SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

US should be wary of protecting Turkey-Greece balance SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

US should be wary of protecting Turkey-Greece balance

Today’s description of the Turkish-American relationship suggests a two-layered level. At the personal level, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Donald Trump have surely developed a mutual understanding, with the latter expressing his respect to Erdoğan as a tough leader.

September 25 2020
Will hectic diplomacy help defuse tension in east Med SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

Will hectic diplomacy help defuse tension in east Med?

The tension in the eastern Mediterranean is enduring with a continued quarrel between Turkey and the Greece-France duo. Concerned that the prolongation of the stalemate will further de-stabilize the entire region and Turkey-EU relationship, more countries are getting involved to push the diplomatic efforts to create a climate to start a dialogue between Ankara and Athens.

September 11 2020
Turkey doubles its efforts against COVID-19 SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

Turkey doubles its efforts against COVID-19

Turkey will soon mark its sixth month in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The first case in Turkey was registered on March 11, on the day the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 a pandemic.

September 08 2020
EU’s carrot-stick approach to Med crisis doomed to fail SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

EU’s carrot-stick approach to Med crisis doomed to fail

Greece has already dismissed three mediation efforts to de-escalate tensions in the eastern Mediterranean. First, it signed a controversial maritime jurisdiction deal with Egypt on Aug. 6 and dumped the German initiative to resume “the exploratory talks” between Ankara and Athens.

September 06 2020
Euro court warns Turkey on judicial independence SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

Euro court warns Turkey on judicial independence 

A very important visit by the new president of the European Court of Human Rights, Robert Spano, to Turkey was lost in the shuffle for two main reasons: Turkey’s heavy domestic and foreign policy agenda, particularly the ongoing crisis in the eastern Mediterranean, and more structurally, Turkey’s lack of interest in valuing concepts like the rule of law, judicial impartiality and the separation of powers. 

September 04 2020
Russia paves the way for the YPG to be a party to Syria’s talks SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

Russia paves the way for the YPG to be a party to Syria’s talks  

If you’re a journalist covering Turkish foreign policy and developments in the region, you need to have your head on a swivel and be ready to work on 24/7 basis. You should also be up-to-date on key foreign policy matters, as well as the positions of each and every state and non-state actor.

September 01 2020
NATO should act to defuse Turkish-Greek tension SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

NATO should act to defuse Turkish-Greek tension

Last week was quite telling about how tough the conflict in the eastern Mediterranean is and how difficult to mediate between Turkey and Greece is. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas’ visits to Athens and Ankara have failed to bring about a breakthrough while United States’ President Donald Trump’s phone conversations with the leaders of the two sides had almost no impact on de-escalation.

August 30 2020
How Turkey’s Victory Day become a polarizing matter SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

How Turkey’s Victory Day become a polarizing matter?

Political polarization is a contagious disease of today’s world, spreading from one country to another in different forms. The very valuable tenets like compromise, consensus and reconciliation have long been forgotten as a result of the highly polarized political environment. Plus, this malign politics also reflect within the societies and ruins the sense of unity and togetherness.

August 28 2020
Turkish-Israeli ties at lowest point since Mavi Marmara crisis SERKAN DEMİRTAŞ

Turkish-Israeli ties at lowest point since Mavi Marmara crisis

One of the legitimate criticisms on Turkish foreign policy, particularly concerning the eastern Mediterranean, has been its inability to avoid a total derailment of its relations with two other regional powers, Israel and Egypt.

August 25 2020