Sinan Ülgen is Chairman of the Istanbul-based Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM) and a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe in Brussels. He is the author of the recent Carnegie Europe paper “A Threat-Based Strategy for NATO’s Southern Flank”.
Failed coups can be just as consequential as successful ones. The botched putsch in Turkey will have far-ranging implications for the country’s foreign relations and regional role, particularly as rel… read more
NATO may be good at deterring a conventional attack against its member countries, but, nowadays, conventional attacks are not what countries on its southern flank are worried about. This week’s NATO s… read more
The outcome of Turkey’s general election provides important insights into the nature of the country’s democracy and the preferences of its citizens. The country's voters want a strong, stable governme… read more
A swing of less than 1% of the popular vote in Turkey's general election on June 7 could decide whether President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan can fulfill his longstanding desire to strengthen the presidency.… read more
According to conventional wisdom, if Iran develops nuclear weapons, then Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and perhaps Egypt will try to follow suit. But, as far as Turkey is concerned, the conventional wisdom se… read more
Following the recent safe return of 46 Turkish hostages held by the Islamic State, hopes were raised that Turkey would finally commit to joining the US-led coalition now fighting the group. Yet Turkey… read more
Turkey’s beleaguered Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have emerged victorious from this week's local elections. Still, the AKP's triumph is unlikely to r… read more
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s charm offensive is set to continue with a visit to Turkey. While Turkey welcomed the interim nuclear deal that Iran concluded with the P5+1 last month, Turkish polic… read more
Egypt’s morass, together with the unrest in Turkey, has plunged political Islam into a crisis of democratic confidence. A period of trust-building may be needed for Islamist parties to embrace the ide… read more
The accession narrative no longer frames Turkey’s relationship with the European Union, and the government’s far-reaching crackdown on opponents since July’s coup attempt has probably buried that dipl… read more
