Global Security Studies Practicum

Turkey is still eager to join the European Union despite the ongoing debt crisis . Turkey’s deputy prime minister Ali Babacan states that European countries must act robustly to tackle their sovereign debt else the global economy will worsen. The European Union is expected to cut interest rates and offer extra long liquidity operations to shore their banks. Babacan reiterated that it is imperative for Turkey to improve on its democratic system and uphold the rue of law in order to reach the political benchmark of European membership. Babacan also stressed that in terms of economics, the European Union is not a model for Turkey to emulate. Turkey is the world’s sixteenth largest economy and is projected to 7-8 percent after growing 9 percent last year. Source:http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/06/turkey-eu-idUSL3E7N60PH20111206 Reliability: (9) Comments: Turkey is Islamic democracy who firs applied to join he EU in 2005. Turkey’s membership application has been hobbled by its...

Turkey and its neighbors are in a fierce tussle about who owns the right to drill for newly discovered natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean sea bed. Both Turkey and Cyprus lay claim to the offshore zone believed to hold about a trillion cubic meters of hydrocarbons. The natural gas is estimated to be worth over several billions of dollars and whoever comes out on top will control the energy future of Europe. The row flared-up when Cyprus allowed a U.S company to start drilling off its southern shores last month and Turkey retaliated by sending a seismic vessel to the same area accompanied by gun boats. Israel which is conducting drills in the area sent fighter jets to buzz the Turkish vessels and Turkey retaliated by scrambling its own fighter jets. Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan has characterized the Israeli and Cyprus drilling as “madness” and denounced their activities in the area.  Turkish troops invaded Cyprus in 1974 to quell a coup orchestrated by Greece. T...