Mühdan Sağlam

msaglam@gazeteduvar.com.tr
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Moscow's recent warning to Ankara On July 20, Moscow issued a statement which highlighted Turkey's special role in terms of ensuring the strict implementation of the provisions of the Montreux Straits Convention. The statement, which was issued on the 85th anniversary of the convention, was a direct response to the military exercise NATO carried out in the Black Sea. With the statement Russia once again warned Ankara to maintain its neutrality in the Black Sea.
Turkey not given privilege in Libyan oil operations This week the Libyan government announced that they considered Italy's ENI to be the country’s most important partner and that Italian companies were privileged. Tripoli, like before, turned to Rome instead of Ankara. Turkey is left with a limited partnership. Who will pay for the loss of Turkey’s public banks? The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a huge crisis in Turkey’s economy, from the banking sector to small businesses. One of the most important signs of this situation is the loss in the profits of public banks. Who will pay for this loss? The contractors who have influenced the government to make banks turn on credit taps so that they could sell their houses or the infamous gang of five?
Was Lavrov’s Cairo trip a warning for Ankara? Turkey hosted Ukrainian President Zelensky on April 10 and Zelensky delivered messages which irked Russia. Lavrov’s visit on April 12, as well as his desire to further improve relations with Egypt with regards to tourism, could be interpreted as a message for Turkey. It is no secret that Egypt is an alternative tourist destination for Russians. IEA report on Turkey omits facts and problems Turkey’s energy sector was most recently evaluated via the annual Turkey 2021 Energy Policy Review report published last week by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Unfortunately, when we evaluate the IEA report and its shortcomings, we see that it is not up-to-date in terms of data and omits problems of the energy sector in Turkey. Why is Turkey raising the price of gas when Gazprom is lowering it? These days, Turkey is rocked by unemployment and soaring inflation. The price of all goods has risen, but natural gas in particular has been causing nervous breakdowns. The price of gas increased despite the government’s announcement on August 21, 2020 that it had found a reserve of 320 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas. China's vaccine diplomacy and Turkey's choice It is rather odd that Ankara has bought 50 million doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine, which is anything but cheap and its trials are still ongoing. The issue is not the purchase of the vaccine but it is vital that the vaccines arrive in accordance with the measures taken. Are Ankara's assumptions about Turkey-Russia relations realistic? Bilateral trade between Turkey and Russia has increased significantly, from $4.5 billion in 2000 to $25 billion dollars in 2018. However, according to Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) data, Russia imported $3.4 billion dollars worth of goods from Turkey in 2018 and sold $21.9 billion dollars worth of goods to Turkey. The latest trade figures indicate that Turkey's trade deficit against Russia is $18.5 billion dollars. Turkey’s trade deficit has increased by almost $2 billion dollars since 2017. These figures show that although both countries may aim to improve their trade relationship, Turkey's economic conditions cause Russia to benefit more than Turkey. Turkey needs a proactive policy for the post-Brexit era According to a recent UN report, the countries that will be most vulnerable to changes caused by Brexit are the EU member states and Turkey. Why does Turkey need to rapidly reshape its relations with the UK? And why is the UK essential for Turkey's future when it comes to its economy and business world? Erdoğan-Putin summit: A difficult decision for NE Syria If Russia rejects Turkey's road map for NE Syria today, a conflict between the Syrian regime and Turkey may be possible. It might also lead to Russia losing its grip on Turkey, which may well hurt Moscow's efforts to curb the Western alliance. Both leaders have enough reasons to protect their partnership, but politics is not always determined reasonably. Why an intervention in Iran would be difficult If a military intervention against Iran lead by Saudi Arabia Kingdom is launched, Iran and its supporter groups will unsurprisingly target Saudi’s transporters.