Turkey’s gradual backsliding from an illiberal democracy to an autocracy has reached a new stage. Having reinforced his power by suppressing all opposition, President Erdogan has now turned his . . .
Archives for April 2016
Still speechless in Turkey
In Turkey, even good news is bittersweet these days. An Istanbul court ruled on Friday that four Turkish academics on pre-trial detention charged with spreading terrorist propaganda should be . . .
Time for a reality check on Turkey
For too long, Turkey’s foreign policy has been conducted on the basis of delusions of grandeur. First, embraced by the west and the Arab world alike as a beacon of Islamic democracy in the Middle . . .
Polarization is no longer just about politics in Turkey
We have now reached the point where there is no longer any pretense that Turkey can be considered a democracy. Even the long-term allies are publicly calling on its government to respect democratic . . .
Pandemonium in Washington & the new face of Turkish diplomacy
Remember the days when the late Libyan leader Muammer Gaddafi would hit the headlines for pitching his large Bedouin tent in world capitals when he travelled abroad? His flying tent, along with his . . .