Elif Selin Calik – Middle East Monitor

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Elif Selin Calik

Elif Selin Calik is a journalist and independent researcher. She is a regular contributor to publications like TRT World, Daily Sabah, Rising Powers in Global Governance and Hurriyet Daily News. She was one of the the founders of the In-Depth News Department of Anadolu News Agency and participated in United Nations COP23 in Bonn as an observer. She holds an MA in Cultural Studies from the International University of Sarajevo and a second MA in Global Diplomacy from SOAS, University of London.

June 14, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

Turkiye is getting caught between NATO and Russia

Reacting to the ongoing tension within NATO after Sweden and Finland applied to join the alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that it is important to note that...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, Europe & Russia, Finland, International Organisations, Middle East, NATO, Opinion, Russia, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, US
May 27, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

Davos myth: Unchanging poverty and changing climate

The main takeaway from this year's Davos conference was best expressed by the US Vermont independent senator and former presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders when he said; "The oligarchs party...

Published in: Africa, Article, Asia & Americas, Europe & Russia, International Organisations, Middle East, Oceania, Opinion, UN, US
May 10, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

Economic crisis in Turkey triggers racist acts

In Turkey, the release of the short film, "Silent Invasion", which was commissioned by the Head of one of the opposition parties, the Victory Party, Umit Ozdag, circulated widely...

Published in: Article, Europe & Russia, Germany, Middle East, Opinion, Syria, Turkey, UK
April 26, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

Palestinian human rights should not be a diplomatic tool in the game of nations

After nine Turkish activists were killed by Israeli commandos who boarded Turkey's humanitarian ship the MV Mavi Marmara in 2010 in international waters (a tenth activist died of his...

Published in: Article, Europe & Russia, Israel, Middle East, Opinion, Palestine, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine
April 11, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

Can the UK's Energy Security Plan be a substitute for Energy Relations with the Middle East?

The ongoing war in Ukraine has prompted the UK to set up a new energy security plan for energy independence from Russia. Last week, the Johnson Government announced an...

Published in: Article, Europe & Russia, Middle East, Opinion, Russia, UK, Ukraine
March 30, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

What will be the future of global energy post-Ukraine war?

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise video appearance at Qatar's Doha Forum last Saturday, stressing the need for the energy-rich nation and others to shift their production from...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, Europe & Russia, Opinion, Russia, UK, Ukraine, US
March 11, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

History is repeating itself: From Bosnia to Ukraine

On 5 March 1992, Aida woke up to bombing and shooting as the Serbian army opened fire from the iconic Holiday Inn Hotel and killed two women protesting on...

Published in: Article, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Europe & Russia, Opinion, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine
February 26, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

Europe's dilemma over the Russia-Ukraine conflict: Caught between economic interests and war

Did Germany's "unofficial" Russia policy help prepare the ground for Russia's invasion of Ukraine? Putting aside the Nord Stream 2 agreement between Germany and Russia, there were other important...

Published in: Article, EU, Europe & Russia, Opinion, Russia, Ukraine
February 14, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

Crisis within crisis: Refugees' energy crisis

While Europe has been witnessing the severe consequences of its refugee crisis for more than a decade, anti-migrant politicians have been fuelling tensions with their hate-filled rhetoric. Life for...

Published in: Article, Europe & Russia, International Organisations, Middle East, Opinion, Syria, Turkey, UN
February 5, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

Can Qatar save Europe from a cold winter in the event of a Russia-Ukraine war?

Any war scenario between Ukraine and Russia would undoubtedly imperil European energy security. Existing energy supplies in the region are still not enough, filling only 38 per cent of...

Published in: Article, Europe & Russia, Middle East, Opinion, Qatar, Russia
January 29, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

Turkey's balancing act between Russia and Ukraine

Turkey's military-industrial partners are on the verge of war. The war scenario between Russia and Ukraine is testing Turkey's balancing policy, especially in the defence industry. Both countries are...

Published in: Article, Europe & Russia, Opinion, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine
January 7, 2022 | Elif Selin Calik

Turkey's drones diplomacy in Africa

When assessing Turkey's military involvement over the past few years – including in Syria, Libya and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – one thing must be highlighted: the significant capabilities of...

Published in: Africa, Angola, Article, Europe & Russia, Libya, Middle East, Opinion, Region, Syria, Turkey
December 25, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

Will Egypt's gas to Lebanon end the East Med energy dispute?

The last quarter of 2021 has witnessed Egypt striking a deal with Lebanon to export natural gas to the country in the first quarter of 2022. The first time...

Published in: Africa, Article, Asia & Americas, Egypt, Europe & Russia, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Middle East, Opinion, US
December 18, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

The closures of mosques in Kashmir: Another legacy of Modi's vindictive rule

India's government has this week decided to close Srinagar's Grand Mosque in Indian-administered Kashmir. This act is the latest of a two-year campaign of repression by the Indian authorities...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, India, Kashmir, Opinion
December 11, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

The perils of the digital age: How Facebook failed to protect Rohingya Muslims

Rohingya refugees and victims are suing Facebook for $150 billion. They allege that Facebook played a key role in the brutal crackdown against Muslims in Myanmar by promoting anti-Rohingya...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, Myanmar, Opinion, US
December 3, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

UK's new gas saviour during supply crunch is Qatar

After gas shortages in the UK have led to soaring high prices, Qatar eyes an opportunity to strengthen ties with the UK in terms of gas supply. It is...

