Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics during February 1-18th 2014
By John VanPool, EGF Turkey and Black Sea Regional Analyst

Key Points:

• The AKP-majority in parliament passes a restrictive Internet censorship bill despite opposition parties and international outcry.
• President Abdullah Gul declines to veto the measure, disappointing many who hoped he would be a moderating influence in the months to come.
• American President Barack Obama to skip Turkey in March trip to Europe and Saudi Arabia. The skip is indicative of the cooling relations between the president and Prime Minister Erdogan over a number of issues.
• TPAO declines investment in Iran for now, while talks on a pipeline deal in the Eastern Mediterranean and a détente between Turkey, Cyprus and Israel appears mutually beneficial.
• Iraqi Kurdistan connects pipeline to Turkish system, enraging a Baghdad already beset by a Sunni insurgency in Iraq’s western province. Turkey is collecting the KRG’s oil, but has refused to sell it on international markets until an accord is reached.

• February 20, 2014

The European Union moved quickly on Wednesday towards agreeing sanctions on officials who used excessive force during Ukraine protests that killed at least 25 people.

• February 19, 2014

Russia could build a second reactor at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant in exchange for Iranian oil, the Iranian ambassador to Moscow said in remarks published on Monday.

• February 17, 2014

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry blamed the Assad government for stalling Syrian peace talks and pressed Russia to stop supplying it weapons, telling Moscow it needed to be part of the solution.

• February 17, 2014

Russia and NATO are drawing up plans for a rare joint naval operation in the Mediterranean to protect the U.S. ship that will destroy Syria's deadliest chemical weapons, officials and other sources said.

• February 15, 2014

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that China is willing to exert more pressure to get North Korea to give up its controversial nuclear program and take additional steps to achieve this goal.

• February 14, 2014

The euro zone economy grew more than expected in the last quarter of 2013 thanks to stronger expansion in its biggest countries France and Germany, the first estimate from the European Union's Statistics Office showed on Friday.

• February 14, 2014

International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi apologized to the Syrian people on Saturday for the lack of progress at peace talks in Geneva after their second round ended with little more than an agreement to meet again.

• February 14, 2014