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Turkey: PKK Fighters Begin Their Withdrawal to North Iraq
In what could prove to be a historic day for Turkey and the decades-old Kurdish issue, fighters from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) started withdrawing from Turkish soil and returning to bases in the mountains of northern Iraq
Israeli Apology to Turkey Big First Step But Not Sea Change
After several years of mutual silence, Turkey and Israel are talking to each other again. However, this latest rapprochement owes more to US diplomatic efforts than a genuine desire by Ankara and Tel Aviv to reset diplomatic relations
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Ankara, Turkey
A day after Turkey accused Syria of dragging Ankara into its civil war after the twin bombing attack on Reyhanli that killed 46 and injured more than 100 others, a Turkish F-16 fighter crashed near Turkey's border with Syria.
The pilot, who informed authorities that he was going to bail out of the fighter, was later found dead near the scene of the incident.
The Turkish military said that it lost radio contact with the aircraft, which is based at the 5th Main Jet Command in the northern province of Amasya, around 14:15 local time.
Shortly before the incident, the plane was performing an operational flight over Amanos Mountains in southern province of Osmaniye.
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Ankara, Turkey
Turkey blasted Syria after arresting nine people in a twin-bombing incident in the Turkish border town of Reyhanli, which has become a hub for Syrian rebels and refugees ever since the Syrian conflict began.
Authorities in Turkey said that suspecs, all Turks, were arrested in connection with the bombing confessed of their involvement in the attacks. At least 46 people have been killed and more than a 100 injured in Reyhanli attack.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, hereby, accused Syria of dragging Turkey into its civil war. "They want to drag us down a vile path," Erdogan said at a rally in Istanbul.
The arrests were made shortly after Interior Minister Muammer Guler's remarks made on national TRT television that the government had identified the people and organization responsible for the attacks.
The minister alleged that the attackers were linked to a group called Turkish Marxist organization groups, which supports the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime and their intelligence services.
From Berlin, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu vehemently condemned the attacks and described them as a breach of Turkey's "red line", adding that his government reserves the right to "take any kind of retaliatory measure".
However, the Syrian government denied its involvement in the attacks, which are considered to be the deadliest.
Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi insisted that his government could never carry out such attacks "because our values don't allow us to do so."
Al-Zoubi said that "this act is terrorist and is condemned in all ethical, legitimate and humanitarian criteria." Instead the minister accused Erdogan of having "direct responsibility" for what had happened in both Syria and Turkey.
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Ankara, Turkey
More has to be done to ensure the health and well-being of women and children affected by the Syrian conflict, said Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), on a recent visit to Turkey's Nizip refugee camp, about 40km east of the southern city of Gaziantep.
One of Turkey's newest camps, Nizip houses some 10,000 refugees, or "guests" as the government prefers to call them, in white canvas tents and containers arrayed in neat numbered rows along the rocky, sun-bleached banks of the Euphrates.
It is, by many measures, a model of humanitarian assistance.
Amenities include a laundry facility, a mosque, a health clinic, hot water and hot meals, schools and playgrounds, teahouses, hairdressers and a supermarket where refugees can shop for extras using electronic voucher cards. Kids can play organized football and compete in chess tournaments, watch TV and weave rugs. There is gas and electricity, sanitation and tight security.
But Turkish authorities seem to have overlooked one important detail. According to aid workers, nowhere at Nizip, or at any of Turkey's 16 other camps, can refugee survivors of sexual violence find the level of psychosocial support experts say they so desperately need.
"I am impressed by what I have seen here," Osotimehin, a former Nigerian health minister, told a group of reporters gathered outside the camp's school. "It's remarkable what Turkey has done at its own expense." But he had also come, he said, to highlight the urgent needs of pregnant and lactating women as well as victims of the sexual violence said to be on the rise across conflict-battered Syria.
Sexual violence
Indeed, as a January report by the International Rescue Committee put it, "rape is a significant and disturbing feature of the Syrian /civil war" - an assertion supported by surveys of refugees in Jordan and Lebanon who consistently cited sexual violence "as a primary reason their families fled the country" .
Weeks later, Erika Feller, assistant UN High Commissioner for Refugees, echoed those concerns, warning of reports that "the conflict in Syria is increasingly marked by rape and sexual violence employed as a weapon of war."
