Sinem Cengiz
Arab News
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Past articles by Sinem:
Young people are Turkey’s only hope for the future
The ongoing demonstrations at Bogazici University in Istanbul, one of the nation’s top-ranking universities, are at the heart of the public debate in Turkey at the moment. They were triggered when Melih Bulu, a former member of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, was appointed rector of the university on Jan. 2. Many students and professors have been protesting → Read More
Japan Setting A Good Example Ahead Of Olympics – OpEd
By Sinem Cengiz Japan, the “Land of the Rising Sun,” is a very rich country in terms of culture, tradition, history and technology. This week, I had the opportunity to go to Tokyo, where I kept a l… → Read More
Turkish-Chinese ties warm but with potential for conflict
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a closed-door meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit, which took place last week in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires. After the meeting, Erdogan stated that Turkey was ready to bolster cooperation with China on global and regional issues, while Xi added that he has kept in close contact → Read More
Turkey, Russia close ranks on several fronts
Despite having been at odds over several issues, Russia and Turkey have managed to bounce back from crises and find common ground. Today, their relationship is deepening on multiple levels, including the TurkStream gas pipeline, diplomacy over Syria, the Akkuyu nuclear plant, Russia’s S-400 air defense system, counterterrorism and their relationships with the US.TurkStream gas → Read More
What drives Turkish policy in Libya?
This week, Italy hosted a conference aimed at helping war-torn Libya to establish peace and stability. Turkey, which is set to play a greater role in Middle East politics, was invited to the conference, its delegation comprising senior officials and headed by Vice President Fuat Oktay. → Read More
Bahrain-Turkey ties ripe for expansion
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa was, in August 2016, the first Arab leader to visit Turkey following the failed coup attempt that took place the previous month. The Bahraini king was warmly welcomed in Ankara, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later stated: “You stood with us during our most difficult days and you have held a highly significant place in our → Read More
Kuwait looks to Turkish and Chinese military power
Since the early 2000s, Turkey has given special importance to developing its relations with the Gulf countries, and the past decade in particular has witnessed increasing cooperation in several domains. In particular, Kuwait serves as a significant pillar in Ankara’s policies toward the region. → Read More
In many parts of the world simply being a woman can be dangerous
The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Nadia Murad, one of two winners this year, for her efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, and all forms of violence against women. In 2014, Murad, an Iraqi Yazidi, was captured, tortured and raped by Daesh militants. She became an activist for women’s rights after escaping. She is the first Iraqi to win the → Read More
In many parts of the world simply being a woman can be dangerous
The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Nadia Murad, one of two winners this year, for her efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, and all forms of violence against women. In 2014, Murad, an Iraqi Yazidi, was captured, tortured and raped by Daesh militants. She became an activist for women’s rights after escaping. She is the first Iraqi to win the → Read More
Syrians caught in the middle of an unwinnable war
While EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini was delivering a speech about the plight of the Syrian people at an EU event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last week, there were other concerns, calculations and plans in the minds of the leaders of countries involved in the conflict. → Read More
Can Turkey, Israel strike a balance?
After the deal between Moscow and Ankara to prevent a Syrian regime offensive in Idlib province, there have been reports of talks between Turkey and Israel next month to repair relations and exchange ambassadors. → Read More
Turkish perspective on the formation of an ‘Arab NATO’
Throughout the history of international politics, from ancient times to the present day, alliances have been a fundamental and constant phenomenon. As prominent international relations scholar George Liska put it: “It is impossible to speak of international relations without referring to alliances.” → Read More
How the interests of the Astana troika converge in Idlib
The point that we have reached in Syria is clearly a desperate one in humanitarian terms. While the world watched, a country, a nation, a generation has been torn apart by civil war. → Read More
Europe supports Turkey as relations with US worsen
While Turkey is experiencing problems with the US, European leaders have started to make statements that lay down both political and economic support for Ankara. → Read More
Erdogan’s appointment of army chief as defense minister is significant
Turkey has a new and interesting Cabinet that was formed on Monday in accordance with the nation’s new presidential system. It was announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself soon after his inauguration ceremony. As part of the new system, some ministries were combined in order to make the state structure work more efficiently, with the total number of ministries decreasing to 16. → Read More
Erdogan’s early chance to make Turkey’s new foreign policy strategy clear
Turkey will officially launch its executive presidential system when Recep Tayyip Erdogan takes his oath on Monday, leading the country into a new era. The same day, Erdogan will also announce the new Cabinet, which will have 16 ministers appointed by him and will accompany him on his first foreign visits as the head of Turkey’s new political system. Following his inauguration → Read More
West needs to rethink its attitude toward Turkey
The echo from the historic elections in Turkey on June 24 can still be heard. For the first time in its political history, the country held presidential and parliamentary elections at the same time. For the first time, the outcome of an election will transform the political system of the country from parliamentary to an executive presidency. For the first time, political → Read More
Can Turkish-Iranian cooperation work against PKK?
Turkish officials recently stated that they were talking with their Iranian counterparts about a military offensive against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Militants from the group are dispersed across the northern Iraqi region of Qandil. The offer of cooperation received a positive response from Tehran. “We are in contact with Iran,” Turkish Foreign Minister → Read More
Balancing hard and soft power: Turkey’s approach to Syria
According to Joseph Nye, the political scientist who coined the term “soft power” in the early 1990s — meaning a persuasive, noncoercive approach to international relations — there are various ways of using it, not only by the state but also in other ways, including educational and cultural. → Read More
Turkey’s public diplomacy in post-election Iraq
Though the notion of public diplomacy has a long history, its importance and the tools used have been changing, which has led to an increase in its use in foreign policy. In recent months, Turkey has engaged in public diplomacy efforts in Iraq — a country that constitutes a significant challenge for Ankara. → Read More