Tag Archives: Turkey

March 26, 2012 · 13:59

Human Rights and Syria: An Original Position for the Gulf?

Commentary by Riccardo Dugulin – 26 March 2012

Source: informeuropa.it

On February 29, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted by an overwhelming majority a resolution condemning the flagrant violations of human rights in Syria. Regardless of the fact that the HRC cannot generate legally binding resolutions, the move of the council must be read as a major step forward in the international push to limit Bashar al-Assad’s ability to further wage war on his own population. Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been instrumental in drafting and garnering support for the resolution. The Syrian crisis represents the first event in Middle Eastern recent history in which local Arab powers, along with Turkey, openly take a position and lead the way in denouncing crimes committed by an Arab government against its own population through a UN resolution. Continue reading →

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November 7, 2011 · 21:18

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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September 12, 2011 · 09:09

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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August 11, 2011 · 16:56

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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