The country I will be focusing on this semester is Turkey. Turkey seems to be in the news daily for different reasons. Whether it be trying to arrest and extradite NBA player, Enes Kanter, for accusing him of being a member of an “armed terrorist group,” (Independent.UK), or being put on the spot by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, Turkey has its hands full.
Turkey was founded in 1923 and has a unique cultural intersection with Asia and Europe. The country is majority Sunni Muslims although there are other religious influences as well. Religious identity is very important to Turkey and it’s fair to say that it does play a part on the decisions made whether that be socially or politically. There has been concerns about the stability of its government because there’s been struggle between a military-backed secular government and a popular religious movement. Currently The Islamic-based Justice and Development Party (AKP) is leading the parliamentary republic which eases somewhat the anti-Islamic sentiment but this does not mean it does not exist. Turkey has been one of the main countries that has been dealing with regional fights and terrorism. Turkey has the largest number of Syrian refugees. According to U.S. News, terrorist strikes have increased in frequency since 2016. On Jan.1, 2017, a terrorist attack at an Istanbul nightclub took the lives of 39 people. (U.S. News)
Turkey’s relationship with other countries isn’t as consistent as some would think. Because of the Western-inspired reforms of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Turkey’s relationship wuth the Western world especially with the U.S. and treaties like NATO and with the European Union used to have a stronger presence. The U.S. and Turkey aren’t exactly friends but they aren’t quite enemies either. They’re both still trying to navigate what’s in their own best interests.
One of the biggest divides right now is the fact that Turkey alongside China and Russia is supporting Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro while the US, UK, Canada and the majority of Latin American nations have declared support for Juan Guiado who declared himself the country’s rightful leader. After Turkey’s failed coup attempt in 2016, their relationship with Venezuela has become increasingly close. Because Maduro has also claimed to have suffered repeated coup attempts, Turkish leaders feels as though they relate on that level and sees Maduro as someone treated unfairly as they believe they are too. The relationship with Venezuela not only have political links but also help each other out economically wise. Venezuela sends gold to Turkey and Turkey exports food and humanitarian aid to Venezuela. It’s in Venezuela’s best interest as well Turkey’s to have each other as allies because both have leaders who seem to want to start becoming bigger and stronger individuals who don’t have to rely on others to stand upright and can make their own rules and regulations. (CNN)
When it comes to the economy of Turkey, Turkey’s GDP is $851.1 billion. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development expects Turkey to be one of its fastest growing members in coming years. Increased privatization in finance and other sectors have helped create a resilient economy to foreign investment for this country. Although they’ve advanced in education and health, foreign countries are still criticizing them for their lack of intake in human rights issues, including the repression of the Kurdish minority population. Turkey also refuses to recognize the Armenian genocide and its ongoing conflict with Greece over Cyprus is also concerning. (Al Jazeera)
As far as what news sites I will be looking into that strays from the U.S. news sources, ‘Al Jazeera’ is where I was able to find a lot of information as well as ‘The Independent UK.’ While I have found good news on CNN and US News as well I will still be trying to add to my list of foreign websites that are good sources to keep me up to date.
Globalization 3510W 