Category Archives: Turkey

Place Taksim, Place Tahrir : regard froid sur la chaleur stambouliote

Par Moussa Bk – 7 juin 2013

Source: Bulent Kilic/ AP-NYTimes

Source: Bulent Kilic/ AP-NYTimes

Voilà quelques jours que la Turquie est en feu. Les expressions abondent afin de qualifier en direct live des évènements dont l’interprétation quasi-instantanée est pourtant impossible. « Printemps arabe en Turquie », « printemps turc », « révolution », bref des dénominations qui investissent intrinsèquement les protagonistes de toutes les vertus démocratiques. A bien y réfléchir, il semble difficile de savoir si la couverture médiatique des manifestations résulte de l’effet Alliot Marie (effet selon lequel, à la manière de Michel Alliot Marie, on fait passer des manifestants qui réclament leur dignité pour des fauteurs de trouble) ou bien de cette étrange sympathie récemment acquise par les médias à l’égard des peuples arabes. Continue reading

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Filed under Français, Turkey

Interview: Anthony Shadid on the Political Reconfiguration of the Middle East (Part I)

 Interview – 7 November 2011

Anthony Shadid

Anthony Shadid is the Beirut bureau chief for The New York Times. Before joining the Times, Mr. Shadid served as the Baghdad bureau chief of The Washington Post. Over a fifteen-year career, he has reported from most countries in the Middle East and broader Arab world. Anthony Shadid was awarded the Pulitzer Prize twice, in 2004 and 2010, for his coverage of the war in Iraq. In 2007, he was a finalist for the same prize for his coverage in Lebanon. Anthony Shadid is also the author of two books, “Legacy of the Prophet: Despots, Democrats and the New Politics of Islam,” (2000) and “Night Draws Near: Iraq’s People in the Shadow of America’s War” (2005). This interview was conducted by Shereen Dbouk in Beirut on the 2nd of November, 2011. Continue reading

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Filed under Arab Spring, English, Foreign Policy & IR, Gulf states, Interview, Turkey

Erdogan’s New Doctrine: How the Turks Finally Got it Right

Commentary by Tamer Mallat 12 September 2011

Source: NationalTurk.com

Since the AKP’s arrival to power in 2002 under the aegis of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish foreign policy could be best described as being schizophrenic. For a country situated at the crossroads of history’s ever-changing geopolitical fault lines, such a characterization is far from extraordinary. The Ottoman Empire, from its birth, its various metamorphoses, and its eventual demise, never once ceased to bear witness to the constant evolution of its neighbors on every front of its borders. Once the primary catalyst of change, the Sublime Porte, in the last few centuries of its life, quickly became a victim to external pressures and political seismic shifts. Today, the Turks appear to have finally gotten their act together in terms of developing a coherent and effective foreign policy. This though was the result of a long process marked by years of trial and error. Continue reading

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Filed under English, Foreign Policy & IR, Turkey

كبش المحرقة

بقلم أسامة حريري – ٢٧ آب ٢٠١١

شهدت الأيّام الأخيرة سلسلة أحداث هزّت منطقة الشّرق الأوسط وأعلنت بداية سيناريو جديد. للوهلة الأولى ، قد تبدو هذه الأحداث عشوائيّة وغير مترابطة. لكن قي الواقع هي متّصلة ببعضها البعض وهدفها واحد. أماّ السّؤال الأبرز الذي يهمّنا هو : من هو المستفيد من هذه الفوضى المنظّمة ؟ ولماذا هذا التوقيت بالذات ؟ من الواضح جدّا ً اليوم أنّ أبرز الأزمات وأكثرها تعقيدا ً هي الأزمة التي تشهدها سوريا نظرا ً لموقعها الإستراتيجي بين العراق وتركيا ولبنان و إسرائيل. الأزمة في سوريا لم تعد تقتصر على نظام ٍ مستبدّ يقتل شعبه يوميا ً ، بل أيضا ً على لعبة دول ٍ كُبرى تتصارع في ما بينها . أحد أوجه هذا الصّراع هو إيراني –أميركي. Continue reading

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Filed under Foreign Policy & IR, Iran, Lebanon & Syria, Palestine & Israel, Turkey, عربي

Interview: Michael Young on the “Arab Spring”

Michael Young

Michael Young is one of the leading political analysts in the Middle East and broader Arab world. He is the opinion editor of the The Daily Star (Lebanon) and the author of The Ghosts of Martyrs Square: An Eyewitness Account of Lebanon’s Life Struggle. He also tweets @BeirutCalling. In light of recent developments in the region, ArabsThink.com has had the opportunity to interview Michael Young about his take on events. The interview was conducted on the 9th of August 2011. Continue reading

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Filed under Arab Spring, Egypt, English, Foreign Policy & IR, Gulf states, Interview, Lebanon & Syria, Turkey

Standstill of Turkish-Syrian Relations Decisive for Syria

Commentary by Van Meguerditchian – 11 August 2011

Bashar al-Assad & Ahmet Davutoglu

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s speech in Ankara following a six-hour talk with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad signals a crucial turning point in the shaky relations between the two Middle Eastern states. As Assad stood firm on his belief that his army is fighting terrorist groups, Mr. Davutoglu took another step towards allying his country with pro-democracy protesters in Syria. Continue reading

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Filed under Arab Spring, English, Foreign Policy & IR, Lebanon & Syria, Turkey