc Dominated by Turkey?

Against the background of the fall of the autocratic regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, the massive demonstrations in Yemen, Syria and Bahrain… Continue reading

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Will Turkey’s Next Constitution be a Societal Covenant Imbued with Respect for Differences?

Agreeing upon the rules for how they are going to live together, with mutual respect for differences, is the fundamental challenge that faces… Continue reading

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The Fading Masquerade: Ergenekon and the Politics of Justice in Turkey

On the afternoon of March 30, 2011, Zekeriya Öz, the chief prosecutor in the controversial Ergenekon investigation, was abruptly… Continue reading

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Would Appointing a Turkish Diplomat to Head the OSCE Secretariat Help Anchor Turkey in the West?

Several developments are making Turkey’s role in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) increasingly prominent. The Turkish government… Continue reading

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Different Voices in Iran over Rapprochement with Turkey as Turkish President visits Tehran

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul held a two-day official visit to Iran with a delegation of ministers and businessmen. Iran’s media provided extensive coverage… Continue reading

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Turkey and the Middle Eastern Revolts: Democracy or Islamism?

Turkey’s leaders have embraced the popular revolts in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries, with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Abdullah Gül publicly urging Egyptian… Continue reading

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Taliban Wants to Open Formal Office in Turkey

Taliban leaders want to open a base in a neutral, third country such as an Arab Gulf state, Turkey or Japan before they embark on meaningful peace talks, according to senior figures in the movement… Continue reading

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WikiLeaks Scandal Deprives Turkey’s Ruling Party of its Cherished American Cover

U.S. power still matters in Turkey, and the revelation that the AKP does not enjoy universal American support is unwelcome news for the ruling party. The perception that it enjoyed full U.S. support was instrumental in the… Continue reading

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Changing Of The Guard: Judicial Reforms Reinforce Concerns About the AKP’s Increasing Authoritarianism

The restructuring of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), which is responsible for appointments and disciplinary procedures in the Turkish judicial system, was one of the key reforms in the package of constitutional amendments which were approved in a referendum… Continue reading

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Will Turkey Lead a Revived Islamic Empire?

In 2005, the National Intelligence Council, or NIC, produced a report called, “Mapping the Global Future: Project 2020.” According to this report, within the next several years, we may expect to see the emergence of a fledgling caliphate, or revived Islamic empire… Continue reading

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Obama Again Avoids To Use The Word ‘Genocide’ In Armenian Remembrance Message

US President Barack Obama declined, for a second time, to use the word “genocide” to describe the atrocities experienced by Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire a century ago… Continue reading