Ambassador (Ret.), Global Relations Forum President
Despite many efforts for a ceasefire, the war in Ukraine continues unabated. Russia’s war against Ukraine actually began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and continued through intermittent clashes. In February 2022, however, Moscow launched a full-scale invasion, escalating the war to a new level. Yet, Russia—despite its claim of being a superpower—failed to
Turks, who have turned their faces towards the West for decades, have been facing visa restrictions for nearly fifty years. Almost everyone has a positive or negative visa story to tell. As the difficulties reached their peak, the European Union took a step forward. The EU’s decision last week to adopt a more positive approach
Countries have expanded, merged, shrunk, or even disappeared over time. These days, we are hearing about incoming United States President Donald Trump making Canada the 51st state, buying or outright annexing Greenland, and reclaiming the Panama Canal. Many people are worried by these pronouncements and question whether they should be taken seriously. When you look
On October 30th, the European Commission published its annual report assessing the candidate countries’ progress over the last year. Türkiye is still among them. At the very beginning of the report, it is stated that Türkiye is a candidate for membership. However, Türkiye is not seen as such. Every time Commission President Ursula von der
Just before Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s participation in the informal ‘Gymnich’ meeting of European Union Foreign Ministers on August 29, EU Commission Vice President and High Representative Josep Borrell finally revealed the Union’s common thought towards Türkiye. Borrell’s message before the meeting, to which Türkiye was invited for the first time after a 5-year interval,
If asked how we remember 2023, we would probably say that we are glad it is behind us. Unfortunately, 2024 doesn’t look any better. But haven’t we also used such expressions for the past years? The years when the world was free from war and conflict are few. Nevertheless, what we call major war have
The European Commission adopted its 2023 Enlargement Package on November 8 and is testament to the direct or indirect influence of Russia. In a couple of decades, we may look back on the map of Europe and see how Russia has influenced the alignment of countries. We may have not noticed it, but Russia is
Since the July 11 – 12, 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, Turkey – European Union relations have started to be discussed again. However, it is important to see if there is any substance to this debate. Relations have gone backwards, especially since the July 15, 2016 coup attempt, the seventh anniversary of which we just
1923 marks not only the centenary of our Republic, but also the sixtieth anniversary of the Ankara Agreement with the European Union. During this time, our relations have gone through many different phases. The last few years have witnessed a steady decline in these relations. After the presidential and parliamentary elections in May, it is
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