And writing in the Atlantic last month, Lauren Wolfe, director of the Women Under Siege Project, which documents the incidence of rape in conflict zones, described how Syria's "massive rape crisis" is "creating a nation of traumatized survivors" .
To date, Turkey has taken in nearly'2,500 refugees in 17 camps, and six new camps are currently under construction (About the same number of refugees live outside the camps). Stretched to capacity, the country has been lauded for its open-door policy and generous aid. But glaring gaps remain .
"From what we have been able to learn there is virtually no trained psychosocial support currently available in the camps," said Leyla Welkin, a psychiatrist and gender-based violence consultant working with UNFPA. Moreover, she said, a lack of private space makes it difficult for women in the camp to talk about their experiences, perpetuating a culture of silence around sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) that severely impedes efforts to address it.
"You can see that our camps are in better condition compared to Jordanian camps," said a senior Turkish official. "The people are very happy." But as Welkin told IRIN after a meeting with women `mukhtars', or village leaders, who teared up when asked about sexual violence, "there is a significant need for professional support."
A lack of capacity
That dearth of psychosocial support for survivors of sexual violence in Turkey's refugee camps is a function of its scarcity in the country at large, said Welkin, who is based in UNFPA's office in the Turkish capital Ankara. "When it comes to SGBV, Turkey is very underserved."
In fact, so lacking is the country in that kind of expertise, she said, that even those Syrian refugees living outside the camps are hard-pressed to find help.
"Our concern is not only the number of psychologists trained, but also the lack of information about the reality on the ground," said Ayman Abulaban, Turkey representative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). While children in the camps do have access to some level of psychological support services, and while the camps in Turkey are "good in many respects," Abulaban said, UNICEF was not aware that any specialized care had been made available to victims of SGBV, including children. (According to a recent Save the Children report, sexual violence in conflict disproportionately affects children and teenagers) .
"It is of utmost importance that Syrian refugees can access SGBV services," he said in a written statement provided to IRIN. "But the response seems to be very limited. We are not sure about the capability of camp staff with regard to SGBV prevention and response."
In an effort to fill that gap, UNFPA, in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Planning, has designed a pilot programme to prepare and train 24 health care workers to conduct preliminary psychological assessment and treatment. The programme will also provide general public education on SGBV, said Welkin, including an intervention specifically targeting men, "some of whom will be perpetrators".
UNFPA has already trained Turkish health care workers in the clinical management of rape, including emergency contraception, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and collection of forensic evidence. But in the absence of access to counselling, said Welkin, victims are unlikely to present for medical treatment, largely because of the stigma surrounding the issue.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says it is "aware of mechanisms put in place by Turkish authorities" since the Syrian crisis began - both in national legislation and in local branches of the Ministry of Family and Social Policy - to identify and address cases of SGBV.
UNHCR has given Turkish officials its guidelines, or standard operating procedures, for the prevention of and response to SGBV "to be shared among their staff working with Syrian refugees in the camps." The government has informed UNHCR that specialized staff are available to the Syrian refugees, who can be treated inside the camp or referred to hospitals outside the camp where necessary, UNHCR's office in Ankara told IRIN.
The Ministry of Family and Social Policy did not answer IRIN's request for comment.
"My hope is that this catastrophe can serve as an opportunity for Turkey to take a step forward in SGBV prevention and intervention - that the professionals we train will be able to take these skills from the camps to their own communities," Welkin said.
Funding shortfalls
But that will not be easy, and not least for the fact that the UN now faces a major funding shortfall. Of the US$1.5 billion pledged by international donors to cover Syrian refugee needs for the first half of 2013, just over half has been committed . UNFPA requirements for the Syrian crisis, across the region, for the same period were $20.7 million, but so far, say representatives, the agency has received less than half of that.
Meanwhile, as the fighting in Syria rages on, refugees continue to pour over the border, with some 7,000 new arrivals registering each day across the region. By the end of the year, warned UNHCR's regional coordinator for Syrian refugees, the number of Syrian refugees in the region could surpass four million .
- Provided by Integrated Regional Information Networks.
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Istanbul, Turkey
Nearly two weeks after Israel apologized for a deadly flotilla raid that killed nine Turkish activists, United States Secretary of State John Kerry urged both the sides to ease relations between them.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul, Kerry said that the U.S. is keen to see a strong relation between Turkey and Israel that it considers important for the regional stability in the Middle East.
