Articles written by Yigal Schleifer
By Yigal Schleifer
01 Aug 2011 |
Briefing
Friday's mass resignation by Turkey's top general, Isik Kosaner, and the
commanders of the army, navy and air force was a clear sign that the battle between the military and the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) has been decisively won by the government and
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But the AKP must now demonstrate
that it can continue Turkey's democratization process in an inclusive
manner.
By Yigal Schleifer
28 Mar 2011 |
Briefing
The uprising in Libya and the subsequent foreign military intervention
there are providing a significant test for Turkey's stated desire to
create a foreign policy that combines realism with idealism, while also
highlighting the difficulty Ankara is facing in balancing its
aspirations to become a more independent regional leader in the Middle
East with its efforts to maintain its traditional alliances.
By Yigal Schleifer
07 Jun 2010 |
World Politics Review
One week later, the repercussions of the tragically botched Israeli
commando raid on the Gaza aid flotilla spearheaded by a Turkish NGO
continue to reverberate worldwide. Much of the raid's fallout
has played out in the realm of foreign affairs, particularly regarding
its impact on the already sorry state of Turkish-Israeli relations. But the flotilla
incident and Ankara's response to it also has a very strong domestic
component.
By Yigal Schleifer
20 May 2010 |
World Politics Review
Although its future is shrouded in doubt, the deal announced on Monday
by the Turkish and Brazilian presidents that would allow Iran to ship half of its enriched uranium across the border to Turkey will very
likely also serve as an important milestone in the development of a new
Turkish foreign policy that is increasingly independent, assertive and
engaged in regional -- and even global -- affairs.
By Yigal Schleifer
16 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
The term "zero
problems with neighbors" has
become closely associated with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu's ambitious
and proactive new foreign policy. But there's another term that has frequently been attached to Ankara's
newfound diplomatic activism, one that Turkish policymakers are much
less fond of: "neo-Ottomanism."
By Yigal Schleifer
02 Feb 2010 |
World Politics Review
In Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey now has a foreign minister equally at home in the
Ivory Tower and in the halls of power, whose foreign policy thinking is
equal parts Machiavelli and Rumi and whose foreign policy
implementation frequently blurs the line between idealism and realism.
By Yigal Schleifer
21 Dec 2009 |
World Politics Review
ISTANBUL -- The recent closing by Turkey's highest court of the
Democratic Society Party, the only pro-Kurdish party in the
Turkish parliament, is being seen as a significant setback for the
government's newly launched "democratization initiative," a reform
program aimed at solving Ankara's decades-old Kurdish problem.
By Yigal Schleifer
12 Oct 2009 |
World Politics Review
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Yesterday's signing of protocols by Turkey and
Armenia that pave the way for restoring relations between the two
countries was a historic moment. The protocols spell out in the clearest terms to date what needs to
happen in order for diplomatic ties to be restored and for the two
countries' borders to be reopened. But significant hurdles still
stand in the way of that actually happening.
By Yigal Schleifer
24 Jun 2009 |
World Politics Review
ISTANBUL -- Allegations that elements of the Turkish military may have been hatching a plot to discredit or even topple the government of the liberal Islamic Justice and Development Party are threatening to raise military-civilian tensions in Turkey and further widen the country's deep political divide. The affair is another reminder of how deeply polarized Turkish politics and society are right now.
By Yigal Schleifer
08 Apr 2009 |
World Politics Review
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- President Barack Obama ended his recent European tour
in Turkey with perhaps his most challenging mission: to repair and
reinvigorate the frayed U.S.-Turkish strategic alliance. Benefiting from an obvious desire on both sides to patch thing up, Obama left the
country with what appears to be a solid new foundation on which to do
so. But significant challenges remain ahead.