Monthly Archives: January 2012

Mindful of Iranian attempts to secretly use Turkish soil to provide arms and munitions to illicit terrorist groups as well as to repressive regimes like Syria, Turkey has increased security precautions at its border gates with Iran, the world’s “most … Continue reading →

Turkey’s relatively newfound interest in engaging with Somalia was triggered by a combination of different events, from the extension of humanitarian assistance during a time of great famine to the desire to establish a foothold in a strategic location so … Continue reading →

In November 2011, President Abdullah Gül warned Syria not to use the outlawed terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) against Turkey, indicating that he hopes the neighboring country does not make the same mistake it did in the past by hosting … Continue reading →

On Jan. 26 the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will disclose annual statistics with regard to the signatory states of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) during a press briefing held once a year at the human rights … Continue reading →

SOUSSE — No doubt Tunisia faces significant challenges in its political, economic and social policies. How it deals with the post-revolution era will have important ramifications not only for the country itself but for others in the entire southern rim … Continue reading →

I am here in Tunisia on the anniversary of a revolution that marked the departure of dictator Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali, an event which inspired the so-called Arab Spring that ousted long-standing autocrats Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and Muammar … Continue reading →

I was a short distance away from the explosion that ripped through a busy intersection in the Syrian capital on Friday, hitting a police bus and killing at least 26 people. I was busy watching a small pro-government demonstration in … Continue reading →

I will disclose details of a private meeting between Turkish and EU officials to shed some light on what has been a rather sour note between Ankara and Brussels for more than a decade now. The gathering took place amid … Continue reading →

In my previous column, I discussed Turkey’s Medium-Term Economic Programs (OVP) for the 2012-2014 period, which was also included in the final communiqué issued by the G-20 at Cannes. The Turkish experiment proves that growth can go hand-in-hand with the … Continue reading →