On Wednesday the United Nations General Assembly voted on a resolution condemning the Syrian government’s forces while praising the opposition. Although the resolution passed, the non-binding text received less support than last year’s resolution condemning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. With support for Syria’s rebels waning, it is clear that the …
At the fifth Global Forum of the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations (AoC) this week in Vienna, Austria, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated, “Just like Zionism, anti-Semitism, and fascism, it becomes unavoidable that Islamophobia must be regarded as a crime against humanity.” The video of his statement is viewable …
In his State of the Union address, President Obama showed a stunning lack of reality on terrorism and the Arab Spring. The President’s statement saluting “the courage and sacrifice of those who serve in dangerous places at great personal risk” unfortunately rings hollow when one considers the Administration’s treatment of the …
Today, a ceasefire was announced in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas. With the current crisis apparently over, America must reflect back on what happened and how surrounding nations—including some of our allies in the region—reacted. Of note are Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statements …
On Wednesday, Turkey retaliated against a Syrian mortar attack earlier in the day that killed five civilians in the Turkish border town of Akcakale. Turkey responded in kind with limited artillery attacks against Syrian army outposts. Whether planned or not, Syria’s shelling of Akcakale is just another step in the …
Turkish fears of an emboldened Kurdish population in Syria are rising. Since the Syrian uprising began in February 2011, Syria’s Kurdish population has taken advantage of the power vacuum in the country’s north and sought to expand its influence. Since last summer, the Syrian government’s mass killing of civilians has …
Last weekend, hostilities between Turkey and Syria escalated after a Syrian anti-aircraft gun struck down a Turkish F-4 Phantom jet that was allegedly flying in international airspace. It has also been reported that Syria also fired on a Turkish search-and-rescue plane, but it is unclear if any damage was inflicted. …
The conflict between Turkey and Kurdish nationalists who are determined to carve a Kurdish state out of eastern Turkey is heating up. Kurdish insurgents attacked Turkish military outposts near the Iraqi border on Tuesday, killing eight soldiers in the deadliest attack this year. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a radical …
Without a government for over two decades, Somalia is the model of a failed state. It is torn apart by civil war and plagued by terrorism, among numerous maladies, and there are few countries willing send government personnel to Somalia. Yet, last November, Turkey reopened its embassy there and is …
It was reported last week that Turkey has blocked the European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, and the EU’s President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, from attending the upcoming NATO Summit in Chicago. Neither has any business attending the Summit, and Turkey was correct in blocking their attendance. …
