Cohen Professor of International Relations (emeritus) @LehighU. Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East studies at @CFR_org. My own opinions. RTs ≠ endorsements.
Finally, another development that has been slightly overshadowed by the latest crackdown in Turkey, but which deserves our attention, is Ankara's effort to court the Libyan government in Benghazi.
As @burweila told me, this is a story to keep a close eye on 👇
The move to strike at the Turkish opposition comes ahead of a planned NATO summit in Turkey and as Erdogan tries to convince Europe that it needs Turkey for its security.
I look at what Turkey’s deeper descent into authoritarianism means for Europe with @MarcPierini1.
Kicking off the latest @GreekCurrent episode, I explore the mood in Turkey following this decision, and break down where this could this leave the country's vulnerable economy with @aylajean.
Last month Erdogan took the unprecedented step of removing the opposition's leadership, the latest sign of his tightening grip on #Turkey.
Is this the final nail in the coffin for Turkish democracy, and what does it mean for the West?
🎧🎙️: https://t.co/nM3yO2b8AM
Greek politics is shaking up, and the shift into campaign mode is kicking into a higher gear. So far all eyes have been on #Greece’s opposition, as former PM Alexis Tsipras makes a play to establish himself as the candidate that will unite the left.
https://t.co/KGDmsqoF3D
My analysis on how the ego ambitions of the new-old leader of Turkey's opposition has taken the party into the wilderness: Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's long walk to nowhere.
https://t.co/p53WEsZcZx
Erdoğan closed Bilgi, Turkey’s oldest private university, without explanation. His loyal media rushed to justify it with every possible rationale. Now, after his sudden U-turn, they’re desperately trying to explain the inexplicable.
KNC's Faisal Youssef elected to the Syrian parliament.
Youssef told North Press: “We hope to be the voice of our Kurdish people and the Syrian people.”
@nords41 It is not the court, it is Erdogan. He just gave meaning in Turkey to: l’état c’est moi. To boot, his “Justice” Minister just said this decision strengthens the public’s confidence in democracy. lol!
Erdogan just demonstrated that there are no limits to what he can do. This decision to remove the leadership of the main opposition party is sufficiently egregious to even upset his closest ally, Bahçeli.
One cannot separate what’s happening inside Turkey from what’s happening globally. What better moment for Erdogan to jail his top rivals and effectively shut down the country’s most popular party than when the US president is praising him and the so-called democratic world is busy celebrating Turkish drones and defense exports?
On May 15, Kurdish Language Day, thousands marched in Qamishlo demanding Kurdish be recognized in Syria’s constitution and fully taught in schools. Kurdish leaders reject Damascus’ proposal to limit Kurdish classes to 2 hours weekly, calling it a continuation of past erasure.
.@HoshyarZebari on how Iraq’s post-Saddam leadership approached relations with Iran:
“We want you to deal with us a new Iraqi government or regime that has been elected... you should deal with us directly through the doors, not through the windows,” he tells @vmsalama.
"The Kurds of Iran saw what happened in Syria. We won't sacrifice our young men and women to another brutal regime"
@aram_aqil joins me on today's Israel in 🔟 to address President Trump's claim that the Kurds stole American weapons that were meant to overthrow the regime in Tehran
@MisgavINSen