COLUMNISTS
September 23, 2015, Wednesday
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Pessimism is the norm nowadays
You know there are columns in Western newspapers titled “obituaries.” Nowadays, I feel like I am writing an obituary column every day. Since I write a lot about human rights and democracy, my column seems to me like it has turned into an obituary. I keep talking about dying things, things we keep losing: the rights we have lost, freedom of expression that is being choked and a state that once again has begun to carry out massive human righ -
Urgent need for Turkey-EU deal on refugees
This Wednesday, EU leaders will get together for an emergency summit on the seemingly uncontrollable refugees and migration crisis. There will be a lot of haggling about numbers, criteria and so-called “exceptional circumstances” that would allow a member state not to take part in the relocation scheme. Everybody knows there is a deep split inside the EU about compulsory quotas -- and, more generally, about the desired future EU migration policy -- betw -
Unity and togetherness?
Turkey witnessed the organization of a large rally by the “Civilian Solidarity Platform,” which looks like a government-organized nongovernmental organization (GONGO) under the banner of “Millions of Breaths -- One Voice Against Terrorism” last Sunday. The large crowd was addressed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Parliament Speaker İsmet Yılmaz and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. Given the sudden increase in terrorist attacks and the resum -
Terror as fodder for campaigning
This past Sunday, Sept. 20, there was a massive rally titled “Millions of breaths, but one voice against terror." The rally, organized by a pro-Justice and Development Party (AKP) civil society organization called the Civil Solidarity Platform, featured speeches by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, AKP Parliament Speaker İsmet Yılmaz, and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. The main point driven home by the rally, however, was that in essence the whole “ -
Market for lemons
George Akerlof published his famous article “The Market for Lemons” in 1970. In this article, which later earned him Nobel Laureate in economics, he analyzed the consequences of information asymmetry in certain markets. In most markets there is information asymmetry; most of the time sellers have vastly more information about the product or service than the buyers. Generally these asymmetries do not cause significant problems to the operation of markets. -
Reverse globalization: a new phase in globalization
The beginning of globalization is generally accepted to be the Age of Discovery. European explorers such as the Portuguese seamen discovered the Atlantic archipelagos and Africa. The Spaniards discovered the Americas and connected their new spoils with their respective mother countries to create a wider world. Latecomers did not explore and colonize distant lands as the previous ones had, but they built connections to globalize international relations. Tod -
How the EU process helped empower Erdoğan
The EU has found itself in a position of weakness when it comes to influencing developments in Turkey. Words of concern (most recently related to the violence that has spread through the country as a consequence of the renewed conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party [PKK], along with ongoing systematic violations of civil liberties and freedoms including freedom of the media) more or less fall on deaf ears. Many in the EU believe that because Turkey is an im -
Rushing to the border
The human drama unfolding at borders is heartbreaking. Millions of people have left their homes, lost everything and they are now trying to get some safety in foreign countries. Most of them have decided to go to the West, and this is only natural. It is not surprising that there are no Syrians who would like to emigrate to North Korea, for example. The problem is quite complicated and multifaceted. Moreover, every single proposal for a solution could provoke other -
Sacrifice, sharing and celebration
You have probably noticed in recent days many animals, particularly sheep, tied to poles and fences and in lots and on street corners or in market areas. That's a big clue that the Feast of Sacrifice holiday is around the corner. The Turkish government has declared a nine-day public holiday for Eid al-Adha starting on Sept. 19, with a half a day off for private sector employees falling on Sept. 23. Getting ready for this Muslim holiday is equ -
‘Legendary Sevastopol’
Around one and a half hours of car travel separate Simferopol (Akmescit) and Sevastopol (Akyar). We're talking about a three-lane road in pretty bad shape. Cars that traverse this road are accustomed to pulling over to the side to allow official conveys to pass by. It's similar to the psychology that I noted ruling the roads in Iraq. In Crimea, there is almost no connection with the outside world via mobile phones. Other than Russian lines, cell phones don& -
It’s manipulation time, folks!
Every day that passes, the political farce staged by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) takes a new shape and an increasingly astonishing dimension. Nothing surprises anymore because, apparently, the despair of falling from power urges the AKP leadership to normalize the irrational, with the hope that the masses will buy the pompous propaganda. Another climax in the farce was witnessed on Sunday, when a large crowd assembled in İstanbul -- masses from th
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