For a brief period Turkey was viewed optimistically as the model for an Islamic Democracy. Those hopes have steadily eroded during the 14 year rule of President Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party. Opposition parties and a free press have been dramatically curtailed even before the attempted coup in 2016. He has jailed tens of thousands of people, shuttered more than 150 media companies and called a referendum this month to enlarge his powers. Secularism has been undermined and replaced by greater emphasis on Islam.
Erdogan is consolidating power while pursuing policies that tax his alliance with the West. While occupying vital strategic terrain as a member of NATO and providing access to Incirlik Air Base for the U.S. Military and its operations in Syria and Iraq, he sees Turkey's historical role to be a champion a Muslim world bullied by the West. Erdogan also acts out of nostalgia for the fallen Ottoman Empire. Turkey's role in Syria is straining the anti-ISIS coalition as a result of Erdogan's war within a war against the Kurds in Syria, the most reliable U.S. ally in a conflict characterized by a maze of overlapping alliances often in conflict with one another. To assess current developments and look ahead to Turkey's future we welcome former Ambassador to Turkey, W. Robert Pearson. Ambassador (ret) W. Robert Pearson is currently a non-resident scholar at The Middle East Institute. He focuses on Turkey with particular emphasis on U.S.-Turkey relations. His areas of interest include Turkey's relations with the EU, Russia, the Middle East, and Central and East Asia, in addition to the United States. Ambassador Pearson served as U.S. ambassador to Turkey from 2000 to 2003. He was Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service from 2003 to 2006, repositioning the American Foreign Service to meet the new challenges of the 21st century and winning two national awards for his efforts. He served from 2008 to 2014 as president of IREX, an international development NGO based in Washington, spearheading its expansion to reach more than 125 countries worldwide. He has published numerous articles, blogs and opinion pieces on diplomacy, foreign policy, Turkey, NGOs, and development. He is a frequent speaker on issues concerning Turkey, international development and the role of diplomacy in American engagement abroad. |
Date: Thur, April 27th, 2016
Time: Social Hour 5:30p – Announcements 6:15p- Dinner Speaker and Discussion 7:00p Location: Skyline Country Club, 5200 E St. Andrews Dr, Tucson, AZ 85718 Meal Choices: Tilapia with red pepper beurre blanc Chicken stuffed with pesto Vegetable moussaka Click Here To Register You may pay by PayPal, Check or Credit Card. Directions can be found on the Registration page. . |
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