Until the coming to office of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2002, one can fairly say that Turkey’s national days, putting aside Oct. 29 Republic Day, had basically turned into occasions for holidays, rather than special days when people celebrated Republican values.
It is apparent now that the drop in tourists visiting Turkey, especially from Europe, is not only due to fear of terror attacks. Several countries have been hit by terrorism, but none have suffered such a big loss as Turkey.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Brussels last month, where he met with European Commission officials as well as heads of states and governments, came as a fresh air of optimism.
Looking at Turkey’s relations with Europe, one has to put Germany aside. Unlike the crisis with Holland, which can be overcome and explained by the heat of elections in both countries, the tension between Turkey and Germany goes deeper. On several foreign policy issues, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is the sole decision maker.
Germany’s Angela Merkel was never a big European visionary strategist. She never aspired to be one.
When the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power, the result took even its leadership by surprise. AKP leaders did not have the cadres to rule the country, as they were rather anti-establishment; they joined hands with the Gülenists
The Foreign Ministry’s seasoned diplomats did warn the government prior to the U.S. presidential elections that a possible Trump administration did not promise a rose garden. But some of the advisers and some with access to the presidential palace argued otherwise. They were extremely enthusiastic about the prospects of a White House with Donald Trump.
“Abdullah, we seem to have the same agenda,” said Condi.
India is a country which is among the fastest growing countries in the world. The IMF and the World Bank forecast more than 7 percent annual growth for the next few years. With a population of 1.3 billion, which is set to pass China by 2050, it is a country that has gone to space and is a rising naval power with a nuclear submarine.
