Monthly Archives: February 2017

When the latest round of talks began between the parts in Cyprus, there were many colleagues and friends who were swept along with enthusiasm. ‘This time, this is it!’ was the phrase I had heard more than a year ago. … Continue reading →

Amid growing uncer­tainties in the geopolitical game over the future of war-torn Syria, the sudden eruption of tension between Turkey and Iran is just another phase of sectarian arm wrestling in the region. During a recent visit to Bahrain, Turkish … Continue reading →

As I sat down to write these lines, the ever-developing story of Turkey continued to pass before me like a fast-forward movie – perhaps, like a docu-drama whose inspirational roots go back to Germany preparing for a referendum in August … Continue reading →

When Mine Gencel Bek and I had met – out of coincidence – in Boston in the autumn of 2014, we had no idea we would find ourselves as outcasts, although then we were concerned enough about what sorts of … Continue reading →

‘Tension politics’, that has been on the rapid rise, is defining the agenda where conflicts have been kept dormant for ages. The most recent example is the Turkish-Greek confrontation in the Aegean, about and around an uninhabited tiny islet, Imia … Continue reading →

When I heard the news on late Tuesday night, I did not know who to pity more than the other. I knew a few of the victims, but the first one I thought was a soft-spoken, elderly gentleman; Prof İbrahim … Continue reading →

‘When universal values and international law are cast aside, global affairs are governed by force.’ This powerful remark printed at the end of a long, detailed report by Freedom House (FH) – titled ‘Populists and Autocrats: The Dual Threat to … Continue reading →