By a wise and concerted effort, Cambodia can phase out US dollar dependence. By Mehmet Enes Beşer Cambodia’s economy is especially marked by the prevalence of the US dollar usage in conjunction with the country’s official currency, the Riel. Dollarization is a persistent economic issue that is both positive and negative to the country’s economic sovereignty and policy space. The ...
A media war preceded the recent clashes. Here are its details. By Dure Akram, from Lahore / Pakistan Within hours of the gunmen killing 26 civilians in Pahalgam on April 22, the Indian media had already delivered its verdict. There was no investigation, no credible claim of responsibility, and no effort to establish a chain of accountability. Yet within hours, ...
Main political events in the last week in Türkiye. The agenda of Türkiye was once again intense last week. The “Kurdish Unity” meeting in northern Syria drew reactions from the government, as well as from various institutions and organizations. The AKP government continues its new policy toward Europe. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Italy, while Minister of Transport and Infrastructure ...
China expands Egypt’s options. By Mohamed Sabreen, from Cairo / Egypt Egypt and China have begun their first joint air maneuvers, and there are reports that Cairo is purchasing advanced Chinese weapons. All of this coincides with Beijing’s massive investments in Egypt. What is the “coded message” from Cairo and Beijing behind the “golden decade” of partnership between the two ...
The first visit of an Iranian President to Baku since 6 years promises improvement of bilateral relations and cooperation, especially in the energy sector. Although Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s trip to Baku last week was a one-day visit due to the necessity of his presence in Iran to manage the explosion incident at Shahid Rajaee Port on the Persian Gulf ...
Unveiling the Socio-Environmental Costs By Mehmet Enes Beşer Mongolia’s extensive mineral resources have turned it into a rapidly emerging mining center, with very high promises of rapid economic development and growth. But overlying this veneer of prosperity is a richly embroidered brocade of environmental degradation, social dislocation, and economic problems that need to be thoroughly examined. Environmental Degradation: The Ecological ...
Preserving culture and legal rights against the Greek authorities. The Turkish Union of Iskeçe (in Greek: Xanthi), the first civil society organization established by the Turkish minority in Western Thrace, is celebrating its 98th anniversary. Founded on April 14, 1927, by members of the Turkish community in the region, the organization has been working to preserve the identity, culture, and values ...
Interview with Gürlan Demir, Tehran correspondent of Turkish TV channel Ulusal Kanal. Negotiations between Iran and the US over a possible “nuclear deal” are ongoing, but with no clear end in sight. There is serious discussion about whether military options might come into play. And of course, Israel remains as “unofficial” participant of negotiations. How does Iran view the negotiations ...
To turn towards Eurasia would also convey a powerful symbolic signal: that the Philippines will not be a passive arena for competition among the great powers. By Mehmet Enes Beşer The Philippines has long been one of America’s most devoted friends in Asia. Bonded through history, defense relations, and mutual strategic stakes in the Indo-Pacific, Manila has come to be ...
The Risk to World Leaders and Global Security Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has once again demonstrated his determination to continue the war, rejecting Russia’s offer of a three-day ceasefire on May 9, Victory Day, a holiday primarily celebrated in the CIS countries. According to the Kremlin, the offer was intended to test Ukraine’s readiness to seek peaceful solutions to the ...
But China is not Japan… By Orçun Göktürk from Beijing / China On September 22, 1985, the United States hosted its allies within the “capitalist bloc” at the Plaza Hotel in New York. The main objective of the meeting, attended by West Germany, Japan, France, and the United Kingdom, was to reduce the value of the excessively overvalued U.S. dollar—particularly ...
Hungarian political scientist Thibaud Gibelin explains the background. The Hungarian Parliament first banned LGBT marches. Then the Parliament passed a constitutional amendment preventing Pride events. According to the amendment, only male and female genders will be recognized in the country. The aim of the legal regulation is “to protect children physically and emotionally”. Yet, it has another aspect articulated by ...