Turkey’s human rights record has crossed from troubling to indefensible. Behind the language of counterterrorism and national security lies a systematic campaign that has dismantled the rule of law, criminalized dissent, and stripped hundreds of thousands of their most basic rights In the aftermath of the 2016 attempted coup, Turkey’s President Erdogan embarked on a…
Since the 2016 coup attempt, Erdoğan has built a regime in which power is centralized, freedoms are curtailed, and dissent is met with an iron fist. Now that there is a historic opportunity to end the conflict with the Kurds, Erdogan is seeking surrender rather than a dignified, sustainable solution Nearly a decade after Turkey’s…
Turkey’s President Erdogan could have emerged from the Israel-Hamas war as a peacemaker. Instead, being absorbed by fake piety, hypocrisy, and folly, he chose to fan the flames of the horrific war, further poisoning the atmosphere and intensifying the hostility and hatred between Israel and the Palestinians. Can Erdogan shed his hypocrisy and play a…
It is time to hold Turkey’s President Erdogan accountable for his egregious human rights violations and defiance of NATO’s charter, which weakens the alliance and plays directly into the hands of Russia and China It is hard to fathom why, over the past eight years since the failed military coup in 2016 in particular, Erdogan…
Whether or not Erdogan wins the May 14 presidential election, his legacy will be marred by his authoritarianism, corruption, and ruthlessness. The Turkish people have now a historic opportunity to oust him and begin a process of healing the nation under the leadership of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the Republican People’s Party Alon Ben-Meir…
As Turkey approaches its centennial anniversary this October, President Erdogan is stopping short of nothing to win the election in June to fulfill his life-time dream of presiding over the celebration. The Turkish people should deny him this historic honor because of the reign of terror to which he has mercilessly subjected his countrymen. Had…
Righting the Wrong Dear President Erdogan, I send this open letter to you because it pains me to see a country like Turkey, which could have reached the pinnacle of power and influence, envied by her adversaries and revered by her friends, has fallen into disgrace, thanks to your corrupt and misguided leadership. I admired…
Righting the Wrong The Summit for Democracy that President Biden is spearheading in December, at which scores of countries will be in in attendance, is certainly timely and necessary. I do not expect revolutionary and immediate measures to be adopted at the summit to save democracies from their rapid erosion in so many countries. The…
The Biden administration’s new Middle East strategy is forcing regional powers to reassess their geostrategic interests and act in a manner that might end several conflicts that have plagued the region Righting the wrong When Biden was running for president, he made it clear that if elected he would chart a new course in addressing…