Wed, May 23, 2012

Istanbul Calling: Surfing for Brides

Posted 2 years, 6 months ago


There’s a lot of talk these days about Turkey’s growing influence and reputation in the Arab and Muslim worlds. One place where this can be seen very clearly is in Gokce, a dirt-poor village near Turkey’s border with Syria. In the last year, the Arabic-speaking village’s men — many of whom…

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Turkey and Armenia’s Rocky Road Ahead

Posted 2 years, 7 months ago

I have a briefing up on the World Politics Review website looking at the protocols recently signed by Turkey and Armenia to restore diplomatic relations and some of the hurdles these protocols might face in being implemented. From the briefing:

Yesterday’s signing of protocols by Turkey and…

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Istanbul Calling: Ties, Minarets and the Ghost of Ataturk

Posted 2 years, 7 months ago

There are two interesting news items in the Turkish press that strike me as connected and instructive regarding some of the domestic challenges facing Turkey.

First up, from the town of Cizre, in Turkey’s predominantly-Kurdish southeast, where a local principal and shopkeeper were detained…

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