Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics during March 1-15th 2014
By John VanPool, EGF Turkey and Black Sea Regional Analyst

Key Points:

• The death of another Gezi Park protester sends opposition protesters into the streets two weeks ahead of municipal elections.
• While the AKP has been hampered over the last year, polls indicate little change from past election results as opposition candidates lack the star power to counter the AKP’s leadership.
• Fethullah Gulen blasts the ruling government in an op-ed, calling its authoritarian tactics a challenge for Turkish democracy.
• The AKP-Gulen Movement split causes further mistrust between Washington and Ankara, as the White House openly rebukes Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan for mischaracterizing a discussion with President Barack Obama.
• Crimea secedes from Ukraine, though its Tatars sit out the referendum. Aside from expressing concern about their plight, Ankara has little leverage over their fate in the new Crimean Republic.

• March 21, 2014

President Barack Obama on Thursday announced further sanctions against prominent Russians and cleared the way for possible sanctions on key sectors of the Russian economy in response to Moscow's seizure of the Crimea region from Ukraine.

• March 20, 2014

Positions between Iran and world powers diverge widely in some areas but Iranian negotiators seem "very committed" to reach an agreement on the country's disputed nuclear program, a senior EU official said in an email seen by Reuters on Thursday.

• March 20, 2014

European policymakers agreed on Thursday to complete a banking union with an agency to shut failing euro zone banks, but there will be no joint backstop for a fund to pay the costs of closures.

• March 20, 2014

Issue # 9
03/17/2014
The Autonomous Republic of Crimea has held a referendum in which the peninsula's population voted for joining the Russian Federation. Read more in SITUATION IN CRIMEA READ MORE

• March 20, 2014

The United States warned Moscow it was on a "dark path" to isolation on Wednesday after Russian troops backed by unarmed volunteers stormed Ukraine's naval headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol and raised their flag.

• March 19, 2014

Syria and its Russian ally on Wednesday criticized the decision by the United States to suspend the operations of Syria's embassy in Washington and consulates in other cities.

• March 19, 2014

China's yuan fell beyond 6.20 to the dollar on Wednesday for the first time since April last year amid market speculation the central bank will keep the currency weak as economic growth slows.

• March 19, 2014