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    Arbil is no Barcelona
    Güven Sak, PhD 27 August 2017
    Both Arbil and Barcelona are going to hold independence referenda in less than a month. Arbil set the date for Sept. 25 and Barcelona for Oct. 1. The former is on the independence of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) from Iraq, and the latter on the independence of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia from Spain. Both Baghdad and Madrid are fiercely opposed to the plans of their regional governments. Despite the similarities however, it is worth pondering the considerable differences between them. [More]
    The case for realism in Turkey-Europe relations
    Güven Sak, PhD 20 August 2017
    “Not a day has passed in Turkey without a domestic security operation against an active ISIL cell,” a security expert noted the other day. “Just follow the news.” We had been talking about the Barcelona terror attack, but the conversation was coming back to Turkey very quickly. [More]
    From the Adriatic Sea to the Great Wall of China
    Güven Sak, PhD 13 August 2017
    I recently read Henry Kissinger’s remarks in June about Turkey. I compare it to what he said about Turkey back in 1992, and the difference within the 25 years is heartbreaking. Developments in Syria are poisoning Turkey’s intimate relations with its allies. Let me elaborate. [More]
    How it begins, how it ends
    Güven Sak, PhD 06 August 2017
    I borrowed the title of today’s column from an old essay by the late Umberto Eco. The Western reaction to the Gülenist putsch attempt in Turkey last year made me go back to it. Eco was a columnist for Il Verri, an Italian literary magazine, between 1959 and 1961. “How to travel with a Salmon & Other Essays” is a translated English language collection of his essays from that period. Just have a look at this particular essay and see what I mean. [More]
    Turkey and Germany need to increase bandwidth
    Güven Sak, PhD 23 July 2017
    “How dare you consider vacationing in Turkey with my children?” said a wife to her husband in the back of a Berlin taxi. At least that’s what the driver – who was of Turkish origin - told me afterwards. This driver was anxious, eager to talk about what he and many others feel is a growing anxiety between the Turks and the Germans in that country. [More]
    The G20 Hamburg Leaders’ Declaration is out: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is on the agenda again
    Selin Arslanhan Memiş 11 July 2017
    Following the G20 Leaders’ Summit held on 7-8 July, the G20 Hamburg Leaders' Declaration was announced yesterday. In general, when compared to the exciting declaration announced last year during China’s presidency, it is possible to say that this year's G20 communique is back to its old static self. The Chinese presidency of the G20, in addition to main global affairs agenda being written up year-in-year-out, had given space to new rhetoric and actions showing that it had transformed into a 21st century platform. However, especially regarding its general framework, it is not hard to see that the G20 has gone back to square one.Many issues such as sustainable development, climate change and migration, which gained attention during the 2015 Turkish presidency period and continued in the 2016 [More]
    Why do Turks smile less than before?
    Güven Sak, PhD 09 July 2017
    “There is something rotten in the state of Denmark” says Marcellus in the first act of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Living in Ankara, I can relate to that. Gallup’s 2017 Global Emotions Report was recently released and I can see an interesting trend. Every year, fewer Turks answer the question “Did you smile or laugh a lot yesterday?” affirmatively. Last year, half of the respondents said they had smiled or laughed on the previous day. This year, it’s just 38 percent. [More]
    Syrians in Turkey: Is Work Permit Regulation Enough?
    Omar Kadkoy 05 July 2017
    Since 2011, the Syrian Civil War has created five million displaced Syrians. With the world struggling to accommodate them, most of the responsibility has fallen on to the shoulders of neighboring countries, especially Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Six years into the war, the initial emergency phase is over, as the outflow of displaced Syrians has declined. International aid interventions and institutions are in place, and for the most part, working. Now, the issue is less about emergency humanitarian aid, and more about sustainable integration. Hence, the role of public policy to enable labor market integration becomes more pressing and challenging. [More]
    ‘Unbelling’ the cat in Cyprus
    Güven Sak, PhD 02 July 2017
    In Aesop’s Fables, a group of mice get together to discuss how to rid themselves of the danger of the cat. After much discussion, they decide to put a bell on it, so that they can hear it when it approaches. Who though, the question then becomes, will bell the cat? The moral of the story is that it is relatively easy to agree on what should be done, but much harder to make the sacrifice when executing the task. [More]
    Is Turkey growing faster in 2017?
    Güven Sak, PhD 25 June 2017
    “People who love sausage and people who believe in justice should never watch either of them being made.” So said Otto von Bismarck, the great German statesman of the 19th century, according to legend. [More]