Published in: Article, Europe & Russia, Middle East, Opinion, Qatar, UK
November 26, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

Local manufacturing is important for currency management in Turkey

The current currency crisis in Turkey has led many citizens to demonstrate against the AK Party government over the past couple of days. Before analysing the crisis, it is...

Published in: Article, Europe & Russia, Opinion, Turkey
October 29, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

The US is pushing Turkey into Russia's arms

Ten months after the Biden administration took office and Turkey has begun to reset its relations with key US allies in the Middle East. They include Israel, Egypt and...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, Europe & Russia, International Organisations, Middle East, NATO, Opinion, Russia, Syria, Turkey, US
October 8, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

Will world leaders at COP26 resolve the refugee crisis?

Climate change in Afghanistan has not only fuelled conflict, it has also provoked a major refugee crisis. Most of Afghanistan is dry and hot for much of the year,...

Published in: Afghanistan, Article, Asia & Americas, Europe & Russia, International Organisations, Opinion, UK, UN
September 28, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

Qatar's OPEC decision will boost its energy independence

Speaking at a Future of the Oil and Gas Industry conference, Pulitzer prize-winning author and global energy expert Daniel Yergin said that the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed that the...

Published in: Article, International Organisations, Middle East, OPEC, Opinion, Qatar
September 8, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

Is TurkStream a threat to Turkey's relationship with the US?

Turkey's TurkStream gas pipeline is an important part of a mega gas project that complements Russia's Nord Stream-2 pipeline, which will carry natural gas supplies to Europe. For Russia,...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, Europe & Russia, Opinion, Turkey, US
August 9, 2021

#HelpTurkey being used to make Turkey look 'weak, incompetent'

Last week, prosecutors in Turkey launched an investigation into the social media hashtag HelpTurkey, Anadolu reports. The government believe this hashtag is critical of its response to the country's...

Published in: Asia & Americas, Europe & Russia, News, Turkey, Twitter Trends, US
August 3, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

What awaits the EU-Turkey agreement after this new influx of Afghan refugees?

Recent footage of Afghan refugees trying to escape from Afghanistan's Taliban and trying to cross the Iran border into Turkey reminded me of the words of Zygmunt Bauman. The...

Published in: Afghanistan, Article, Asia & Americas, EU, Europe & Russia, Greece, International Organisations, Middle East, Opinion, Syria, Turkey
July 14, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

MEMO in conversation with: Abdul Waris Khan

ATO's 20-year military mission in Afghanistan is coming to an end but what does the country’s future look like now? Senior Expert on Afghan Peace Proceess based in Doha, Abdul Waris Khan talks to MEMO

Published in: Afghanistan, Asia & Americas, Europe & Russia, MEMO in Conversation With, Turkey, US, Videos & Photo Stories
June 16, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

It's time for Turkey and NATO to build bridges, not burn them

The NATO summit in Brussels on Monday kicked off with US President Joe Biden's awkward fist-bump with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Their meeting came weeks after Biden...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, Europe & Russia, International Organisations, NATO, Opinion, Turkey, US
June 9, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

The Palestinians in Gaza are sick of the cycle of destruction and reconstruction

Gaza has suffered through fourteen years of the Israeli-led blockade which has had the effect of an enforced quarantine. This is something with which the rest of us are...

Published in: Article, Israel, Middle East, Opinion, Palestine
May 4, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

What is behind the UN-led Cyprus peace talks in Geneva?

Last week, an informal meeting began in Geneva linked to the Cyprus peace talks. It was an initiative by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as he seeks common ground for...

Published in: Article, Cyprus, Europe & Russia, Greece, International Organisations, Middle East, Opinion, Turkey, UN
April 12, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

Women are paying a high price in China's Uyghur genocide

It is a fact that rape and sexual abuse have been used as weapons of war throughout history. The lack of security leaves women and girls, in particular, more...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, China, Europe & Russia, International Organisations, Opinion, Turkey, UN
March 21, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

I haven't heard from my mother in 1,400 days due to the Chinese crackdown, says Uyghur academic

Uyghur academic and representative of Uyghur Muslims, Professor Abdulresit Celil Karluk speaks out on the plight of his people languishing in China’s concentration camps since 2017

Published in: Asia & Americas, China, Interviews, Videos & Photo Stories
February 15, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

Remembering the Libyan Revolution

The 2011 Libyan Revolution inspired by the Arab Spring protests across the Middle East

Published in: Africa, Libya, On this day, Opinion, Videos & Photo Stories
January 25, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

Is the pandemic an opportunity to shift from oil to greener energy?

It is crucial to an understanding of the global consequences of the coronavirus pandemic to consider the transition to alternative energy sources for the benefit of future generations. Covid-19...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, Coronavirus, Europe & Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Middle East, Opinion, Russia, Saudi Arabia, US
January 1, 2021 | Elif Selin Calik

What we've learned from COVID-19 and the US election: Sustainability

One of the enduring images of 2020, the year of the pandemic, has been the sight of people connected to ventilators in hospitals. It is an image that helped...

Published in: Article, Asia & Americas, Coronavirus, Europe & Russia, Opinion, UK, US