Monthly Archives: May 2013

Many assume the appalling manifestation of Islamophobic attacks — verbal or physical — can only be witnessed in countries where Muslims are a minority. It is true that from Myanmar in Southeast Asia to the US across the Pacific Rim, … Continue reading →

When Turkey adopted sweeping cigarette smoking bans in May 2008 which went beyond some of the stringent regulations adopted by the EU and the US, many were skeptical of the implementation phase of the newly imposed restrictions. The bill, which … Continue reading →

The results of the Bulgarian national elections held on May 12 have exposed how a short-sighted and definitely ill-advised policy of sponsoring a newly established ethnic Turkish party in the Bulgarian political landscape by the ruling Justice and Development Party … Continue reading →

It may not be by intention, but the US administration has inadvertently placed Iraq in the hands of Iran, supposedly the archenemy of the US. Conspiracy theories, which are certainly not uncommon in the Middle East, could very well state … Continue reading →

After spending a week in Brussels talking to advocacy groups, members of the European Parliament and officials from the European Commission as part of a program organized and funded by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), it was refreshing to see … Continue reading →

Among all the possible talking points for US President Barack Obama’s upcoming meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 16 in the White House, obviously some have to be dropped for various considerations and sensitivities, not to … Continue reading →

Bülent Arınç, lawyer by profession, was not chosen to oversee complicated compensation talks with Israel over the 2010 aid flotilla incident, which resulted in the killing of nine Turks including a Turkish-American by Israeli soldiers in international water, because of … Continue reading →

As in the case of discussion over freedom of press woes, confusion on where we should draw the line between freedom of assembly and the pressing need for security and public safety still persists in Turkey with a wide margin. … Continue reading →

On April 11 we saw an amazing show of solidarity between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on the center-right and the main opposition Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP) on the center-left make a last minute amendment to what … Continue reading →