Monthly Archives: June 2013

The recent brawl between Turkey and Germany supposedly over a chapter opening as part of the EU accession talks had nothing to do with the recent Gezi Park protests and the Turkish government response to that. It was not related … Continue reading →

Recent protests exposed, among other things, the depth of Iranian infiltration into Turkey as well as major weaknesses in the counterintelligence shield of the Turkish spy agency. Although the protests started out of environmental concerns over a green space in … Continue reading →

Perhaps Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan did not articulate the concept very well when he said that an “interest rate lobby” was fuelling the escalation of what was originally a small green protest to preserve Gezi Park in the Taksim … Continue reading →

The summer of 2014 is going to be a hot, politically charged season in Turkey where three elections will likely be held on the same day to determine the next president, prime minister and thousands of local administrators across the … Continue reading →

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s unwavering stand against the protest movement that has spread all over the country means he is digging his heels in for a fight with opponents to score politically in the elections next year. He … Continue reading →

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government failed miserably in managing what was originally a small-scale and peaceful sit-in protest against a face-lift project for a pedestrian walkway in Taksim, one of İstanbul’s landmark centers. The harsh reaction … Continue reading →