Monthly Archives: October 2012

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki have their vast array of differences. But none proved to be as deadly on bilateral ties as the apparent personality clash between the two prime ministers who have … Continue reading →

Herat — There is certainly plenty of reason for concern over the future of Afghanistan when the drawdown of NATO coalition forces occurs by the end of 2014. The devastated and weary nation may very well plunge into yet another … Continue reading →

The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the gathering of 10 countries — Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — in the Eurasia region, is rapidly becoming an empty talking shop, thanks but no thanks to increasingly … Continue reading →

It should be obvious by now that there is a pro-war lobby in the Turkish capital, one that is itching for a major confrontation with Syria and one that also has considerable influence over the government decision making process. This … Continue reading →

Well, the time has come, again, to write another “regress report” to talk about the shortcomings of the EU when it comes to fulfilling its obligations to Turkey in lieu of membership negotiations. It may sound cynical against the background … Continue reading →

During deliberations in the Turkish Parliament on Thursday over a resolution allowing the government to authorize cross-border operations into Syria and send troops when deemed necessary, Oktay Vural, the parliamentary group deputy chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), made … Continue reading →

Is it possible to reach a conclusion that Turkey’s powerful Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is no longer interested in pursuing the EU membership goals, especially since negotiations have not produced any significant progress in the last two years? Maybe … Continue reading →