Posted on Sun, March 27, 2011 at 01:12 am CET
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Turkey’s Regional Leadership in the Middle East: Principle or Realpolitik?

In stark contrast to its support for the protest movements in Egypt and Tunisia, Turkey has abstained from taking a principled, democratic stand… Continue reading

Topics: Democracy • Egyptian Revolution • Islamism • Jasmine Revolution • Libya War • The Middle East • Turkey 
Posted on Fri, March 25, 2011 at 22:06 pm CET
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Arab revolts and Turkey’s new ‘old Kemalists’

The Arab revolts of 2011 awakened interest in the Turkish model, exemplifying an Islamist-rooted party building a liberal democracy… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Armenia • Democracy • Islamism • The Middle East • Turkey 
Posted on Tue, March 15, 2011 at 21:53 pm CET
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A Weapons-Laden Ship for Gaza Marks A Big Transformation of the Middle East

The story of the Liberian-flag ship Victoria is dramatic enough but few will understand, at least immediately, that it opens a new era… Continue reading

Topics: Egypt • Hamas • Iran • Israel • Israel Defense Forces • Israeli–Palestinian Conflict • Syria 
Posted on Tue, March 15, 2011 at 20:33 pm CET
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Israeli Navy Intercepts “Victoria” Carrying Arms Delivered by Iranian Warships

The Israeli Navy’s elite Shayetet 13 commandos intercepted the German-owned A.S. Victoria Tuesday, March 15 about 320 kilometers off… Continue reading

Topics: Egypt • Global Jihad • Hamas • Iran • Israel • Israel Defense Forces • Israeli–Palestinian Conflict • Syria • Turkey 
Posted on Sun, March 13, 2011 at 01:57 am CET
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Turkey Remains an “Angry Nation” but could still serve as a Democratic Inspiration

Turkey remains an “Angry nation”, tormented by the many ghosts of its history, some of which still lurk in the shadows. Its political system… Continue reading

Topics: Democracy • Europe • Human Rights • Islamism • Kurdish People • Turkey 
Posted on Sat, March 12, 2011 at 01:17 am CET
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Squaring the Circle: The PKK Return to Violence and Turkey’s Intractable Kurdish Problem

On February 28, 2011, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced that it was abrogating its unilateral ceasefire first declared on… Continue reading

Topics: Kurdish People • PKK • Turkey 
Posted on Thu, March 10, 2011 at 01:49 am CET
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Ending Turkey’s nightmare

The arrest of prominent journalists in Turkey on March 3, among them a recipient of the International Press Institute’s “World Press Freedom Hero” award… Continue reading

Topics: Democracy • Ergenekon • Islamism • The Media • Turkey 
Posted on Wed, March 9, 2011 at 01:31 am CET
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WikiLeaks: Saudis fear ‘Shia triangle’ of Iran, Iraq and Pakistan

America is often portrayed as the big dog in Pakistan’s yard: a swaggering power that makes rules, barks orders and throws its weight around… Continue reading

Topics: Iran • Iraq • Pakistan • Saudi Arabia • Shia Islam • Sunni Islam • The Middle East • U.S. Middle East Policy • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Tue, March 8, 2011 at 01:19 am CET
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Why U.S. Policy is so Bad: An Analysis of the Current Policymaking Process

The problem is that the people most qualified to be heard and who have the better understanding of the situation are being ignored… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Bahrain • Egyptian Revolution • The Middle East • U.S. Middle East Policy • United States of America 
Posted on Fri, March 4, 2011 at 20:11 pm CET
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WikiLeaks: Saudi Arabia Rated a Bigger Threat to Iraqi Stability than Iran

Iraqi government officials see Saudi Arabia, not Iran, as the biggest threat to the integrity and cohesion of their fledgling democratic state… Continue reading

Topics: Iran • Iraq • Kurdish People • Saudi Arabia • United States of America • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Thu, March 3, 2011 at 08:23 am CET
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Turkish Camouflage Model: Arab Radicals Learn How to Hide Your Islamism

Newsweek explains how the “Turkish Model” works… Continue reading

Topics: Democracy • Islamic Countries • Islamism • Jordan • Morocco • Tunisia • Turkey 
Posted on Sat, February 26, 2011 at 15:52 pm CET
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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

Topics: Armenia • Cyprus • Europe • Greece • Human Rights • Kazakhstan • OSCE • The Media • The Middle East • Turkey 
Posted on Fri, February 25, 2011 at 01:57 am CET
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Egypt’s Revolution: The More They Reassure Us, The More We Worry

