TURKISH STUDIES

Dr. Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak

(Researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies (MDC), Tel Aviv University. He serves as Turkey analyst for the Doron Halpern Middle East Network Analysis Desk’s publication, Bee Hive, and is co-editor of Turkeyscope)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr)
Publication date: 20 August 2017

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Re-search Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS).

Despite the shadow of historical rivalry and significant political disagreements, Greece and Turkey enjoy a relatively neighborly relationship. The personal relations linked to tourism, culture, music and food constitute the backbone of this fragile stability. However, these alone are insufficient to form a complete picture of one state and its citizens in the eyes of another. Thus, alongside the platform of civic dialogue, states' education systems and their auto-biographies - i.e the school textbooks – act as complimentary tool in shaping a country's reputation....Read more

Assoc. Prof. Mahmut Cengiz
(Senior researcher at Centre for Regional Studies of Global Policy and Strategy Institute. Currently, he is also a research scholar at Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) at George Mason University. He is a leading expert on transnational crime, corruption, terrorism, money laundering, and terrorist financing as well as human trafficking and smuggling of nuclear materials with a particular focus on the Middle East. He specializes on the relationship between crime and conflict in peacekeeping missions. He is also a security expert on policies related to crime and terror issues)

Copyright: http://globalinitiative.net/how-organized-crime-and-terror-are-linked-to-oil-smuggling-along-turkeys-borders/

Oil smuggling is a lucrative financial source for organized crime and terrorist groups and an example of how demand for cheaper oil creates opportunities for criminals and terrorists in Turkey. The country’s high taxes, its proximity to neighboring countries with cheaper oil prices, difficult controlling its borders and harbors and endemic corruption are the main factors that lead to oil smuggling in Turkey. Read more

Tassos Symeonides
(RIEAS Academic Advisor)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 18 April 2017

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS).

Erdogan won the April 16 referendum by a narrow margin. How dangerous is he now as newly minted sultan-for-life, provided he lasts?
Erdogan is unpredictable, suspicious, and impulsive. He is also revengeful and ruthless when dealing with enemies, both true and fictional. He sees conspiracies coming from all points of the horizon. In other words, he clearly demonstrates the obsessive character traits which distinguish dictators from normal people. His paranoia is increasing proportionally to his recent revengeful, hostile rants against Europe. In a recent reshuffle of his spy agency, he created a unit of dark “special operations” to wage total war against enemies inside and outside Turkey...Read more

Τάσσος Συμεωνίδης
(Ακαδημαικός Σύμβουλος)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 30 November 2016

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS).

Seventeen years later the above is current and relevant except for Turkey having lost its “indispensability” for Western defense--although some continue to argue along the old Cold War lines in favor of Ankara....Read more

Shaun Riordan
[Senior Visiting Fellow of the Netherlands Institute for International Relations (“Clingendael”) and a senior analyst with Wikistrat. At Clingendael, Shaun heads the project on Business Diplomacy and is a member of the Futures for Diplomacy team].

Copyright: http://www.shaunriordan.com/?p=295

Publication date in RIEAS web site (www.rieas.gr) on 23 July 2016

The analysis of the motivation and consequences of the Turkish coup have underestimated the geopolitics.

Motivation

First it is important to understand Turkish geopolitical dilemmas and reactions. In recent months Turkey (together with Saudi Arabia) has emerged as the major loser in the Middle East. Turkey’s proteges are losing out in Syria. Russian support has reinforced the Assad regime....Read more

Nickolaos Mavromates
(Security Analyst-Historian)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 17 July 2016

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies (RIEAS).

“Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests.” Lord Palmerstone (1784-1865)

President Tayyip Erdoğan's success in putting down the Turkish military Putsch aimed at him and his administration with the help of Dr Hakan Fidan automatically elevates him in the foreseeable future as the new premier of Turkey. Without the support of Chief of the Turkish Intelligence Dr. Hakan Fidan any resistance by Erdoğan to the Coup mutineers actions would had been futile.....Read more