RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY & RUSSIA  

RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY & RUSSIA Gürkan ATEŞ After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Turkish-Russian relations evolved in different stages. From 1991 till 1997, the relations were based on rivalry with cooperation and confrontation at the same time, then following the economic crisis of 1998 till the beginning of the 21st century confrontation was more emphasized and finally beginning the 2000’s relations turned into a  positive stance and became more friendly and cooperative.   I- OVERVIEW ON RUSSIA-TURKEY RELATIONS   Russian-Turkish ties were repaired quickly following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Treaty on the Principles of Relations between the Republic of Turkey and the Russian Federation, signed in 1992, established the legal basis of relations between the two countries and prepared the ground for continually improved relations.[1] The deepening of political dialogue between Russia and Turkey dates back to the signing of the Eurasia Cooperation Action Plan in 2001[2] between foreign ministers Ismail Cem and Igor Ivanov. The Plan called for increased dialogue on softer areas such as trade, culture, and tourism but also advocated regular political consultations. Since then, Turkey and Russia expanded their cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, tourism, and defense. During Vladimir Putin’s visit to Ankara in 2004, a joint declaration was signed regarding the enhancement of friendship and multidimensional cooperation.[3] Cultural ties were strengthened with the events held in 2007, when the “Year of Russian Culture” was celebrated in Turkey, and 2008, when…

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EU’S POLICY TOWARDS BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA 

EU’S POLICY TOWARDS BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA Gürkan ATEŞ   I- INTRODUCTION   The war in Bosnia that began in 1992 and ended in 1995, centered on whether Bosnia-Herzegovina should stay in the Federation of the Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) or whether it should become independent. The 1995 Dayton Peace Accords brought an end to the war and set up two separate entities; a Bosniak-Croat Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and a Bosnian Serb Republic named Republika Srpska each with its own president, government, parliament, police and other bodies. Bosnia-Herzegovina is now an independent state but under international administration. International administration, backed at first by NATO forces and later by a smaller European Union-led peacekeeping force, has helped the country consolidate stability. The Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) also established the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to oversee the implementation of the civilian aspects of the DPA.            In this context, it is important to ask the following question: To what extent did EU’s involvement in Bosnia-Herzegovina brought progress to ensure democracy, rule of law and human rights in the country? Was it successful? I am also going to find answers to the questions: Why does EU wants to be involved in Bosnia-Herzegovina and what is its role? Is Bosnia-Herzegovina ready to take over the administration of its country from the OHR-led supervision?  II-  HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF BOSNIAN SOCIETY:                                                                                                                                                                    The Illyrians were the earliest known inhabitants of Bosnia and the most ancient race in south-eastern Europe. In period of the fall of the Roman Empire in 460…

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The US Intervention in Iraq 

The US Intervention in Iraq Gürkan ATEŞ   I- IRAQ’S COMPOSITION & HISTORICAL BACKGROUND :                   The ethnic population of Iraq is composed of 75% of Arab, 15% Kurdish and 5% Turkoman, Assyrian, or others. Regarding religion, 97% of the population is Muslim  (whereby 60%-65% is Shi’a & 32%-37 % is Sunni), and 3% is Christian or other. The spoken language is Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian & Armenian. Iraq is a developing parliamentary democracy composed of 18 governorates (Al Anbar, Al Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan, Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit). The country was under Baath Party rule from 1968 to 2003. In 1979, Saddam Hussein took control and remained president until 2003, after which he was unseated by a US-led invasion.  In 1970, the Iraqi government agreed to create the “Kurdish Autonomous Region” where the recent president is Mesoud Barzani. In 1991 the Kurdish region rose up against President Saddam Hussein and gained de facto independence under the protection of a no fly zone. Iraq was formerly part of the Ottoman Empire and was occupied by Britain during World War I. In 1920, it was declared a League of Nations mandate under United Kingdom administration. Then, Iraq gained its independence as a kingdom on 3 October 1932. In 1958, a republic was proclaimed in 1958, but military strongmen ruled the country until 2003; the last was Saddam Hussein. Territorial disputes…

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EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY (ENP), THE CASE OF GEORGIA  

EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY (ENP), THE CASE OF GEORGIA Avoiding new dividing lines or membership? Gürkan ATEŞ     I- INTRODUCTION   After its enlargement in 2004, the European Union (EU) entered into a new phase; its borders expanded to the East, where stability is rarely available. The EU needed new policies to have stable and firm relations with its neighbours that might be a threat to its security. With this new perspective the EU formed a new dimension and policy named “European Neighbourhood Policy” (ENP) towards its immediate neighbours by land or sea. ENP tries to establish new dimension of relations and an area of friendly states with its new neighbours after the last enlargement.[1] ENP involves Mediterranean, Middle East, Southern Caucasus countries (Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia), Ukraine and Moldova. In this paper I will analyse ENP with the case of Georgia. Firstly, I will give a brief overview of Georgia with its historical background and its current situation. Further, an introduction to the concept of ENP will be made and then its objectives will be analysed. Within this perspective, EU’s interests in Georgia and ENP Action Plans in Georgia will be examined.  Finally relations between NATO and Georgia will be taken into consideration. In this context, it is important to ask the following question: What is ENP really aiming to do in the region? and what are its objectives? I am also going to find answers to the questions: To what extent is Georgia important for EU? What is…

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PRIVATIZATION OF WATER: THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS 

  PRIVATIZATION OF WATER: THE GLOBAL WATER CRISIS   By Gürkan ATEŞ     I- INTRODUCTION:   A United Nations (UN) study says that by the year 2025 two-thirds of the world may be water-poor[1] therefore, water has come to be known as “the oil of the 21st century.” Around the world, multinational corporations are taking profit from the “water-starved” regions by taking control of water as a commodity. Water privatization issue rose out of the growing problem of water scarcity in the world. Treating water as an economic good, and privatizing water systems are not new ideas. As a measure of the new importance of privatization, the World Bank, other international aid agencies and some water organizations like the World Water Council are increasingly pushing privatization in their efforts. As a result, there is rapidly growing opposition to privatization proposals from local community groups, unions, human rights organizations and even public water providers. To begin, information regarding the privatization of the water sector and the reasons of this privatization will be given. Then, the debate over the privatization of water and the major corporations will be examined. Moreover, the pressures made to privatize water sector in developing countries by international financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank will be analyzed. Besides, failed water privatizations and the actors in the privatization process will be examined. Finally, some information regarding the water privatization in Turkey will be given. During my paper I will to answer the following questions:…

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