Ahmet Davutoglu
All topics-
After the attack in Suruc
Turkey fighting on two fronts
After a decade of relative calm, terror has returned to Turkey. The country has now decided to fight this terror on two flanks simultaneously. According to Rainer Hermann, this escalation could have been avoided
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Parliamentary election in Turkey
Erdogan's biggest political defeat
Coalition, minority government or new elections? President Erdogan's AKP has lost its absolute majority in Turkey's parliamentary poll. What's more, a new party is now poised to enter parliament. What does this mean for the future of the country? Michael Martens sends this analysis from Istanbul
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Parliamentary election in Turkey
An absolute majority hangs in the balance
Turkey goes to the polls on 7 June. Its ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is seeking an unprecedented fourth successive general election victory on a platform of wanting to turn Turkey into a presidential system. The AKP has an outstanding electoral track record, but with an ailing economy, without its charismatic leader and faced with a revamped opposition, could this be the end of its absolute majority? By Dorian Jones in Istanbul
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Turkey's nuclear programme
Why Turkey won't go nuclear
In this analysis, George Perkovich and Sinan Ulgen explain why Turkey is working hard to build its nuclear energy programme, but is not interested in developing a nuclear weapons system
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The German Empire and the Armenian genocide
Turning a blind eye
On 24 April, people all over the world will commemorate the mass killing of Armenians 100 years ago. A memorial service is planned in Germany as well. Many critics contend, however, that the country should take a closer look at the role played by the German Empire, which was an ally of the Ottoman Empire at the time of the massacres. By Ceyda Nurtsch
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Turkey's mosque-building programme
Does Turkey aspire to the leadership of the Islamic world?
An ambitious international mosque-building programme is seen as the latest step in the Turkish president's ambitious bid to put Turkey at the centre of Muslim world. During his visit to Cuba in February, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan requested that his country be allowed to build a mosque in Havana. At present, 18 major mosques are being built by the Turkish state across the globe from Somalia to Kazakhstan. By Dorian Jones
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The Middle East in 2014
New regional power games
The rise of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq has dramatically altered the regional order. While Iran and Turkey are becoming key political players in the crisis-torn area, the West continues to lose influence. An analysis by Karim El-Gawhary
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International conspiracy theories and xenophobia in Turkey
Turkey alone against the world
Turkey appears to be in the grip of a wave of xenophobia, according to the results of a recent survey by the US-based Pew Research Foundation. The findings come as the country has to cope with two conflicts on its borders and faces increasingly strained relations with key allies and neighbours. But as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, the findings could be part of a far deeper historical fear of the West
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Local election re-run in Turkey
"My strategy is honesty"
On 1 June 2014, some local elections in Turkey were re-run after the results of the original polls were contested. Re-runs were held in the provincial capitals of Agri and Yalova. For the citizens of the eastern Anatolian city of Agri, the outcome was a surprise: the candidate of the Kurdish BDP party, Sirri Sakik, clearly prevailed against the ruling AKP, taking 51 per cent of the vote. Observations from Agri by Ekrem Guzeldere
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Crimean Tatars in Ukraine
Deep-seated fears
The Crimean Tatars, numbering some 250,000, are the third largest demographic group in Crimea. They fear that their rights will be sharply curtailed should the referendum on 16 March turn out in Russia's favour. Fear of Putin and his supporters is equally palpable amongst the millions of Crimean Tatars living in Turkish exile. By Luise Sammann
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Turkish–Iranian relations
"Zero problems" with the Islamic Republic
Even at the height of diplomatic tensions with Iran and after an intensification of sanctions against the country, Turkey did not fall in with the West's strict line on Iran. Sinan Ulgen explains why
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The Erdogan administration
Turkey's paradigm shift
Since coming to power 12 years ago, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) has launched the most far-reaching process of democratisation the country has ever known and facilitated an unprecedented economic upswing. According to Cemal Karakas, however, it has not all been positive; there have been some worrying developments too, particularly in recent years