The military: ’The grand speechless’ 11.07.2009 Global military spending in 2008 reached a historical record high of $1464 billion. This is twice that of Turkey’s GDP. Expenditure increased by 4 percent compared to 2007 and 45 percent compared to a decade ago.
Sweden’s EU term presidency 03.07.2009 On Wednesday Sweden took over the helmet for the European Union term presidency. Sweden will face a quite difficult term. Even preparations for the decision about Turkey to be taken at the end of the year are enough to be handled in a six-month term presidency.
Post-electoral Iran and the AKP government 27.06.2009 Iran has not found peace since the presidential elections. Over time, the opposition movement will calm down and the Iranian Revolution will continue its path. However, nothing will ever be the same. What is happening in Iran reflects discontent within the regime rather than a counter-revolution.
World Refugee Day 20.06.2009 Saturday, June 20, is World Refugee Day, the day for people probably in the worst condition. It is the day for those who have no place to go, the poorest of the poor, whom we hear of only when they drown in the seas or die of no air in truck containers. Two stories about them.
The EP elections 13.06.2009 The results of the European Parliament, or EP, elections that were held last weekend did not send a good signal. The European Union is somehow failing to pull itself up as its self-confidence diminishes steadily.
Young-dynamic but unqualified-unemployed 06.06.2009 A group of young, dynamic and qualified economists working under the name the Economists’ Platform released the results of a study on May 19, Youth and Sports Day. According to their report, youth are the group affected worst by the economic crisis, with unemployment among people ages 15 to 24 approaching 30 percent.
Declare May 29 Ottoman Day 30.05.2009 My last article on the May 29, the Day of Conquest celebrations, was in 2006. During the 556th year of Istanbul’s conquest, two permanent blows were made on the cosmopolitan mentality symbolized by Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror.
State diplomacy and civilian diplomacy 23.05.2009 Since the end of world wars, there are new ways of generating policies, both in internal and foreign politics. The trend was enhanced through the construction of the European Union and accelerated with the end of the Cold War and the onset of globalization.
Is the atmosphere in France changing? 16.05.2009 An opinion poll conducted in France in the midst of March revealed that 50 percent of French people are against Turkey’s membership to the European Union and 35 percent are in favor.
Davutoğlu officially becomes FM 09.05.2009 The "new government" gives an impression that it is designed to fight the next elections, emphasizing therefore the politics rather than the economy. Against an extremely fragile economic course, the prime minister, instead of coming with a strong team of technicians, prefers politicians close to the conservative electorate.
Social Policy chapter & May Day 02.05.2009 The European Union has been waiting since Jan. 19, 2007, for Turkey to meet opening benchmarks of the Social Policy and Employment chapter, the 19th chapter of the Union’s acquis communautaire. Among these benchmarks, the most critical are the removal of thresholds before collective bargaining agreements, or CBAs, and the right to establish trade unions in the public sector. Benchmarks are nothing new.
Cyprus after the elections 25.04.2009 I read the 48-page manifesto of the political party that won the general elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or TRNC. Like a sign on the window of a barber shop that reads "Free haircut tomorrow" but remains there always, the manifesto basically says, "The system of 1974 will come back, just vote for the National Union Party!"
Openings closed one after another? 18.04.2009 Turkey has foreign policy positions that recall trenches in battlefields. These positions, established after the creation of the republic, are considered solutions to problems inherited from the Ottoman state. These are the positions with regard the Armenian and Kurdish questions and the Greek dossier, always on the agenda due to the unresolved Cyprus conflict. There have been no significant changes in any of these three policies since 1923.
Western front following NATO, Obama 11.04.2009 Let’s have a balance sheet for booties-lost-damages in the aftermath of Turkey’s so-called "NATO victory." Turkey raised objections to Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s candidacy for the post of secretary-general of NATO on religious grounds rather than strategic liability.
Invitation to Earth 04.04.2009 Used and abused by the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, during the latest elections, "You are grand," was actually a perfect slogan to tell us about its excessive self-confidence. However, what the party needs was and still is to think smaller and come down to earth to remain in touch with reality. Since the AKP has divorced itself from reality, voters themselves have finally given the message.
In Cyprus no solution means annexation 28.03.2009 As we are preoccupied with the March 29 elections and the economic crisis, in the north of the island quite-critical early elections will be held on April 19. But this time, both the island and Turkey will seem to have a headache.
Appreciating Istanbul in Lille 21.03.2009 French President Nicholas Sarkozy moved the ’Season of Turkey in France’ to July after European Parliament elections. However, thanks to Europe XXL the ’Season’ is given a de facto early start
The water issue 14.03.2009 The 5th World Water Forum begins in Istanbul on Monday. We will talk about water for a week and have plenty of information about the fate of water and our fate. The theme of the event is "Bridging divides for water," it is not the lyric like "Converging differences in water" as appears in official Turkish translation. The theme is neither "The Water Forum brings civilizations together" as referred to in the billboards of Istanbul Municipality, www.worldwaterforum5.org.
