Lessons from Turkey’s refugee crisis for dealing with COVID-19
Güven Sak, PhD
22 March 2020
Any economy, be it rice farming or high finance, relies on people working together. The COVID-19 pandemic has put an abrupt stop to this. Countries around the world are now rolling out economic measures to protect jobs and economic activity until we find a way to start back up again.
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Gallipoli Spirit
N. Murat Ersavcı
20 March 2020
As a Turk, every time I visit Gallipoli and the Straits of the Dardanelles, I am reminded of the way in which history touches our lives. Gallipoli touches my own in several ways. Both my wife and I are among those who lost members of their families.
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Just how bad is COVID-19 for Turkey's economy?
Güven Sak, PhD
15 March 2020
Last week, the only thing Turks were talking about was Idlib. The coronavirus, dubbed COVID-19, was an exotic news story from distant lands. Since the outbreak has been classified as a pandemic and taken over the global news cycle, our object of existential anxiety has shifted overnight. Turkey has proven itself ready so far, with only two documented cases of the virus and no deaths. Still, the virus has entered the country, and its spread is inevitable.
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Unpleasant refugee arithmetic with the EU
Güven Sak, PhD
08 March 2020
The issue of forced migration and internally displaced persons (IDPs) is perhaps the most defining problem of our age, and the civil war in Syria is its most typical case. It is very difficult to deal with because it is a regional problem that can only be addressed through global cooperation. Yet our European partners so often seem to be forgetting this simple truth, and try to wish away the refugee crisis at their door.
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EU without Turkey
N. Murat Ersavcı
06 March 2020
Without Turkey, Europe just doesn't look right and in the long run it probably won't work. The idea of Turkey as an active player in the life of Europe is a relatively new one for people in Europe. Because Turkey industrialised much later than most of the countries on the north side of the Mediterranean, it was for many years just a bystander.
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Why Brexit is an Opportunity for Turkey
Güven Sak, PhD
16 February 2020
Brexit, as Prime Minister Boris Johnson likes to say, is done. The British have about a year to negotiate the deal that will determine their future relationship with the EU. The form Brexit takes will have significant repercussions for third parties, Turkey being only one of the many. I believe that Brexit to be rather fortunate for Turkey. Let me explain what I mean by that.
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Europe’s geopolitical power and Turkey
Güven Sak, PhD
09 February 2020
Someone asked an awkward question the other day: “What does a geopolitical commission mean for Turkey?” He was talking about the new EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plan to boost Europe’s geopolitical weight. Her priorities briefing says that “such a Commission will have a political agenda in which reinforcing the EU’s role as a relevant international actor, and trying to shape a better global order through reinforcing multilateralism, is to become a key priority [‘A stronger Europe in the world’].” I think this would be good for Turkey, but awkward.
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Trump's Israel-Palestine Plan is a patchwork of failed attempts
Güven Sak, PhD
02 February 2020
Looking for something positive happening in Turkey lately? Well, Wikipedia is back as of January 2020. It was shameful that for years we had to use workarounds to use the encyclopedia of the digital age. Thanks to the Constitutional Court in Ankara, it is now easier to search for information in Turkey.
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EU - Turkey Relations
N. Murat Ersavcı
20 January 2020
With the latest worrying developments in the international scene, I believe it is time for the EU to rethink its policy approach towards Turkey. Both Turkey and the EU face the same difficulties, especially at the moment in the Middle East. Together we would have much greater strength to influence the events to come. In that context, discussion of “EU- Turkey Relations” will remain incomplete unless without first examining closely the interaction between Turkey and Europe.
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Israelis are back in Turkey after a lost decade
Güven Sak, PhD
19 January 2020
When we speak of the recent history of Turkish-Israeli relations, two dates stand out. The first is Jan. 30, 2009, when then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was on a Davos panel with President Shimon Peres. Erdoğan told Peres what he thought of Israel’s policies, and stormed off the stage.
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