TEOMAN ERTUĞRUL TULUN

The Asia-Europe Meeting represents a valuable Eurasian dialogue platform TEOMAN ERTUĞRUL TULUN

The Asia-Europe Meeting represents a valuable Eurasian dialogue platform

The European Union has recently hosted the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Brussels. The ASEM is a dialogue platform established in 1996 between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries. It is currently comprised of 30 European (EU countries plus Norway and Switzerland) and 21 Asian countries (ASEAN countries plus Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan and the Russian Federation), as well as the EU and the ASEAN Secretariat. The ASEM’s partnership structure and basic aims make it a useful multilateral Eurasian platform linking Europe and Asia.

October 24 2018
There is an urgent need for a new cooperative security order in Eurasia TEOMAN ERTUĞRUL TULUN

There is an urgent need for a new cooperative security order in Eurasia

Last September, Eurasia witnessed its biggest military exercise since the Cold War era in the form of Vostok-2018 conducted by Russia. The region is about to witness another large-scale military exercise in the form of Exercise Trident Juncture 2018, which will be held by NATO.

October 18 2018
Hungarian rhapsody for Turkic Council TEOMAN ERTUĞRUL TULUN

Hungarian rhapsody for Turkic Council

Hungary’s participation in the Cooperation Council of Turkic-speaking States (shortly, the Turkic Council -founded by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey) as an observer last September received almost no attention in Western media outlets. The EU public opinion was most probably too occupied with the preparations for the EU parliament voting to sanction Hungary by suspending its voting rights due to Hungary posing a “systemic threat” to the EU’s founding values.

October 04 2018
White supremacist propaganda or white farmers’ plight? TEOMAN ERTUĞRUL TULUN

White supremacist propaganda or white farmers’ plight?

South Africa and Namibia are currently dealing with the thorny issue of land expropriation. The main problem is the expropriation of the disproportionate amount of land possessed by the white minorities of these countries. These white minorities are still considered by the native black majorities as the descendants of “invaders,” “colonialists,” or “settlers” who took the land from the natives at gunpoint.

September 23 2018
The steady rise of the far right in Sweden TEOMAN ERTUĞRUL TULUN

The steady rise of the far right in Sweden

At the very beginning of this year, in my article titled “The rise of the far right in Sweden,” I had drawn attention to the existence of a white supremacist movement in Sweden and to the history of the lesser-known eugenic practices in this country. I had stressed that fixed ideas of the past and obsessions with a purified society were now manifesting themselves as xenophobic and immigration-skeptic tendencies in a certain part of the Swedish society and voters. I had also stressed that the far-right party of the Sweden Democrats (SD), with roots in the white supremacist movement, could not form a government by itself for the time being, but that there was a serious possibility that such a party, like in Austria, would possibly be able to become a key partner for coalition governments in the foreseeable future.

September 13 2018
Dutch Foreign Minister versus Obama TEOMAN ERTUĞRUL TULUN

Dutch Foreign Minister versus Obama

On 18 July, former United States President Barrack Obama made a high profile speech in South Africa during the 2018 Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture.

July 31 2018
Hate crime rears its ugly head again in Greece TEOMAN ERTUĞRUL TULUN

Hate crime rears its ugly head again in Greece

Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis Boutaris was savagely attacked by the fanatic supporters of the Greek far-right Golden Dawn on May 19, 2018 during the commemoration of the “Pontic Greek Genocide” in Thessaloniki. The international press incisively covered this reprehensible incident and in their reporting, mainly drew attention to the age and liberal political views of Boutaris.

June 08 2018
The EU prescribes ASEAN type ‘connectivity’ for the Balkans TEOMAN ERTUĞRUL TULUN

The EU prescribes ASEAN type ‘connectivity’ for the Balkans

My last article on the Balkans titled “Why is [Emmanuel] Macron skeptical about playing Ode to Joy for the Balkans?” ended with the following foresight: “Time will show us whether the EU, with the rivalry mentality of French President Macron, will succeed in finding ways not to get stuck in a cul-de-sac in the Balkans.”

May 22 2018
Remembering Solingen: The fractious rise of extreme xenophobia in Western Europe TEOMAN ERTUĞRUL TULUN

Remembering Solingen: The fractious rise of extreme xenophobia in Western Europe

In the early 1990s, resentment toward foreigners led to a number of physical assaults and arson attacks in Germany. Such attacks took place in the cities Rostock-Lichtenhagen, Hoyerswerda, Frankfurt an der Oder, Magdeburg, Mölln, and Solingen.

May 18 2018