Independent State of Azawad: Africa’s Newest Country?
Athina W. TESFA-YOHANNES
12 May 2012
On March 22nd 2012, Mali’s coup d’état has come as a shock to many Western observers, but given the state of Tuareg affairs in the Sahel region, the Arab Spring and additional economic factors made Mali poised for its current conflict. Separatists in the northeastern part of the country played the revolutionary spirit of the regional atmosphere to their strength,
PM Erdoğan’s Visit to China: Turkey-China Relations
Salih TINMAZ
12 May 2012
The People’s Republic of China’s Vice President Xi Jinping, who according to the Chinese customs is expected to be the President within this year, made a historical visit to Turkey this past February. Following that visit, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with accompanying bureaucrats and an approximately 300-person delegation of businessmen and 64-person group of journalists,
The Responsibility to Protect: A New Hope?
Ömer ZARPLI
25 Apr 2012
The present deadlock in the United Nations Security Council over the Syrian situation calls into question the development of the principle of Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) as a foundational legal norm in international affairs. The disagreement between veto-holding permanent members and the resulting inaction of the Council in the face of grave violations of human
Europe’s Restrained Push Against PKK: Complicity in Terrorism?
Athina W. TESFA-YOHANNES
18 Apr 2012
With the onset of spring and the passing of the Newroz holiday, terrorist organization PKK/KONGRA-GEL has ramped up attacks particularly in the southeastern regions of Turkey, killing more than 30 Turkish soldiers alone since October 2011. Despite being blacklisted as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and its member states, and the United States,
Parliamentary Elections in Iran: Progress and Outcomes
Mesiagha Mohammedi*
13 Apr 2012
On March 2nd, 2012, the first round of parliamentary elections was held in Iran, set to elect the ninth Islamic Consultative Assembly. It should be noted that, while the world’s focus on Iran during the last periods was considerably large. The election marathon that lasted more than two months lasted beyond that attention:
China’s Cultural Diplomacy and the “Chinese Cultural Year” in Turkey
Emine AKÇADAĞ
10 Apr 2012
Culture is an exceedingly broad term, with multiple definitions of culture in literature. In their work, “Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions,” Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn identified over 160 different definitions of culture and they divided these definitions into six groups: descriptive, historical, normative, psychological, structural and
Israel’s Balkan Ventures – Why Now?
Athina W. TESFA-YOHANNES
03 Apr 2012
Israel’s redirection towards the Balkans region highlights the realpolitik nature of its current foreign policy, given deteriorating political relations with Turkey and the greater Middle East. The fallout after the Gaza War diplomatically lost Israel its longest Muslim-majority ally (Turkey) and further drove the country firmer into its status as a regional pariah state.
Theories of Security, War, Peace and Conflict Resolution
Assoc. Prof. Atilla SANDIKLI
29 Mar 2012
BILGESAM announces the launch of it’s new book “Theories of Security, War, Peace and Conflict Resolution.” Edited and compiled by BILGESAM’s president Atilla Sandıklı, the book is comprised of specially chosen articles on issues within the conflict resolution field.
The 6th Volume of Bilge Strateji Published
BILGESAM
28 Mar 2012
BILGESAM invites readers to take a look at our Spring 2012 issue of Bilge Strateji Journal, which has just been launched, covering a wide range of regional issues. Highlights of this quarterly peer-reviewed volume include tackling maritime issues in the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, by authors Cihat Yaycı and Ömer Atagenç, respectively.
Turkey and Georgia: Strategic Connections
Justyna GŁOGOWSKA
23 Mar 2012
As for now, Georgia is the only neighbor of Turkey towards whom the ‘zero problems’ policy has been successful. Turkish-Georgian economic ties have boosted, political relations are free from disputes, and it seems that the two countries understand importance of regional interdependence.
Turkey-Macedonia Relations
Şeyma ADIYAMAN
19 Mar 2012
Since the early 1990s, Turkey has supported developments and regime changes throughout the Balkans given that they do not cause instability in the region. Ankara has tried to manage the changing processes by developing cooperation opportunities and has politically and economically tried to fill the power gap that emerged after the disintegration of the USSR.
Vision in the Development of a Nation
Dr. Mahathir Bin MOHAMAD*
12 Mar 2012
Countries used to grow largely through the initiatives of the private sector in the quest for profits. It was seemingly a natural process. It required no real planning nor was the government required to help the process. The government’s main role initially was the provision of law and the maintenance of order.
KDP-PUK Relations: Regional Developments and Changes
Ali SEMIN
07 Mar 2012
While riots and protests are erupting across the Middle East, it is noteworthy to focus on the political congestion and changes in the Kurdish government cabinet in Iraq. In spite of all the developments in Iraq, the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) still continues to govern in line with the “strategic agreement” signed in 2005 between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)
Foreign Policy Strategies of America’s Republican Candidates: What’s in Store for Turkey?
Athina W. TESFA-YOHANNES
01 Mar 2012
The race to become the GOP Republican nominee to face incumbent (Democratic) president Barack Obama later this year has gripped American media circuits for months. This year’s Republican race has been particularly captivating, as candidates have made their way through a particularly vicious campaigning period to vie for the opportunity to represent the Republican
Visit by Center for American Progress (CAP) to BILGESAM
BILGESAM
16 Feb 2012
On February 15, 2012, a group of experts from the Center for American Progress (CAP), one of the prestigious think tank organizations of the United States of America, visited Wise Men Center for Strategic Studies (BILGESAM).
“The Alliance of Civilizations”: The Spanish-Turkish Initiative and its Role in Countering Extremism and Radicalism
Anna TSYMBALOVA
14 Feb 2012
The main goal of “The Alliance of Civilizations” (UNAOC) initiative is to contribute to a global movement which reflects the will of the vast majority of people and rejects extremism in any society. To this end, it employs soft diplomacy as a tool to mitigate radicalism and fundamentalism. This project was presented by the President of the Spanish government Jose Luis
Iran at the Center of Chaos Scenarios
Assoc. Prof. Atilla SANDIKLI & Bilgehan EMEKLİER
08 Feb 2012
This report named “Iran at the Center of Chaos Scenarios” focuses on paradigms which direct Iran’s geopolitical features and foreign policy, paying particular attention to elements of continuity, drastic differences and ruptures in Iran. There are certain scenarios on how Iran, which feels under threat, will evaluate and make use of sensitivities and opportunities appearing with
The 13th Wise Men Board Meeting Was Successfully Held
BILGESAM
03 Feb 2012
On January 26th 2012, the 13th Wise Men Board Meeting was held at the Wise Men Center for Strategic Studies (BILGESAM). Wise Men Board members put their own remarks about the report entitled “Illegal Immigration and Its Repercussions on Turkey” prepared by Emine Akçadağ, one of the specialists at the Security Research Department of BILGESAM.
Regional Instability in the Horn of Africa: The Effects of U.S. Regional Policy
Athina W. TESFA-YOHANNES
03 Feb 2012
The Horn of Africa remains a hotbed of unrest, ravaged by wars that have left the unstable region incapable of resolving stagnant issues that continue to plague the region. Fueling the instability, U.S. foreign policy in the Horn has driven the region into more confusion.
Russia and Iran in Turbulent International Relations
Prof. Dr. Alexander A. KORNILOV
25 Jan 2012
Russian political elite continues to assert that contemporary international relations have entered into a difficult period of turbulence. President Dmitri Medvedev, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov use the “turbulence” term and terms close to it in their public speeches.
