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...

Cairo- Syria can "avoid the dangers of a foreign intervention" if it agrees to a plan by the Arab League to defuse the current Syrian conflict. The current League plan calls for the Syrian government to allow observers into the country to monitor the government's response to the civil unrest, which the Syrian government has failed to control. Foreign ministers from 19 Arab League countries voted to slap economic sanctions on the Syrian regime, including cutting relations with the nation's central bank, freezing government assets, and prohibiting high-profile officials from visiting Arab countries. Sanctions have been imposed by the US Treasury , the European Union and Turkey . Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen said, "We will continue to work closely with our partners in Europe and around the world to hasten a transition to democracy in Syria." There are 17 targeted senior Syrian regime officials banned from ...