EGF Turkey File, 16 November — 30 November 2012

Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics

16 November — 30 November 2012

By John VanPool, EGF Turkey and Black Sea Regional Analyst

Key Points:

• Turkey requests Patriot missile defense systems from NATO out of fears of Syria launching WMD-tipped rockets at opposition fighters along the border.
• Prime Minister Erdogan's anti-Israel stance gains him credibility in the Muslim world while alienating him from opportunities to help solve the Israeli-Palestinian situation.
• Investigations continue into the 1993 death of then-president Turgut Ozal. Although unrelated to the country's current problems, a history of "Deep State" involvement in the government created a country where conspiracy theories fester.
• The AKP conducts an internal discussion on the possibility of revoking immunity from MPs which would specifically affect Kurdish BDP deputies.
• BOTAS raises prices on gas sold for domestic electricity supplies, while Gazprom seals long term export deals with four private Turkish firms.
• ENI continues to worry about its future in Turkey following the row over Cyprus, and TANAP is ratified by Azerbaijan's parliament.
• In Iraq, Erdogan and al-Maliki trade barbs over the widening rift between the KRG and Baghdad.