Recep Tayyip Erdogan is arguably the most successful leader in Turkey’s democratic history. After 11 years as prime minister, he will now become his country’s first directly-elected president, in what has been until now a largely ceremonial role. He has dominated the political landscape since 2002, steering his Justice and Development (AK) Party party to three…...
Turkey’s profile as a regional player has grown in recent months. Turkey’s military drone industry is now the world’s fourth-largest in the world, and its relatively affordable hardware helped Azerbaijan win its war with Armenia in late 2020. It also turned the tide in Libya, proving pivotal in pushing back the forces of Khalifa Haftar from Tripoli. According to a…...
Several media outlets are reporting, or at least giving the impression, that Turkey has converted Hagia Sophia, a historic church into a mosque. The reality however is that Hagia Sophia, or Aya Sofya, was a mosque from 1453 until 1934, when Kemal Ataturk, the secular leader of Turkey, and his council of ministers changed it…...
‘Muslim world needs to find place in new world order’ World order is undergoing ‘profound realignment,’ says advisor to Turkish president ANKARA, Turkey: The world order is undergoing a “profound realignment” and the Muslim world needs to find its place in it, said a senior advisor to the Turkish president recently. Gulnur Aybet was recently…...
Continued from: My Trip to Turkey (Part 1) OUR second day at Istanbul (during our visit in the end of December) brought sunny skies along with heavy winds. Despite the warmth of the sun, the weather remained just as chilly, and still required a three-layered ensemble with gloves and scarves. The weather was pleasant enough…...
Travelling has always been one of my hearts biggest desires. I yearn to explore the world, revel in different cultures, observe the differences of each country from the one I call home, and the one I was born in. Travelling, however was not something I had easy access to. Due to a menagerie of reasons,…...