Insight Turkey
Insight Turkey
Challenging ideas
On Turkish politics and International affairs

The Gezi Park Protests in Turkey A Qualitative Field Research

The Gezi Park Protests in Turkey: A Qualitative Field Research

Civil protests began on May 27, 2013, in opposition to modernization works planned for Gezi Park near Taksim Square, Istanbul. The events that...

The Clash of Nations in Turkey Reflections on the Gezi

The Clash of ‘Nations’ in Turkey: Reflections on the Gezi Park Incident

This article argues that the devastating mass demonstrations triggered by a humble environmentalist protest in the Gezi Park of İstanbul cannot be...

Gezi Park Negotiating a New Left Identity

Gezi Park: Negotiating a New Left Identity

Unknown to most of the world only a month ago, Gezi Park –the epicenter of Turkey’s June 2013 protests- has rapidly emerged as a historic site for...

Rowhani s Election Promise of Change or More of the

Rowhani’s Election: Promise of Change or More of the Same?

Rowhani’s victory in Iran’s 2013 presidential election is a clear protest vote against his predecessor’s management of the country’s relations with...

Turkey s Kurdish Question and the Peace Process

Turkey’s Kurdish Question and the Peace Process

Turkey currently is witnessing a series of events that are most likely to go down in history as truly important milestones. The country is...

New Peace Talks in Turkey Opportunities and Challenges in Conflict

New Peace Talks in Turkey: Opportunities and Challenges in Conflict Resolution

The restart of peace talks between the Government and the PKK has brought renewed optimism about the possibility to settle a nearly three-decade...

Turgut Özal Twenty Years After The Man and the Politician

Turgut Özal Twenty Years After: The Man and the Politician

Whether Turgut Özal was a good politician remains up for debate. However, there is no question that he indeed was (and is) a significant historical...

Remembering Turgut Özal Some Personal Recollections

Remembering Turgut Özal: Some Personal Recollections

An American ambassador recounts some of his dealings with Turgut Ozal, particularly on the first Iraq war, and provides his personal view of the...

Turkey and the European Union 2014 and Beyond

Turkey and the European Union: 2014 and Beyond

It seems likely that in 2013 Turkey and the EU will restart technical negotiations on one or more chapters. A real breakthrough, however, can only...

The Responsibility to Protect Doctrine Revived in Libya Buried in

The “Responsibility to Protect” Doctrine: Revived in Libya, Buried in Syria

Proponents of the “responsibility to protect” doctrine, commonly referred to as R2P, claim that it came of age with NATO’s successful military...

After the Constitution a New Battle in Egypt

After the Constitution, a New Battle in Egypt

The approval of the new, controversial Egyptian constitution does not end the transition process that started with the overthrow of President Hosni...

New Egypt versus the Felool Struggle for Democracy

New Egypt versus the Felool: Struggle for Democracy

What happened in Egypt? The Egyptian regime moved to the offensive prior to the presidential elections, and the military and the judiciary did...

The New Egyptian Constitution An Outcome of a Complex Political

The New Egyptian Constitution: An Outcome of a Complex Political Process

Although constitutions are intended to represent and confirm the spirit of coexistence between classes, sects and various components of society,...

From Damascus to Kabul Any Common Ground between Turkey and

From Damascus to Kabul: Any Common Ground between Turkey and Russia?

Over the past two decades Turkey and Russia have managed to normalize their bilateral relationship. Trade is flourishing, and human contacts are...

Northern Iraq s Oil Chessboard Energy Politics and Power

Northern Iraq’s Oil Chessboard: Energy, Politics and Power

The autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq has emerged in recent years as a potentially significant supplier of oil and gas. This makes it of economic...

Current Developments in Regional Energy Security and Turkey

Current Developments in Regional Energy Security and Turkey

With increasing energy consumption from emerging economies, there will be a growing need for new fossil fuel resources and transportation routes,...

Plural Islamism in Plural Modernities

Plural Islamism in Plural Modernities

This article examines the trajectory of Islamism as a modern phenomenon. It demonstrates that, having evolved under the influence of myriad...

The Pessoptimist s Arab Revolution A Mismatch Between Social Evolution

The Pessoptimist’s Arab Revolution: A Mismatch Between Social Evolution and Political Revolution

The article argues that of the three structural problems of the Arab world, as enumerated in the UNDP Arab Human Development report, freedom,...

The Arab Spring and the New Geo-Strategic Environment in the

The “Arab Spring” and the New Geo-Strategic Environment in the Middle East

Contrary to the evaluation of several political leaders and analysts, the new Islamic governments that have been elected in Tunisia, Egypt and...

Was Huntington Right Revisiting the Clash of Civilizations

Was Huntington Right? Revisiting the Clash of Civilizations

This essay is an attempt to revisit Samuel Huntington’s controversial thesis about a clash of civilizations. Though the author has been an early...

The Positive Agenda and Beyond A New Beginning for the

The Positive Agenda and Beyond: A New Beginning for the EU-Turkey Relations?

What do Turkey’s democratic transformation, its future EU membership and its growing position in the Middle East signify for a Europe which is...

Turkey s EU Journey What Next

Turkey’s EU Journey: What Next?

Since EU membership negotiations began in 2005, Turkey has faced a range of obstacles, which have led to an impasse in the talks. As a consequence,...

Egypt at a Crossroads The Presidential Elections and Their Aftermath

Egypt at a Crossroads: The Presidential Elections and Their Aftermath

On June 17, Egypt ended the second and final round of the first presidential election since the removal of Mubarak and his regime in February 2011....

Egypt after Elections Towards the Second Republic

Egypt after Elections: Towards the Second Republic?

While Mohamed Morsi was being named as the fifth president of the Republic of Egypt and the first person to occupy the post since the January 25...

We use cookies in a limited and restricted manner for specific purposes. For more details, you can see "our data policy". More...