Pathetic local election campaign 07.03.2009 On the eve of local elections, everything but the problems of local areas are being discussed. As always. Even the most serious TVs prefer to broadcast brawls between political leaders instead of local issues, due to rating concerns.
Environment is a way out of the crisis, a remedy for afterwards 28.02.2009 On Monday In Washington D.C. the biggest ever protest will be held against coal which, of all the fossil fuels, is the single biggest contributor to global warming (www.capitolclimateaction.org). Through a symbolic action, the protest will target the Capitol Power Plant owned by the U.S. Congress. It’s a cold fact that the use of fossil fuels will accelerate the end of the world.
Beyond genocide, the Great Catastrophe 24.02.2009 There was a fair amount of thoughtful reactions from Turkey and abroad regarding the apology campaign that was launched on December 15, 2008. The main criticism from the Armenian Diaspora and from some Turkish scholars and activists was stressing that the word "genocide" is skipped in the body of the short text.
Harsh truths from mon chers 21.02.2009 In Turkish, "mon cher" is the cynical way of expressing hostility towards the westernized intellectual and the knowledge in general. It is a bit more sophisticated than "those who call themselves so-called intellectuals."
The Credibility test 14.02.2009 Last Tuesday through the declaration of Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, the government has clearly taken side in the Darfur crisis, in other words regarding crimes committed against humanity in Sudan’s Darfur region since 1996. At the press conference for the visit of the Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin, Babacan said, "In order for the solution of the current problems in Sudan, the leadership and cooperation of the Sudanese President of Republic (sic) is necessary. We don’t think that the problems in Sudan will be solved without this."
The balance sheet of Gaza via Davos 07.02.2009 An additional balance sheet is required for Gaza via the Davos incident beside the one for the Israeli offensive. Turkey for a week has been discussing the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s reaction against the Israeli President Shimon Peres at a panel for the World Economic Forum in the Swiss town of Davos and its possible results in Palestine, the Arab World, Turkey and in the planet at large.
Obsessed with mediation 31.01.2009 Since succeeding to start membership talks with the European Union in December 2004 the governing Justice and Development Party, or AKP, turned its attention to regional issues.
Hierarchy in empathy 24.01.2009 Let’s state the obvious once again. There cannot be any excuse or explanation for the massacre Israel committed in Gaza. In Turkey a deep-rooted reaction is being shown to this crime against humanity in Gaza. The point I would like to elaborate on is why the reactions in Turkey to this never ending madness were fiercer than that of Arab and Muslim countries?
EU revisited? 17.01.2009 When I looked back, I realized that the first article I wrote about what kind of a structuring we need for negotiation process with the European Union was dated Sept. 27, 2004 and published in many magazines and newspapers.
2009: Beginnings and anniversaries 10.01.2009 I browsed the old articles and realized that I didn’t make any predictions about 2008. It’s good that I didn’t because no one had made any serious predictions about the ongoing financial crisis in United States, except a few fellows like Paul Jorion who failed to convince people although he kept trying since 2006.
The Czech EU term presidency 03.01.2009 Group chairs in the European Parliament, or EP, paid a high-level visit to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, in December 2008. Talks with Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and some ministers went excellently.
A letter from Cyprus 27.12.2008 "Dear Mr. Aktar: I think we are trying to follow the developments about the Cyprus issue and Turkey through the media.
First account on the apology campaign 20.12.2008 The campaign was launched Monday. The thoughtful, caring and humble language of the two sentences of apology, as well as its being an individual expression of consciousness, infuriated the negationist camp. But it also disturbed many editorialists who like to talk through their hats.
Notes following the holidays 13.12.2008 Let us benefit from the languor of this holiday season and start with a note on Eid al Adha or Kurban Bayram. Despite all swaggering, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has failed to prevent the amateur butcher scandal. After all, they represent the backbone of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP’s electorate.
Erdoğan and AKP had begun to change in 2005 06.12.2008 We have been hearing for a couple of weeks that the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, has changed, that it begun to neglect reforms and that liberals have given up on supporting the party.
A disastrous Public Procurement Bill 29.11.2008 Public procurement in this country has always been an indicator of power, a way of making people rich and a story of sheer corruption. The ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, is not an exception. Indeed, the government changed for the 13th time the Public Procurement Law (4734), dating back to 2002, since arriving to power. The latest amendment was enacted in the nick of the time just before the March 2009 local elections and the "By-law on Amending the Public Procurement Law," was endorsed by Parliament last week. With the latest change, principles enshrined in the 2002 law are once and for all discarded. Yet we are going back to the legal plundering system which had a big share in the 2001 economic crisis. Now eyes turn to President Abdullah Gül who has to endorse this dangerous bill.
Prime Minister’s foreign trips 22.11.2008 Mr. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visits abroad are quite useful. We are learning about national political targets and policies that we have never heard of. His latest journey to the United States and Switzerland set a good example
The 11th Progress Report 07.11.2008 The Turkish government has been making excuses about the EU bid since 2005. Meanwhile even the most passionate friends of Turkey in the EU cannot offer anything solid but the same old preaches and incentives. No one is interested to prop up the process.