AHU ÖZYURT

The nations of the Middle East will be here forever, Trump won’t AHU ÖZYURT

The nations of the Middle East will be here forever, Trump won’t

For my generation of reporters who have witnessed the historic White House handshake of the late Yasser Arafat and Yitzak Rabin with their own eyes, and who have met and covered Simon Peres’ numerous trips to Turkey, it was a nightmare to witness the May 14 events in Gaza. Within two decades Israel has moved from being a country of law and order to, sadly, a rogue state that has to be contained.

May 15 2018
Turkey’s relations with Germany on the move AHU ÖZYURT

Turkey’s relations with Germany on the move

As every election cycle arrives, so do the guests from European capitals. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s annual Istanbul Security Conference was planned long before Turkey’s snap elections were announced, but it became a great opportunity for German academics and politicians to check the pulse of Turkish politics.

May 08 2018
Once again, it’s the economy AHU ÖZYURT

Once again, it’s the economy

We have less than two months left until the general and presidential elections in Turkey and the Justice and Development (AK) Party finally realize big projects like the airport or Canal Istanbul will not put any food on the table.

May 01 2018
A quantum leap in voter behavior AHU ÖZYURT

A quantum leap in voter behavior

Turkey’s snappiest snap poll is on the horizon. It is so urgent and fast that even the most devoted pollsters are having a hard time predicting. It is also a big risk for the Justice and Development Party (AK Party). Unlike what Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were expecting, the opposition is not lacking any candidate. In fact, they may have too many. 

April 24 2018
Stuck in a hard place AHU ÖZYURT

Stuck in a hard place

After eight years of intense fighting, shelling, and terrorist-hunting, the war in Syria seems to have come to a gradual end. Unsurprisingly, France will play a bigger game on the ground than before, and Ankara is not really happy about that. So, let’s look at the circumstances that are giving President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan a headache these days.

April 17 2018
Fasten your seatbelts, storm is approaching AHU ÖZYURT

Fasten your seatbelts, storm is approaching

It was a whisper among market professionals and businesspeople when one of the biggest sweet and confectionary producers of Turkey, Ülker, the group that also owns Godiva, felt the need to restructure its debt to commercial banks. It became something else as of the morning of April 10, when the United States dollar hit the benchmark of 4 Turkish Liras.

April 10 2018
The Turkish justice system is no Hercules AHU ÖZYURT

The Turkish justice system is no Hercules

Turkish courts are overwhelmed by the load of post-coup trials and indictments. According to one lawyer, it is as if a secret government official had ordered the courts to finish the cases and announce the verdict before a certain deadline.

April 03 2018
A new energy game on the horizon AHU ÖZYURT

A new energy game on the horizon

The U.S. decided to send back 60 Russian diplomats on March 26 and the EU followed suit by expelling 14 Russian diplomats.

March 27 2018
Peacebuilding beyond Afrin AHU ÖZYURT

Peacebuilding beyond Afrin

“Operation Olive Branch” reached one of its strategic targets on the night of March 18. The town of Afrin was taken by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) from Kurdistan Workers’ Party/Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (PKK/YPG) groups without a tough clash or civilian casualty.

March 20 2018