Güven Sak, PhD
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The Middle East and North Africa needs its own ASEAN
In 2012, Turkey made the Ro-Ro agreement with Egypt, which allowed its goods easier access to Middle Eastern markets. The agreement is going to expire this April, and…
First Muslim-majority country to chair the G20
In 2012, Mexico was the first emerging economy to lead the G20. So Turkey is not first. But those out there with unhealthy “first time ever” obsessions, can take solace…
Why Turkey’s transformation is confusing
I have been hearing two seemingly contradictory tales about Turkey’s transformation lately. One ends with the AKP’s election victory in 2002, while the other starts with…
Let the person without sin throw the first stone
People seem to think that Turkey has changed in some basic way in the past couple of years, that the system of 80 million people somehow shifted its stance overnight to…
How the ballot box made Turkey
Internal migration made Turkey. Families packing up and leaving their hometowns has been one of the major building blocks of our growth model. But no more, according to…
The state of the Turkish economy
Santa Claus is a citizen of Turkey - or he would have been if he was living today. In the third century, he was known as Saint Nicholas of Myra, today’s city of Demre in…
The unbearable feeling of loneliness
It takes courage to accept failure. President Obama showed the world that he can learn from the facts and abandon a long-failed policy. Because US policy towards Cuba…
What’s the problem with the Middle East?
What comes to your mind when you think about the Middle East? For me, it’s the low level of connectivity. Here we have a region composed of clammed up countries; but…
Why are Turkish men paying out of their noses to be exempt from military service?
I was in Israel last week, where I saw a Picture of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his wife, posing with their youngest son who is about to be conscripted to the…
On Track for Inclusive Growth - How to make ends meet in G20?
Since the onset of the financial crisis, the G 20 Forum, whose membership consists of systemically important advanced and emerging economies, has emerged as the…
Actions and words in Turkey
Here are two presidential addresses to consider from November 2014: President Obama talked about net neutrality, while President Erdoğan talked about gender equality (or…
Nothing personal, Mr. Biden
Have you seen the latest Pew Attitudes Survey on Turkey? Only 19 % of Turks have a favorable opinion of the United States. The Americans I talk to appear to be offended…