He added that it is also important for the "peace process itself, we would like to see this relationship back on track in its full measure."
"To be back on track in its full measure, it is imperative that the compensation component of the agreement be fulfilled, that the ambassadors be returned, and that full relationship is embraced. I am confident that there will be goodwill on both sides," Kerry said.
Although Israel has made a U.S.-brokered apology to Turkey on March 22 for a military raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship in May 2010, the two nations are yet to fully restore diplomatic ties. During the three-year-old rift, both the nations had recalled their respective ambassadors.
Would the Turkish Model Work in Arab Spring Countries?
The leader of one of the most popular political parties in Tunisia says his model for the development of democracy in the Muslim world is Turkey. Experts debate whether secularism could take root in countries like Egypt or Tunisia
Turkey: Zigzag Diplomacy Leads Nowhere
Turkey seemed to be on course to fulfil its neo-Ottoman ambition and lead the Middle East. But the Arab uprisings, and in particular the Syrian crisis, exposed the limits of Ankara's influence
Turkey PM Criticized for Rejecting U.S. Anti-Terror Tactics Offer
Turkey's opposition has criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for rejecting Washington's offer to capture Kurdish terrorists using the U.S. tactic for finding and capturing Osama bin Laden
Chinese Silk Railroad Ambitions
China has become the world's workshop and Europe has an insatiable appetite for its exports. Most now arrive on giant container ships. But as ports become clogged and delivery times critical, China is once again looking to the old land routes across Asia
Turkish Economy Meets EU Entrance Criteria
The crisis Turkey has gone through was similar to what the EU is experiencing now. Banks went bankrupt. People's savings disappeared. Companies closed down. The Turkish economy shrank drastically. That crisis was a very important lesson
Turkish Airlines Orders 15 777-300ER Planes From Boeing in $4.7 Billion Order
Turkey's national airline announced it has ordered 15 jet planes worth $4.7 billion from U.S. plane maker Boeing
A borderland is a region where history is constant: Everything is in flux. Turkey, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and Poland occupy the borderland between Islam, Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity
The Impact of Syrian Refugees on Turkey and Jordan
The Syrian crisis poses problems not only for refugees. The host states themselves are wary of the social, economic and political pressures their new guests have brought. Here we look at the effects on Jordan and Turkey
Attacking Syria Is No-Win Situation for Turkey
Negotiating with the various factions in Syria would infuse Turkey with national pride and international prestige
Azeri Gas Pipeline Deal Highlights Turkey's European Energy Role
A gas pipeline deal brings the dream of carrying natural gas from Azerbaijan to Europe via Turkey one step closer to reality
Will Syria Cause a Divorce Between Iran and Turkey?
Turkey and Iran don't see eye to eye on Syria. But their mutual interests in other arenas temper their disagreements
Two renowned figures suggest that Greek Cyprus' presidency of the EU is an opportunity to correct nearly 40 years of history -- the reunification of Cyprus for the first time since the Turkish invasion of 1974
The Questions Raised By the Deepening Crisis With Syria
After the Syrian downing of a Turkish air force jet, some things are becoming clear. Turkey, while refraining from doing anything rash and doing all it can to get international and NATO backing for its diplomatic efforts, is also leaving itself with a military option for responding to Syria's action
Turkey Moves to Disband Controversial Courts
They were either tools to stifle dissent and pursue Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's enemies, or they were a badly needed way to ensure democracy in Turkey and take on criminal gangs
Kosovo Counting on Strong Turkish Support
Kosovo and Turkey have what former Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu describes as 'golden relations', strong political and economic ties bound together by religious and cultural affinities developed over more than five centuries of Ottoman rule
Turkey Weighs Military Presence in Syria
Turkey appears to be moving closer to creating a buffer zone across the Syrian border as the refugee situation worsens in the regional tinderbox
Cyprus Gas Discovery Raises Political Stakes
The discovery of large quantities of natural gas offshore Cyprus could give a push for ending the decades-long dispute dividing the island. But it could also end up ratcheting up tensions with Turkey
Balancing the East, Upgrading the West
The United States' central challenge over the next several decades is to revitalize itself, while promoting a larger West and buttressing a complex balance in the East that can accommodate China's rising global status
Is there a new Hamas in the making, one ready to put down its arms and live in peace with Israel? Or is it the same old Islamist movement putting on the airs of moderation as it abandons its old friends Syria and Iran and makes new ones in Egypt, Turkey and Qatar?
