Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics during November 16-30th 2012
By John VanPool, EGF Turkey and Black Sea Regional Analyst

• 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.

• December 10, 2012

The European Commission is examining the legality of a recently introduced grid access fee for renewable electricity producers in Bulgaria.

• December 7, 2012

The two superpowers divided by Syria's civil war met head to head on Thursday, with signs emerging that Russia might curb its support for President Bashar al-Assad and Washington saying events were gathering speed on the ground.

• December 7, 2012

Ukraine is ready to contribute to infrastructure development in the Turkmen economy, including the construction of energy and industry facilities and field development, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said in Ashgabat, Turkmen TV reported on Thursday.

• December 7, 2012

Russia will build two new reactors at China’s Tianwan nuclear power plant under an inter-governmental agreement signed on Thursday.

• December 6, 2012

Today Azerbaijan has a powerful infrastructure system, thanks to which it plays an important role in ensuring Europe's energy security and acts as a reliable partner for it, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov said during his speech at the Caspian Forum in Istanbul on Thursday.

• December 6, 2012

The unscheduled meeting, taking place on the side of a wider international security conference in Dublin, Ireland, marks an intensification of diplomacy just three days after CBS News reported Syria's isolated regime was preparing its chemical weapons for possible use in bombs.

• December 6, 2012

Russian company Rosatom has started investing in the Turkish Akkuyu nuclear power plant project, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying today by the newspaper Sabah.

• December 5, 2012