Tag: Europe

EU inaction, stalled accessions, and government divergence from EU reform have created “stabilitocracies” in the Western Balkans. This poses a significant test for the EU’s role as a promoter of democracy in the region, says a recent report by the Netherlands’ Clingendael think-tank.

A Russian invasion of Ukraine would pose significant risks to Turkey. Moscow’s potential exertion of economic, military, and political pressure on Ankara may also weaken a NATO response to the crisis, especially from the Black Sea.

The new German government’s policy towards Russia deserves Turkey’s attention as it is likely to affect Ankara’s own balancing act between Washington, Moscow, and even Paris.

A documentary film produced by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University analyzes how Turkey under President Erdogan’s political Islamist rule uses Islam to increase its soft power in Bosnia and how it is perceived by Bosnian Muslims.

Refugees in Turkey and Turkish emigrants themselves are likely to affect the country’s next elections. While migration is not a new issue for Turkey, the level to which it has recently been politicized is. As Syrians and Afghans finding refuge in Turkey will be the subject of election campaigns, the votes of Turkish citizens living abroad shouldn’t be overlooked.

In what may be one of its most critical annual reports on Turkey to date, the EU warns the candidate country to beware of democratic backsliding, citing its worrying track record with regard to rule of law and rights and freedoms. It also highlights heated foreign policy disagreements.

The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is the big winner of the country’s 2021 federal elections. Many in Turkey and in Germany’s Turkish diaspora are pinning their hopes on Olaf Scholz, the SPD’s candidate for chancellor.

Only 19 of Kosovo’s 31 embassies abroad currently have ambassadors. This marks a significant failure on the part of the government just as the country needs diplomatic strength to fortify its position as an independent state.

With the 2016 EU-Turkey refugee deal coming to an end, the next agreement should be more comprehensive as Turkey grapples with an influx of Afghan refugees amid domestic economic downturn and a wave of political polarization that places refugees front and center.

Currently, an unprecedented drought in Turkey poses risks to cities, agricultural activities, and energy security, and aggravates forest fires. The government must implement a climate change-centered drought strategy in coordination with all water actors, both domestic and international.