Why Does America Defend the Weak and Small?
Only the United States seems to have an affinity for protecting tiny, vulnerable countries. Israelis, anti-communist Chinese, Kurds, Greeks and Armenians have a few things in common. They have relatively small populations, aggressive neighbors, few strong allies, many expatriates and refugees in the United States, and a tragic history of persecution and genocide
The European Commission presented its annual Progress Report on Turkey, arriving at positive and negative conclusions regarding Turkey's stalled EU accession process
The Black Sea: A Forgotten Geo-strategic Realm
The expectations of the last ten years that the states surrounding the Black Sea would follow the example of the Balkan region and shape themselves into a security community have not been realized. Perceptions of stagnation have replaced the hopes of a working and stable geo-strategic framework, based on a balance of cooperation and conflicts
Turkish Troops Cross into Iraq in Pursuit of Kurdish Attackers
Turkish troops entered northern Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish separatists who ambushed and killed 24 Turkish soldiers in southern Turkey
Making Room for Religious Minorities
With the opening of Turkey's parliament on October 1 and the start of work on replacing the country's constitution, members of the country's religious minority groups are hoping that years of institutional and legal discrimination will come to an end in the not-too-distant future
Cyprus: Waters Roil in Eastern Mediterranean
Once the preserve of fishing boats and yachts, in the space of just a few weeks the serene waters of the Eastern Mediterranean have become a field of contention. As Greek Cyprus begins exploiting its potentially vast gas and oil reserves, Turkey asserts its growing role as a regional power, and a worried Israel is pushing back
Sinking Lira Defies Soaring Economy
Turkey's bid to join the European Union has been on ice for years, but the economic bloc's financial woes have made the country's currency something of an honorary member
As the greatest beneficiary of the Arab Spring, Turkey is going head to head with both Syria and Israel
Erdogan Pushes for Common Future with Balkan States
Speaking alongside leaders of the Balkan states, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan stressed the cultural and historical ties between Turkey and the Balkans, while calling on the region to overcome its troubled history to co-operate and integrate to form a common future
Iran Wants Turkey and Syria to Resolve Jet-Downing Issue Diplomatically
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi urged Syria and Turkey to peacefully resolve their differences for the sake of security in the region
Downing of Israeli-Upgraded Turkish Jet Reveals Syria's Lethality
When Syria shot down an Israeli-upgraded Turkish fighter jet it was delivering a message that the air force, despite the defection of a senior pilot a day earlier, was still in control and a force to be reckoned with
Cyprus Gas Drilling Could be Geopolitical Accident Waiting to Happen
Energy exploration is adding a new wrinkle to the Turkish-Greek rivalry over the island of Cyprus
Russia's Energy Plans for Turkey
An offer to build natural gas storage facilities may help Russia gain leverage in Turkey
Red Sea Bridge Back on the Drawing Board
The on-again, off-again bridge linking Egypt to Saudi Arabia via the Straits of Tiran has come back to life
Ankara Intimidating Academics, Restricting Free Speech
With the recent arrest of a leading academic, concern is spreading among intellectuals in Turkey that they will have to think twice before voicing criticism of the government in the future
Turkey Ratifies Railway Agreement to Integrate with Balkan States
The railway deal aims to significantly reduce travel times, improve passenger and freight transport and increase competitiveness
Turkey's earthquake devastation accentuates widening economic gap between country's east and west
Is Quake Aftermath Widening Ankara-Kurdish Rift?
The catastrophic earthquake that struck eastern Turkey on October 23, and the ensuing aid and rescue effort, has brought wide sections of Turkish society together. But as the atmosphere in Gedikbulak attests, it has also at times underscored the bitter dispute dividing Turks and the country's Kurdish minority
Balkans Summit Extols Regional Co-Operation
Meeting at a summit in New York, Balkan leaders delivered a strong message in favour of regional reconciliation and co-operation, despite lingering differences
Azerbaijan Faces Difficult Choice Between Turkey and Israel
Policymakers in Azerbaijan are facing a dilemma: can an enemy of a friend be a friend? Specifically, can Baku maintain cordial relations with both Turkey and Israel at the same time?
