Lessons from Turkey
On the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited Istanbul from August 25-27 to attend the opening ceremony of the Yavuz Sultan Selim…
Guns of August…less bang than supposed
The Panama phase in the high politics of our perennially-charged country is over. This much is evident from the start of the twin agitations launched by the two political entities…
Peace after UP elections?
India is up for a grand polarisation on communal and secular lines as all eyes are now focused mainly on the elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Bihar might not be…
Democracy and the coup
Our media and politicians are waxing eloquent about how the Turkish people – the ‘awam’ – have saved and strengthened democracy. The assumption is flawed on two counts: a) that…
From across the continent
The lesson delivered in Turkey on how not to stage a coup has naturally had major repercussions within that country. But it also spread beyond the borders of a country…
Populist authoritarianism vs Bonapartism
Popular backlash against the July 15 half-baked putsch by a smaller military clique in Turkey has created enough space for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to move much beyond his dream…
Fantastic Friday
There were several assumptions Turkey’s coup-makers made. Some were tempting, some were half-correct, but all were impractical and, most importantly, totally unsustainable. The first assumption was tactical: that they would…
Going forward
Happy new year, everyone. The world has bid good riddance to 2016 with its political upheavals, civil war, mass displacement and celebrity deaths, and is wondering what 2017 holds (though…
Iran: ascendant power
It is remarkable that, despite three decades of extensive Western embargoes and sanctions, Iran has not only managed to avert ‘regime change’ but has emerged today as the dominant power…
Blood on the Bosphorus
The year 2016 went down as one of the most dark and disturbing ones in Turkey’s modern history. From the terror on Istiklal street in Istanbul, the attack at Ataturk…
