Why Does Turkey Have The Leverage?



(Photo Credit: White House Photostream) The Gaza flotilla crisis and Ankara’s refusal to accede to American leadership on the Iranian nuclear issue have led Washington policymakers to ask what exactly is going on in Turkey these days and why it seems that our NATO ally is pursuing policies that run counter to American preferences.

Evet It Is



The big news in Istanbul this week is that Turkish voters approved in a referendum a set of 26 constitutional reforms put forth by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) that fulfills some of the European Union’s human rights criteria, while also protecting the party from being closed by the judiciary (as nearly happened…