Turkish PM Erdogan Encounters Two Egypts on Historic Visit
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Cairo to crowds of cheering Egyptians, but analysts say he is likely getting a less enthusiastic reception in the corridors of power, as he encounters resistance to his bid to make his country the leading regional power
Violence Casts Pall Over Constitutional Reform Efforts
A fatal blast in Ankara and increasing violence in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast are overshadowing the country's long-awaited constitutional reform process.
Turkey: How Much of a Safe Haven for Political Dissidents?
No one quite knows how Syrian dissident Hussein Harmoush went from the safety of a Turkish refugee camp into the clutches of the regime he thought he had escaped. But his case has his fellow political exiles nervous
Turkey's Neo-Ottoman Foreign Policy
Whereas Turkey's foreign policy mantra used to be 'no problems with the neighbors,' Turkey now seems to want to become the chief bully in the eastern Mediterranean, escalating tensions between the NATO member and Israel, a key US ally
A triple diplomatic challenge to Israel from Turkey, Palestine and Egypt both reflects the region's political transformation and reveals the key flaw in Israel's attitude to its neighbors
Israel - Turkey Tensions Here to Stay
Israel has little prospect of restoring its once-close ties to Turkey anytime in the near future and will likely find itself under pressure from Ankara in Egypt and in the Mediterranean
Kurds Announce Plan For Democratic Autonomy
As the Kurdish political party's parliamentary boycott continues, an announcement of 'democratic autonomy' for Turkey's Kurds brings even more urgency to the issue
Turkey's Geopolitical Strategy
Turkey provides an interesting case study of a minor country becoming a great power
Social media has been a boon for democratization forces around the world. But a recent tragedy in Turkey helps highlights the fact that social media also has a potentially dark side for democratization efforts
Turkish TPAO Starts Drilling in Northern Cyprus
The exploitation of the Cyprus' fuel resources may increase chances for rapprochement -- or undermine them
Turkey's Jails Filling Up with Journalists
Aziz Tekin had the misfortune of becoming a news item when he became the 105th journalist in Turkey to be put behind bars
Erdogan Most Popular Leader By Far Among Arabs
Turkey is viewed as having played the 'most constructive' role in the past year's events and its prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, emerged as the most admired leader by far in the region
While the renewed interest in Ottoman culture and history may be commercialisation to some, it can also provide a reference point for Turkish foreign policy and domestic politics
Turkey's Never-Ending Kurdish Question
AKP's success has been based on its domination of the Turkish centre ground, and if that centre ground is against making concessions to the Kurds, it will be hard for the party to move any further than it has, even if it wants to
Cartoonist Faces Trial for Asserting that 'Religion Is a Lie'
Not too long ago, when the military acted as the enforcer of a rigidly secular system, a politician in Turkey could be punished merely for reciting religious poetry. Now, with the military's influence waning and moderate Islamists firmly in charge of the machinery of state, government agencies are trying to punish a cartoonist, Bahadir Baruter, for blasphemy
Turkey - Russia Relations and Missile Defense
Ankara's new independent image in Moscow could be threatened by the radar decision
Deterioration of ties between Turkey and Israel poses a heightened risk for the region, analysts say.
Akyol, An Apostle Of The Third Way
For many Westerners concerned with reaching a permanent accommodation with the east -- or specifically, the Middle East -- Mustafa Akyol is 'the acceptable face of Islam.' It is a phrase that has to be accompanied by quotes -- and a health warning.
Young Turks Returning Home to Chase Economic Dreams
For decades, thousands of Turks immigrated to the West, in particular Germany, in search of work. Now Turkey's economic prosperity has young Turks abroad looking homeward.
Syrian Opposition Tries to Unite
Syria's fragmented opposition is on the edge of forming their leadership, as the unrest in the country is about to enter its sixth month
Eastern Mediterranean Olive Oil Producers Seek Markets in Far East
There's a revolution taking place in the eastern Mediterranean and it's all about oil ... olive oil
Turkey Grows Nervous Over Economy
Turkish politicians are expressing concern that the country's booming economy is at risk as the nation's consumers binge on buying and borrowing while Europe struggles to put out the debt fire in Greece
Greek Schools Struggle Amid Funding Shortage
On Istanbul's main shopping street a Greek flag flutters from the Sismanoglu Megaron that contains Turkey's first private Modern Greek language school. But this is more than just another language school
Military Resignation Strategy Misfires
It seems Turkey's generals, so long a force in the country's politics, are going out with a whimper, not a bang
The Rise of Turkey in the Balkans
Turkey has carried out a multi-dimensional and multi-regional foreign policy. With its EU membership prospects in limbo, the country has not only looked to the east, but also towards its 'near abroad' in the Balkans
Cyprus Solution By The End of The Year?
