April 21, 2025
Following President Erdoğan’s first use of it in early January after the arrest of Mr. Rıza Akpolat, the Mayor of the Beşiktaş district of İstanbul, “radish” has become the top word of the Turkish political lexicon. Once he used the word, Mr. Özgür Özel, the leader of the main opposition party CHP, reacted by calling it “a declaration of war”. Thus, while the world remains engaged in a tariff war, we are fighting an internal “radish war”.
Okumaya devam etApril 14, 2025
People aspire to democracy. Regardless of the level of respect they have for fundamental rights and freedoms, all regimes, including dictatorships claim to be democratic as this remains the ultimate source of legitimacy. People also aspire to economic development, higher standards of living, and a fair distribution of income.
Okumaya devam etApril 7, 2025
On January 18, 2025, following the Israeli government’s approval of the Gaza ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a statement. He notably declared that Israel retains the right to return to the war, if necessary, with the backing of the US. And in a broad assessment of the war against Hamas and Iran’s Axis of Resistance, he said:
“We eliminated Sinwar, Deif and Haniyeh. We eliminated Nasrallah and the entire Hezbollah leadership. We destroyed most of the weaponry of the Syrian military. We struck the Houthis in Yemen. We acted against Iran. Indeed, we struck all of these very hard, that is to say that we struck the entire Iranian axis very hard – and we are still active.
“Just as I promised you, we have changed the face of the Middle East.”
Okumaya devam etMarch 31, 2025
Türkiye’s governing AKP came to power in November 2002. Twenty-three years later, it is still in power. Children who started elementary school in 2002 are now thirty.
In its early years, the AKP appeared to have a democratic agenda. It engaged in economic reform.
At the Brussels summit on December 17, 2004, EU leaders agreed to start accession negotiations with Ankara. These negotiations were kicked off in Luxembourg on October 3, 2005. AKP’s popular support surged. However, while many were happy with the AKP’s performance, some reserved judgment and waited for what could be “in-store”.
Okumaya devam etMarch 13, 2025
A brief look at the past:
In 2009, the communique issued at the end of the Damascus meeting of the “Turkish-Syrian High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council” referred to a “strategic partnership”, then a fashionable label for Türkiye’s external relationships. It mentioned common threats and challenges confronting the two countries. A year later, Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu, in remarks to the press with his Syrian counterpart in Latakia, underlined that the exemplary relationship between Syria and Türkiye was serving as a model for regional partnerships and that the two countries were aiming at total economic integration with neighbors.
Okumaya devam etMarch 10, 2025
On February 19, 2021, President Biden addressed the Virtual Munich Security Conference. He declared, “America is back.”
Last week, President Trump delivered his State of the Union address before Congress. He started his remarks with the following:
“I return to this chamber tonight to report that America’s momentum is back. Our spirit is back. Our pride is back. Our confidence is back…”
Okumaya devam etMarch 3, 2025
For centuries Europe remained the world’s main battleground. The casualties of the two world wars within four decades dwarfed the losses and devastation of past conflicts. And as the Second World War ended, the Iron Curtain descended across Europe.
Okumaya devam etFebruary 24, 2025
Today marks the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war continues but the diplomatic picture has changed dramatically. President Trump’s first month in office was frenetic, to say the least, and led to the fracturing of the US-Europe relationship as NATO and the EU were sidelined. The background to the conflict, and differing views on whether history could have been differently aside, Mr. Trump’s reversal of Washington’s policy has shocked allies. If his words were to be matched with action in the months ahead this would have lasting consequences for trust in the Trump White House, US foreign and security policy, relations with NATO allies, and relations with allies/partners in the Indo-Pacific.
Okumaya devam etFebruary 17, 2025
President Trump’s barrage of proposals and statements by senior US officials on peace in the Middle East and Ukraine have surprised European partners, triggering confusion and uncertainty. Last Friday, Vice-President Vance chastised European leaders for failing to listen to their voters. When asked about European participation in the negotiations with Russia, US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Kellogg said, “I think that’s not gonna happen.” Mr. Trump’s latest salvo, lost among others, was a nuclear deal with Russia and China to halve defense budgets.
Okumaya devam etFebruary 10, 2025
At a CNN town hall in May 2023, Mr. Trump said: “They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done in 24 hours.” He said that would happen after he met with Ukrainian President Zelensky and President Putin. And he kept repeating the claim on the campaign trail.
Okumaya devam et
Diplomatik Yorum - Ali Tuygan 