I think I was the first person to warn that the Egyptian revolution wasn’t all roses but also had a dangerous amount of thorns… Continue reading

Topics: Arab Spring • Arab-Israeli Conflict • Democracy • Egyptian Revolution • Hamas • Islamism • Israel • Israeli–Palestinian Conflict • Jasmine Revolution • Libya War • Muslim Brotherhood • The Middle East 
Posted on Thu, February 24, 2011 at 14:10 pm CET
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Turkey’s Polarized Climate Complicates Efforts to Deal with Past and Present Authoritarianism

In the deeply polarized climate that pervades Turkish society, it has become near-impossible to stake out an ideological terrain that… Continue reading

Topics: Ergenekon • Turkey 
Posted on Sun, February 20, 2011 at 21:13 pm CET
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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

Topics: Iran • Turkey 
Posted on Sun, February 20, 2011 at 00:42 am CET
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Obama’s Letter to Lula Regarding Brazil-Iran-Turkey Nuclear Negotiations

U.S. President Barack Obama’s letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (april 20, 2010)… Continue reading

Topics: Brazil • Historical Documents • Iran • Turkey • United States of America 
Posted on Sat, February 19, 2011 at 17:20 pm CET
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WikiLeaks: Kurdish Leader Discusses 2009 Turkish Local Elections

In an April 22 roundtable at Chatham House on Turkey’s recent elections, Kurdish political leader Ahmet Türk gave prepared remarks and took… Continue reading

Topics: Britain • Human Rights • Kurdish People • Turkey • United States of America • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Sun, February 13, 2011 at 14:30 pm CET
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Turkish Regime Sees Egypt Revolution as Opportunity for Repression and Islamism

While all eyes are on Egypt, Turkish regime policy during this time is worth mentioning. The Turkish government has pressed for more Islamization in Turkey and… Continue reading

Topics: Democracy • Egypt • Human Rights • Islamism • Turkey 
Posted on Fri, February 11, 2011 at 22:47 pm CET
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The Coming Challenge to Democracy in the Middle East

Today, the Friends of Israel Initiative released its 3rd dispatch. In the dispatch they featured a nice piece about the challenges to democracy the Middle East will… Continue reading

Topics: Anti-Israelism • Egyptian Revolution • Islamism • Jasmine Revolution • Jordan • Muslim Brotherhood • The Middle East • Yemen 
Posted on Thu, February 10, 2011 at 17:44 pm CET
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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

Topics: Egyptian Revolution • Global Islam • Islamic Fundamentalism • Islamism • Jasmine Revolution • Neo-Ottomanism • The Middle East • Turkey 
Posted on Tue, February 8, 2011 at 00:09 am CET
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WikiLeaks: The Egyptian View of the Middle East

WikiLeaks cable about Egyptian foreign policy: Cairo-Baghdad Relations, Iranian ‘devils’, Syria and Turkey… Continue reading

Topics: Arab League • Egypt • Iran • Iraq • Syria • The Middle East • Turkey • United States of America • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Mon, February 7, 2011 at 02:53 am CET
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WikiLeaks: Turkey Used as Base to Transport Terrorism Suspects

Turkey allowed the US to use its airbase at Incirlik in southern Turkey as part of the “extraordinary rendition” programme to take suspected terrorists to Guantánamo Bay… Continue reading

Topics: Germany • Italy • Sweden • Turkey • United States of America • War on Terrorism • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Mon, February 7, 2011 at 02:20 am CET
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WikiLeaks: US-Turkey Relations Improve

The tone of the relationship has been improving since PM Erdogan’s visit to Washington last June, but Iraq continues to dominate our agenda… Continue reading

Topics: Turkey • United States of America • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Mon, February 7, 2011 at 02:01 am CET
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WikiLeaks: Turkey, Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism

Combating terrorism has long been a priority for the Government of Turkey (GOT). In its early and strong support of the coalition in the global war against terror… Continue reading

Topics: Counter-terrorism • Islamic Terrorism • Religious Terrorism • Turkey • United States of America • War on Terrorism • WikiLeaks 
Posted on Sun, February 6, 2011 at 03:43 am CET
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Turkey to Train Syria’s Army

While we are being told constantly how well things are going in the Middle East, still another dangerous development has been ignored by the Western media. Turkey and Syria have agreed on training of Syrian army by Turkish military… Continue reading

Topics: NATO • Syria • The Middle East • Turkey • United States of America