Hopes are rising for the reunification of Cyprus following a string of positive statements by Turkey's foreign minister and the UN secretary-general
Turkey: Constitutional Overhaul?
When Turkey went to the polls in June, the expected outcome was a third term win for the ruling Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AK Party). However, despite this predictable outcome, the election results have been somewhat of a surprise.
Western Turkey: Beyond Istanbul
Turkey is changing fast. And it's modernizing fast. For my vacation this year, I hit the road in Turkey, with romantic memories (a few years old) of horse-drawn carriages and villages with economies powered by hay, dung, and ducks
Turkey in Position to Lead Region Out of Tumultuous Century
There was an article a few days ago in The International Herald Tribune by Anthony Shadid, writing in Gaziantep, Turkey -- an old Hittite city, bordering Syria, strategic during the Crusader wars, center of Turkish resistance to the French occupation in 1920-21. He wrote of its people's nostalgia for the Ottoman past when Turks and Syrians 'were brothers'
Elections and Strained U.S. Relations
Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) won recent Parliamentary elections, which means it will remain in power for a third term. The popular vote made the AKP the most popular party by far. More important, the AKP failed to win a super-majority, which would have given it the power to unilaterally alter Turkey's constitution
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan clearly identifies more with the old transnational Ottoman sultanate than with Kemal Ataturk's modern, secular and Western nation-state. Indeed, he has bragged that he is a grandson of the Ottomans and announced that Turkey's new goal was to restore the might of the Ottoman Empire
Turkey's Dilemma: Economy or Constitution
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces a fateful decision as he tries to square the need to cool an overheating economy with plans for a constitutional overhaul, economists said a day after his Justice and Development Party (AKP) emerged victorious in elections
Turkey Setting Poor Example for Other Arab Nations
Since the very beginning of the Arab uprisings, over and over again we've been hearing politicians, commentators -- almost everyone with an opinion -- express the ardent hope that new Arab governments will emulate 'the Turkish model,' a supposed moderate Islamic democracy. Well, think again
Israel, Turkey and Iran: Neighbourly Strain
Tensions between Turkey and Israel have been growing, and at the core of their tensions lies their disagreement over foreign policies in Iran
Managing a More Assertive Turkey
Turkey's recent diplomatic differences with the United States and its sharpened deterioration of relations with Israel come from Turkey's desire to reestablish its role as a major influence in the Middle East and Central Asia, says F. Stephen Larrabee, an expert on Turkey
Will Iran Look More Like Turkey, or Turkey Like Iran
The great historical question is whether, at the end of the day, Iran will look more like Turkey, or Turkey like Iran
Pax Ottomana? The Mixed Success of Turkey's New Foreign Policy
Turkey does not fit neatly into anyone's conception of the world order. For centuries, people have debated or fought over whether it is part of Europe, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, or Eurasia. Some see its current government as careening toward 'Islamist fascism'; others believe it is integrating into a basically pluralistic, secular, globalized international order
An Unlikely Trio: Can Iran Turkey and the United States Become Allies?
Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results. When it comes to the Middle East, writes Stephen Kinzer, Washington has been doing just that. Hence, in Reset: Iran, Turkey, and America's Future, he proposes that the United States needs to partner with Iran and Turkey to create a 'powerful triangle.'
See what's happening in Turkey, the West's old ally and new adversary. The danger to freedom there becomes ever more clear and present every day. But the tragedy of it can scarcely be apprehended without an appreciation of the dark past out of which this current Turkey arose, and to which it is about to return.
An Act of Piracy on the High Seas
Forget what country did it. Consider, first, the facts: Armed commandos attack an unarmed ship in international waters, open fire and kill nine civilians, including one American. What do you call that? An act of piracy. It doesn't matter what country did it
Farideh Farhi on Shifts in Iran on Nuclear Policy
The agreement reached in which Iran would send about half of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey to be enriched signaled a new unity in the leadership in Tehran, says analyst Farideh Farhi. She says that while the regime continues to worry about its perceived legitimacy domestically, the agreement with Brazil and Turkey has strong public support
Turkey | Turkish Current Events & News from Turkey
