Most recent articles by Ronald Meinardus
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Co-operation between Ankara, Athens and BerlinNew alliances in European migration diplomacy
If official statements are to be believed, the governments of Greece, Turkey and Germany share a common goal: to gain control of refugee flows in the Aegean Sea and along the River Evros on the Greek-Turkish border. By Ronald Meinardus in Athens
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Earthquake diplomacy 2.0New dawn for Turkish-Greek relations?
Greece is responding to the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey with great sympathy. Could it lead to an easing of tensions between the traditionally hostile neighbours? By Ronald Meinardus
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Turkey-Syria-Russia relationsIs Erdogan planning a deal with Assad?
There are signs of an imminent normalisation of relations between Turkey and Syria. This would allow Erdogan to score political points domestically before the upcoming elections in Turkey. It would also be opportune for Putin. By Ronald Meinardus
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Public opinion in TurkeyDreaming of a greater republic
Many Turks are dissatisfied with the international status of their country. At the same time, opinion polls reveal great scepticism among the Turkish population towards the USA. By Ronald Meinardus
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Europe's gas supplyReshuffling the EastMed cards
In a bid to become less dependent on Russia, Europe is seeking new sources of natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean. War in the Ukraine has, however, led to new tensions over the EastMed pipeline project. By Ronald Meinardus
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Aegean tensions on the riseErdogan's "charm offensive" doesn't include Greece
It seems yesterday's words are water under the bridge. Turkish foreign policy is currently undergoing a profound re-orientation: declared enemies are to become partners, opponents allies. But not when it comes to Greece. By Ronald Meinardus
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Turkish foreign policyAnkara – new guarantor of stability on the Hindu Kush?
Ankara's foreign policy apparatus is currently running at top speed. While politicians in the West busy themselves with evacuating Kabul and analysing the chaos, which not even optimists would term effective crisis management, Erdogan's Turkey seems to be one step ahead. By Ronald Meinardus
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Erdogan in CyprusNo movement in the mediation deadlock
On his recent visit to Cyprus, Turkish President Erdogan continued to bang his two-state drum, insisting that this is now the only viable option for the divided island. By announcing the next phase of a plan to partially reopen the coastal resort of Varosha for Turkish Cypriot settlement, he is once again pushing his own agenda. By Ronald Meinardus in Istanbul
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Conflict between Ankara and AthensHas Erdogan's foreign policy hit rock bottom?
The change in U.S. president is also having an impact on the conflict between Turkey and Greece. Since the USA has started to play the Greek card, the strategic situation in the Eastern Mediterranean has shifted to Turkey's disadvantage. Ronald Meinardus reports from Istanbul
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How much longer till Turkey's elections?President under pressure – Erdogan's popularity nosedive
Turkey's parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled for June 2023. But they are already casting a shadow. While the opposition is calling for early elections, President Erdogan is insisting on holding the elections in the highly symbolic year of 2023. For right now, his ratings are poor. Ronald Meinardus reports from Istanbul
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Social media in TurkeyRecep Tayyip Erdogan's monitoring of the digital realm
Having taken control of the traditional media, Turkish President Erdogan is now extending his reach to the social networks. A new law has been passed to rein in major digital players Twitter and Google. But the government's attempt to dominate public opinion is producing some bizarre outgrowths, reports Ronald Meinardus from Istanbul
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Joe Biden and U.S. policy on TurkeyNo more special privileges for Recep Tayyip Erdogan
The foreign policy direction favoured by Washington's new incumbent is putting a strain on relations with Turkey. The two nations look set to clash over a whole host of issues, from human rights concerns to the S 400 Russian missile system, Ronald Meinardus writes in his analysis for Qantara.de