Monthly Archives: March 2012

China is clearly looking for a graceful “face-saving” exit strategy for its much criticized stand on a year-long Syrian crisis that has claimed thousands of civilian lives and sent thousands more across the border to Turkey for safe haven. The … Continue reading →

According to a senior government official who I talked to last week, Turkey has set things in motion to beef up a contingency plan for the future of Iraq in the face of the increasing likelihood that the country may … Continue reading →

During Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s “working visit” to Turkey on Aug. 14-15, 2008, a visit that was described by the Iranian ambassador in Turkey, Bahman Hooseinpoor, as the “most important visit” in the last 12 years of bilateral ties between … Continue reading →

“Regardless of our ambitions to become part of the EU, we have to keep in mind that Turkey is also a very strong voice that can represent the needs of our region in wider terms in global platforms,” Montenegrin Prime … Continue reading →

While the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is undergoing a process of reform and restructuring amid global and regional crises, Turkey, along with other emerging economies, is eyeing a bigger voice in the IMF’s decision-making body. With new changes adopted in … Continue reading →

Southern Iraq, especially oil-rich Basra province, is yet another battleground for Turkish-Iranian rivalry, which has mostly manifested itself in the form of a cutthroat race for trade deals and business contracts. With one major contrast in their approach, however. Iran … Continue reading →

When I was invited to accompany Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ on the Turkish Airlines (THY) maiden journey from İstanbul to Mogadishu this week, I did not hesitate to accept it. The trip gave me the chance to take a … Continue reading →

I am afraid it has become a rule rather than an exception for Turkey’s governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party) to unveil a series of reform laws, all aimed at strengthening the rule of law, democracy and fundamental human … Continue reading →