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Curated by Project Syndicate

Turkey’s Reckoning

24 commentaries

The failed attempt by military factions to overthrow the elected government could be viewed as a victory for democracy. But it also reflects the increasing political polarization, repression of dissent, and fear for the country’s security that have emerged under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

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  1. Realism for Europe and Turkey
    Angela Merkel and Recep Tayyip Erdogan Schicke/Getty Images

    Realism for Europe and Turkey

    Apr 4, 2016 Joschka Fischer on why both sides have an overriding interest in reducing tensions.

  2. How Erdoğan Weakens Turkey
    Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of Turkey Pacific Press via ZUMA Wire

    How Erdoğan Weakens Turkey

    Jan 25, 2016 Dominique Moisi blames President Erdoğan's drive for personal power for the country's growing insecurity.

  3. Turkey’s Diplomatic Dogfight
    Turkey flag behind European Union flag.

    Turkey’s Diplomatic Dogfight

    Nov 25, 2015 Ana Palacio calls upon the EU and Turkey to build a genuine partnership, rather than a transactional arrangement.

  4. Erdoğan’s Second Chance
    President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Pacific Press via ZUMA Wire

    Erdoğan’s Second Chance

    Nov 2, 2015 Sinan Ülgen explains what the outcome of Turkey's latest election means for the country's democracy.

  5. Talking Tough to Turkey
    European Union and Turkey national flags

    Talking Tough to Turkey

    Oct 20, 2015 Marietje Schaake urges the EU to confront Turkey over its crackdown on freedom of expression.

  6. Turkey’s Politics of Peace
    Turkey HDP victory celebration Aurore Belot/ZumaPress

    Turkey’s Politics of Peace

    Jun 15, 2015 Carl Bildt says that the country's next government could play a decisive role in stabilizing the region.

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    Ukraine Is Far From Doomed

    Tatyana Deryugina & Anastassia Fedyk

    When comparing Ukraine’s situation in 2024 to Europe’s in 1941, Russia’s defeat seems entirely possible. But it will require the West, and the US in particular, to put aside domestic political squabbles and muster the political will to provide Ukraine with consistent and robust military and financial assistance.

    compare Russia's full-scale invasion to World War II and see reason to hope – as long as aid keeps flowing.
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    The Pandemic Financing Developing Countries Need

    Rachel Glennerster urges multilateral development banks to establish mechanisms that enable at-risk vaccine purchases.
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    The Geopolitics of Africa’s Debt Crisis

    Anne O. Krueger urges developed countries to back efforts by the IMF and the World Bank to promote growth-enhancing reforms.
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    Why the EU’s New Migration Pact Matters

    Ana Palacio applauds the pragmatic coalition-building, especially by Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, that enabled the deal.
  5. kirchschlager1_Fatih AktasAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_AI Fatih AktasAnadolu Agency via Getty Images

    AI Needs UN Oversight

    Peter G. Kirchschläger calls for the creation of a watchdog – similar to the IAEA – that employs a human rights-based approach.
  6. chellaney_VCGVCG via Getty Images_china military VCG/VCG via Getty Images

    The West Is Hastening Its Own Decline

    Brahma Chellaney argues that the unprecedented US and European sanctions against Russia are backfiring.
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    Canceling Palestine

    Slavoj Žižek

    Current debates about Israeli policy are rife with double standards, leading to absurd decisions like Germany’s recent cancellation of a pro-Palestinian gathering. By quashing legitimate speech and assembly, an Israel-aligned establishment risks inciting precisely the kind of anti-Semitism that it wants to prevent.

    worries that the double standards applied on Israel’s behalf will lead to an anti-Semitic backlash.
  8. ackerman2_Brian van der Brug  Los Angeles Times via Getty Images_preschool Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    America’s Childcare Is Unfit for the Postmodern Age

    Bruce Ackerman urges US President Joe Biden to put universal preschool at the center of his re-election campaign.
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    History Already Tells Us the Future of AI

    Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson find policy lessons for the 2020s in the work of the early-nineteenth-century economist David Ricardo.

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