Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Dr Elif Selin Calik
-
The life and legacy of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi: A beacon of hope for Palestine
The world of activism was shaken by the tragic news of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi’s death at the hands of Israeli forces in the West Bank. Her demise has sparked a renewed conversation about the Occupation of Palestine, the struggles of the Palestinian people, and the role of international activists...
-
Turkiye’s humanitarian approach to refugees on World Humanitarian Aid Day
Turkiye’s humanitarian approach to refugees, particularly in the context of the Syrian civil war, stands as one of the most significant and large-scale efforts in modern history. As of 2023, Turkiye hosts the largest refugee population in the world, with over 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees and approximately 300,000...
-
Immigration policies in the UK and Turkiye — A comparative reflection
Immigration is a topic that frequently stirs emotions, debates and, most critically, policies that shape the lives of millions. When comparing the immigration policies of the United Kingdom and Turkiye, we are presented with a stark contrast in how two nations, each grappling with its own challenges, address the...
-
UK Elections: Turkiye-UK relations amid new immigrant policies
After the Labour Party won the British elections, new laws against immigration of Turks living in the UK are on the agenda. Based on a long and deep-rooted diplomatic history, Turkiye-UK relations have been following an extremely positive course for a long time compared to Turkiye’s relations with the...
-
Voters in North Ealing are guided by their backing of a Gaza ceasefire, Sameh Habeeb says
Sameh Habeeb is a Palestinian journalist turned politician, who is vying to be elected as an MP in the 2024 UK elections. Originally from Gaza, Habeeb told MEMO how his early years during the First Intifada and living under Israeli occupation has fuelled his political career. Habeeb will...
-
How the Freedom Flotilla became a global humanitarian mission to Gaza
The visionary international coalitions for the Freedom Flotilla’s success often begin with the names of the ships. Vicdan (“conscience” in Turkish), Anadolu (Anatolia), Akdeniz (the Mediterranean) and Handala (the iconic innocent Palestinian child); these are the rousing names of the Freedom Flotilla ships. Dedicated Flotilla workers were very shrewd...
-
There is always a special place for Turkiye’s diplomatic initiatives in Palestine
More than 200 days have passed since Israel began its attacks on Gaza. Several rounds of ceasefire talks have not yet produced any concrete results, and it does not look like they will produce any positive results in the short term. Presently, it seems that Israel has not given...
-
Turkiye 2024: The uncertainty in inflation and exchange equations
Inflation remains a fundamental policy issue for Turkiye, not only for this year and next year, but in the medium term. As one of the most important explorers in the world, Captain James Cook said after visiting many countries: “Inflation makes the wealthiest people richer and the masses poorer”. This...
-
The Turkish earthquakes: Have the wounds healed?
I lost 34 members from my family last year and my grandmother lost her treasured house in one night. Since I woke up this morning, I have been trying to think of words to describe the pain we experienced in the wake of the 6 February 2023 earthquakes in...
-
Applying climate justice for young generations - COP28 and Middle East and energy transition
“In my country a lot of people, including my mother, can’t afford to buy biogas for cooking. So, we must rely on charcoal and firewood. If we want countries like Malawi to make the transition to biogas, they should be supported with funds to decrease its cost,” said Rana, from Sudan...
-
Destruction of the ‘Mavi Marmara’ monument draws international attention to Israel war crimes
A book titled “Midnight on the Mavi Marmara: The Attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and How it Changed the Course of the Israel/Palestine Conflict”, consists of 48 essays compiled by Arab-American author and professor, Mustafa Bayoumi. Its diverse accounts, which were published only three months after the attack, include witness testimonies, rebuttals of...
-
Cooperation between rival transport corridors could change global economies
On the sidelines of the G20 Summit last month, the leaders of India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Italy, Germany and the EU announced a new maritime and overland transport corridor between Asia and Europe: the India, Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Also present at the...
-
Anti-Arab sentiments in Turkiye will not save Turkish Lira
Last week, a Turkish man was detained in connection with an assault on a Kuwaiti tourist in the northern city of Trabzon. The attack was widely publicised in the local Turkish and social media. Racist attacks in Turkiye, especially in Istanbul, towards Arabs first became apparent with the arrival of Syrian refugees....
-
Will the UAE COP28 roadmap help the region for the energy revolution?
This week, a ground-breaking green energy investment of the UAE hit all the media outlets: The UAE has pledged $4.5 billion to help speed up the development of clean energy projects in Africa. This means UAE pitches itself as Africa’s carbon credits leader. According to the American consultancy, Mckinsey, the initiative aims to...
-
Turkiye’s post-quake city transformation: Finance vs policy
“It is like The Pianist movie scene with collapsed buildings. Just like how Roman Polanski depicts a city of a war-torn country with devastated cities. Now, Kahramanmaras is the same.” This is how one of my journalist friends who witnessed the devastation of the earthquakes described the scenes the day after....
-
Turkiye NATO agenda: Sweden bid, F-16s and war mediation
Last week was, by all standards, a historical turning point for the relationship between Turkiye and its NATO allies. Three important developments were witnessed at the Vilnius summit. First, there was the long-awaited breakthrough in negotiations, which allowed Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to finally approve Sweden’s membership. Secondly,...
-
Hydrogen money can be beneficial for green infrastructure in the Middle East
The conversation about climate change needs to shift from simply reducing carbon emissions to ensuring developing nations can take part in a diversified green economy in the Middle East region. Yet, first it is important to accept that governments have hardly any source of revenues, independent from oil and...
-
The challenges facing Erdogan’s new cabinet
After a very tight first round, Turkiye’s Erdogan has emerged the clear winner of the presidential election last Sunday. After overcoming the biggest political challenges ever faced, with a coalition comprising six opposition parties, he will hope his third term will further tighten his grip on power. Opponents have expressed dismay,...
-
Is Turkiye democratic enough not to apply forced repatriation and politicising refugees?
Syrian refugees in Turkiye have emerged as a political flashpoint in the country’s ongoing election journey, with leading opposition candidates competing to offer the most aggressive proposal to deport the refugees to Syria. Although the plans vary in substance, they share a disregard for international law – and Turkiye’s...
-
Are Turkiye’s nuclear power ambitions a threat to regional safety?
Everyone who watched the American disaster thriller movie called ‘The China Syndrome’, directed by James Bridges in 1979, remembers that the events leading up to the “accident” in ‘The China Syndrome’ are, indeed, based on actual occurrences at nuclear plants. Turkiye’s newly launched nuclear power plant reminds us of...
-
On World Water Day, spare a thought for the Middle East
The Middle East may have an abundance of oil and gas, but it has very few natural water sources. This is fast becoming a source of tension. According to three UN Secretaries-General, water may well be the cause of future conflict in the region. “The next war in the...
-
Aid Diplomacy after earthquake
While the world is dealing with the first anniversary of the deadly war in Ukraine, the solidarity shown towards Turkish society after its devastating earthquake is one of the best examples of “aid diplomacy” in modern history. Even though Turkiye was against Sweden’s and Finland’s membership of NATO, less...
-
The Middle East and its move away from oil and gas
In 2022, the biggest energy issue in the Middle East was Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil cut as the world economy entered into a period of ‘heightened uncertainty and rising challenges’. In October, OPEC cut its 2022 forecast for growth in world oil demand for a...
-
Turkiye’s energy outlook and achieving energy independence
“This century will be, to a large extent, about energy. Energy security is a theme where NATO is in the process of defining its added value. Protection of critical energy infrastructure,” these were the words of Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the former NATO secretary-general, they were delivered during a...
