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61. The Danish Presidency and Turkey's EU Accession: Turning the Page Towards New Positive Agenda

Author:
Sofia Hafdell
Publication Date:
07-2012
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Global Political Trends Center (GPoT)
Abstract:
This paper will touch upon developments in bilateral relations between Denmark and Turkey and the conditions for Turkey's accession process to the EU in light of the 2012 Danish presidency. While Danish-Turkish relations have been hurt by recent events, such as the political disputes over freedom of speech and the press surrounding the Cartoon Controversy and the Roj TV Affair, at the same time Turkey's stalled negotiation talks with the EU amid freedom of expression issues, human rights concerns, and the unsolved Cyprus dispute have not effectively moved forward since 2010. As a result, the six-months Denmark presidency, preceding the Republic of Cyprus during the second half of 2012, has both demonstrated willingness for closer dialogue and continued EU integration of Turkey and given a genuine gesture towards improved bilateral ties.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Bilateral Relations, and European Union
Political Geography:
Europe, Turkey, Denmark, Cyprus, and Mediterranean

62. A Separation? The Principalist Divide and the Parliamentary Elections in Iran

Author:
Hasan Aydin
Publication Date:
02-2012
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
Abstract:
A Separation? The Principalist Divide and the Parliamentary Elections in Iran’ written by TESEV Foreign Policy Programme researcher Enis Erdem Aydın hopes to shed light on this struggle which will be decisive in the making of the ninth parliament and also in the 2013 presidential race. The article, in more detail, will aim to unravel the shifting alliances between the principalist factions, the scope of the rift between Ahmadinejad and Khamenei and the link between Iranian domestic and foreign policy. For such purpose it will entertain three cases where such power struggle is most observed: The embezzlement scandal involving Iran’s leading banks and government officials, the change in the presidential system debate invoked by the Supreme Leader and the raid on two compounds of the British Embassy in Tehran. The article will conclude by entertaining current debates in the aftermath of candidate registration.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Politics, Elections, Alliance, Domestic Policy, and Parliament
Political Geography:
Iran, Turkey, Middle East, and Mediterranean

63. Quo vadis Cyprus?

Author:
Ayla Gürel Moran, Mensur Akgün, Mete Hatay, and Sylvia Tiryaki
Publication Date:
04-2005
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
Abstract:
Cyprus is one of the key issues in Turkish Foreign Policy today, probably even more so than it has ever been. A peaceful settlement that optimizes the needs and minimizes the concerns of both the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot sides is of utmost significance and urgency. A settlement is needed not only to enable Turkey to continue its path towards European accession, but also in order to establish and perpetuate a peaceful coexistence between the two communities on the island. The suspension of efforts to solve the Cyprus issue after the referendum on April 24, 2004, could pave the way for unwelcome developments in Turkey, the EU and in the region as a whole. Therefore TESEV see it as their mission to alert policy makers, opinion leaders and diplomats of the urgency of the issue. As has been stated previously on different occasions, TESEV has three major areas of activity: Democratization, Good Governance and Foreign Policy. There has been a dynamic wave of political, economic, judicial and legal reforms in Turkey vis-à-vis her prospective membership of the European Union. Internal dynamics for democratization, local governance, fiscal policies, transparency and judicial reform and new perspectives in foreign policy have been subjects of concern in this process. These subjects are also the determinants of TESEV’s major program axes. The Foreign Policy Program, one of TESEV’s three main program areas, has been dealing with the Cyprus issue at both governmental and non-governmental levels, with specific reference to the Annan Plan. We support the Annan Plan as the basis for a viable solution. This monograph provides a historical account of the problem and settlement efforts, elaborates the Annan Plan and provides some suggestions for the way forward.
Topic:
Foreign Policy, Government, Territorial Disputes, and Referendum
Political Geography:
Turkey, Middle East, Cyprus, and Mediterranean