NURAY MERT

It is not just an Erdoğan problem NURAY MERT

It is not just an Erdoğan problem

Turkey is suffering from a number of serious political, social and economic crises. The country has not only been facing a threat of sliding to authoritarian religious-nationalistic politics, it has also been losing many of its Western friends and is embroiled in a major rift with NATO.

November 26 2017
Turkey’s foreign policy delusions NURAY MERT

Turkey’s foreign policy delusions

I am not one of the dissenters who celebrate the ongoing foreign policy failings of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). In fact, I am very worried.

November 19 2017
The legacy of Kemalism/Republicanism NURAY MERT

The legacy of Kemalism/Republicanism

The commemoration of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s death on Nov. 10 has been very spectacular this year.

November 12 2017
The political economy of Turkey NURAY MERT

The political economy of Turkey

One does not need to be an economist to see that Turkey’s economy is currently on the decline.

November 05 2017
Which country is it NURAY MERT

Which country is it?

I recently read a very interesting article about the politics of a certain country.

October 29 2017
Our civilization and theirs NURAY MERT

Our civilization and theirs

It is more than the deterioration of Turkey’s relations with its Western allies, now it is a matter of “civilizational difference,” as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated in his speech at the International Civilization Meeting (Ulusararası Medeniyet Şurası) last Saturday.

October 22 2017
The visa crises and beyond NURAY MERT

The visa crises and beyond

Right after I wrote in my article last week that Turkey should not seek alliance with marginalized regimes like Venezuela in response to President Nicolas Maduro’s visit to Turkey, the U.S. imposed visa restrictions on Turkish citizens. Then I learned that U.S. visa restrictions for Venezuelans are limited, unlike for Turkish citizens.

October 15 2017
Turkey’s unlikely new friend NURAY MERT

Turkey’s unlikely new friend

I am very concerned that there may be no way out from the vicious circle that Turkey’s foreign relations have become stuck in.

October 08 2017
Turkey, Russia and tomatoes NURAY MERT

Turkey, Russia and tomatoes

It was stated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, “shared the same opinion on Iraq and Syria” in their three hour meeting on Sept. 28. Nevertheless, despite that it was regarded as a major foreign policy event, curiously neither the government party, nor the media, highlighted Putin’s visit.

October 01 2017