Turkey’s Shifting Diplomacy
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt (L),Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (C) and Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis (R) pose for media before their Turkey-EU Troika Ministerial meeting in Istanbul November 26, 2009. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
Bildt in ‘make-or-break’ visits to Turkey, Macedonia
From right, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, Turkey’s chief EU negotiator Egemen Bagis and Spain’s State Secretary for European affairs Diego Lopez Garrido seen after their talks in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. Turkish and European Union ministers met in Istanbul to discuss Turkey’s stalled bid to join the bloc. (AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta)
Turkey, EU hold senior-level talks in İstanbul
Today’s Zaman
Turkish and European Union ministers met in İstanbul on Thursday to discuss Turkey’s stalled bid to join the bloc, weeks ahead of a critical December summit
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt (L),Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (C) and Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis (R) attend a news conference before their Turkey-EU Troika Ministerial meeting in Istanbul November 26, 2009.
REUTERS/Osman Orsal
Murky American minds, murky Turkey
At a recent critical editorial on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan?s government, Washington Post described Ergenekon investigation as ?murky?. Interestingly, the US State Department?s 2008 terrorism report has also claimed details of the case were ?murky.?
Congratulations:
BBC Interview with Jenny White
Photo by Mehmet Önal: Jenny White at Whitehall, edging away from the horse.
I was in London a couple of weeks ago to give a talk at LSE (?Fear and Loathing in the Turkish National Imagination?). While I was there, I was interviewed (in Turkish) by the BBC about my new book, The Winter Thief, and about my experiences in Turkey. Listen here (my segment starts at 11.00).
Lessons for The Washington Post
Athens on EU-Turkey ties
A foreign ministry spokesman on Thursday referred to a closely watched EU summit next month that is expected to make crucial decisions regarding Turkey’s EU course.
US praises Turkey’s active role amid axis shift debates
Ahead of an upcoming visit by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Washington, the United States has appeared to dismiss concerns that Turkey’s foreign policy orientation is shifting away from the West, saying Ankara stands out as a democratic model for its region.
Sweden?s Bildt warns Europeans against rejecting Turkey
In strongly worded remarks, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has rebutted rhetoric used by certain European Union member countries to oppose Turkey?s eventual accession into the now-27 nation bloc, stating that the EU?s future enlargement should be considered a strategic issue, not a matter of public opinion.
Between Fact and Fantasy:Turkey?s Ergenekon Investigation
?Between Fact And Fantasy: Turkey?s Ergenekon Investigation? is a Silk Road Paper published by the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program.
The State of Democracy and Local Administrations in Southeastern Turkey
By Sedat LACINER
* This paper was first presented at ?The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities? organised by Council of Europe
EU, Turkey and the World in 2030
By Sundeep Waslekar
It would be extremely short-sighted to view the question of the Turkish membership of the European Union in the framework of a balance sheet for the two parties.
Turkish Foreign Policy in the New Era
By Sedat LACINER
There are some that accuse Turkey of deviating from its Western foreign policy to that of the East. First of all, as President Abdullah Gul said in his speech at International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) this week, we should not look at Turkey?s current trade relations or official visits to understand Turkey?s direction. We have to look at the values of Turkey to assess whether there has been a change in the direction. In the last seven years Turkey has made great reforms and transformations. For example, the Kurdish policy of the Turkish State has changed dramatically, even mentioning the term Kurd in Turkey was taboo in the 1990s, but now there is a Kurdish State TV channel, TRT 7 (TRT Ses). These developments have not only been in Kurdish broadcasting, but many other fundamental rights have been given to the Kurdish people as well.
Will Turkey be happy with Stefan Fuele as new Commissioner for Enlargement?
?tefan FÜLE from Czech Republic will be the next European commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy.
I am not sure if Turkey must be happy with his nomination since he made it very quick clear that Turkey is not ready for the EU. He will succeed Olli Rehn who supported Turkish bid. Stefan Fuele (English spelling) only conditionally support the admission of Turkey to the European Union