Monthly Archives: October 2011

There are valuable experiences Turkey ought to take from the Italian experience of the “Mani Pulite” (Clean Hands) initiative of the early 1990s. The Italian experiment teaches us that it is imperative to pursue dismantling gangs, illicit groups, criminal networks … Continue reading →

Because of the cyclical nature of history over the centuries, we find ourselves at yet another bend in the road as we witness new emerging powers in the world while at the same time watching existing ones continue to bleed. … Continue reading →

Lahore- I visited different parts of Pakistan over the last week, having talks with officials, journalists, academics and others. I must admit it was certainly a pleasant experience to feel quite welcomed here as a Turk and at times I … Continue reading →

When I was writing this column, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, was about to land in the Pakistani capital with an unusually large delegation, which included the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), David Petraeus, and Chairman … Continue reading →

The future of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government will be determined by two separate but closely linked developments in Turkey, as will the future performance of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the next … Continue reading →

Let me give you an insider’s scoop on the real motivation behind Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent accusations against German foundations, or rather German funds tied to the government, for indirectly funneling money to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ … Continue reading →

This is the second time I am writing a “regress report” to address the progress the EU has failed to make in a number of areas with regard to its obligations to Turkey. It is a cynical way of approaching … Continue reading →

Strasbourg – A well attended and extremely important meeting took place in the halls of the Council of Europe (CoE) this week commemorating the fifth anniversary of the murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. The CoE’s point man on human … Continue reading →

If you ask me, the most important contribution the US administration made under the watch of President Barack Obama to improve bilateral relations with regional power Turkey is the renewed focus on trade and investment, a crucial element that was … Continue reading →