TURKPULSE No:121
TOWARDS COLD
WAR DAYS AND TURKEY’S PLACE THEREIN
TURKPULSE No:121
TOWARDS COLD
WAR DAYS AND TURKEY’S PLACE THEREIN
Gone are the happy days of the world where Bush and Putin used to walk arm in arm in both capitals, with their wives giggling over a cup of coffee. Instead, events reminiscent of the Cold War days have reappeared in the world even though the trend has not yet gone as far as mutual open accusations of the Super Powers for the recent acts of terrorism and assassinations of statesmen on both sides. Instead, both the Super Powers still prefer to accuse “Islamic terrorism” for these outrages probably because it is more convenient. No matter what, it is obvious that the Americans do suspect a Super Power finger in the unprecedented resistance of the Iraqi people to the U.S.-led Coalition’s occupation of their country and the Russians are not so daft as not to appreciate the intentions to further disintegrate the relics of the Soviet Union with a northward American move in the Caucasus starting from Georgia. In fact, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty of the CIA against the Soviet system in the cold war years have been reactivated from Prague since 3 April 2002 and these broadcasts run by the Chechen activist Aslan Dukayev are stirring up rebellions against Moscow in upper Caucasus, including Chechnya. And where does Turkey stand in this ever-toughening strife? Please see the article below for an attempt for the answer.
TURKPULSE No:122
THE TURKISH
ECONOMY – HOW SKILFUL IS THE PILOT?
PM Tayyip Erdogan advised Turkish businessmen about the national economy, “Have no fear, even though there may be some turbulence, the pilot is skilful.” Indeed, even though no one had much confidence in his skill in the economy, any more than his experience in diplomacy, PM Erdogan has done really good things in both fields evoking a remark from one of his sceptics like this publication, “the wrong people are doing the right things.” This remark is not restricted to the present government’s shrewd policies about EU accession, Cyprus and other fields of foreign policy and security arrangements such as steering clear of the Iraq war, terrorism or activism in the Caucasus under Washington’s guidance, as well as refusing to allow American bases in this country, but concerns also almost all aspects of the Turkish economy bedevilled by a heavy debt burden. For the prospects and challenges facing the Turkish economy please see the article below.
TURKPULSE No:123ELIMINATING INJUSTICE TO PALESTINIANS IS FIRST PRIORITY
All Turkish governments have always given high priority to foreign policy, but no other government has been as feverishly active and quite successful in this field as PM Tayyip Erdogan. The first long-term target in this field is clearly Turkey’s accession to the European integration and it coincides with a critical time, indeed a deep-rooted crisis within the EU. With that reality duly and timely understood by Turkey, a shrewd shift can be seen in foreign policy tactics, but certainly not in strategies, in Turkish diplomacy firstly in favour of Cyprus and secondly for Palestine to make the most of the country’s trump cards in the current global reshaping of diplomacy and security concepts and devices. For an analysis of the chances of success of this new policy please see the article below.