When the latest round of talks began between the parts in Cyprus, there were many colleagues and friends who were swept along with enthusiasm. 'This time, this is it!' was the phrase I had…
W hen Mine Gencel Bek and I had met - out of coincidence - in Boston in the autumn of 2014, we had no idea we would find ourselves as outcasts, although then we were concerned…
by Yavuz Baydar
When I heard the news on late Tuesday night, I did not know who to pity more than the other. I knew a few of the victims, but the first one I…
by Yavuz Baydar
'When universal values and international law are cast aside, global affairs are governed by force.'
This powerful remark printed at the end of a long, detailed report by Freedom House (FH)…
by Yavuz Baydar
Forget the old guidebooks on how to conduct foreign policy. These are times that require that the modes and codes change. The official introduction of Donald Trump as the leader…
by Yavuz Baydar
Turkish President Erdoğan's playbook never runs out of surprises.
Three most recent decrees meant that 649 academics were arbitrarily fired, and 83 associations were shut down, including the well-established Kurdish Insitute,…
by Yavuz Baydar
If people hold their breath about Turkey these days, they are right. As the world shows strong signs of disarray, certainly the country has placed itself at its epicenter. It has…
by Yavuz Baydar
The arrest of Ahmet Şık, one of the boldest journalists left in action in Turkey, was not that unexpected.
He was targeted for some time and had already informed the public in a…
by Yavuz Baydar
One point emerges as undisputable after the series of terror attacks, and the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara by a police officer: Turkey, now showing strong signs as 'ungovernable' under…
by Yavuz Baydar
So, this is the end. Well, more or less so if you read into the most recent General Affairs Council statements about the state of accession negotiations between Turkey and the EU.
Following…