Monthly Archives: May 2011

Last week I toured around some provinces in the Black Sea and eastern and central Anatolian regions to take the pulse of the electorate for the upcoming parliamentary elections on June 12. It was clear from the field that the … Continue reading →

We embarked on an election campaign tour this week, starting from Samsun in the north, dropping by Erzurum in the East, and ending up in Bingöl in the cross between the Southeast and Central Anatolia. It was clear that in … Continue reading →

On a recent trip to the region, I noticed that there is a growing segment of the Kurdish electorate in the East and Southeast of the country who will be casting their votes against independent candidates endorsed by the pro-Kurdish … Continue reading →

There was some serious soul searching done in the 10th edition of the Arab Media Forum held in Dubai this week under the auspices of the Dubai Press Club. It covered issues from the battered image of Arab citizens to … Continue reading →

The fundamental transformation of Turkish-Russian relations over the last two decades from being former Cold War foes to being strategic partners is quite a leap forward for students of international politics. The growing partnership between Turkey under the ruling Justice … Continue reading →

When I hear the statements by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Leon Panetta and US President Barack Obama’s Homeland Security adviser John Brennan over the alleged complicity on the part of Pakistan regarding the compound of terror mastermind Osama bin … Continue reading →

It is surprising to see the incumbent, two-term secretary-general of the United Nation’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) run for another term to lead the world body’s important scientific institution even after he, among others, was slapped by a UN tribunal … Continue reading →

It is difficult to understand why on earth the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) nominated Ergenekon suspects as deputy candidates to the Turkish Parliament while these suspects are currently on trial for secret plots to foment chaos in the … Continue reading →