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The case for an ASEAN in the Middle East
Years ago, I participated in a World Bank conference on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea, near Amman. The discussion was on corporate governance reforms, a pet subject…
Arbil is no Barcelona
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…
The case for realism in Turkey-Europe relations
“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…
From the Adriatic Sea to the Great Wall of China
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…
How it begins, how it ends
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…
Turkey and Germany need to increase bandwidth
“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…
The G20 Hamburg Leaders’ Declaration is out: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is on the agenda again
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…
Why do Turks smile less than before?
“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…
‘Unbelling’ the cat in Cyprus
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…
Is Turkey growing faster in 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…
Qatari investments in Turkey: An urban legend
The sudden embargo on Qatar by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates perplexed us all this month. It was a half-baked regional response to the half-baked American…