US - Iran Talks on Iraq: Signs of Hope for a Possible Formula

Arzu Celalifer Ekinci
Tuesday , 15 May 2007

It is well known that Iraq has a huge security problem after the war period and the aspects of this insecurity are increasing day by day. Beside the conflicts with foreign forces, the dimension of sectarian and ethnic violence is mounting up. By the time two major countries are accusing each other about this chaotic situation. While the US sees Iran as the biggest threat to Iraq Stability, Iran sees US as the sole responsible of this chaos. US accuses Iran of supplying Shiite militias with bombs and weapons that kill American troops and Sunni minorities in Iraq; Iran refuses all these accusations and accuses US for all these instabilities in region and spreading fear in the Middle East. It is obvious that both US and Iran are competing to be more influent in the region. The recent Middle East tour of US Vice President Dick Cheney and following Gulf visits of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clearly reflects the growing rivalry between these two countries. But it is clear that Iraq shall not be a competition ground of two countries anymore. Because it seems that the instability in Iraq may have more expensive costs in long-term for all parties and the region.....................

No Armenian Genocide Resolution from the House of Representatives: Lessons for the Future

Barin Kayaoglu

Until last week, Turkish policy-makers were quite concerned that the U.S. House of Representatives might pass a resolution recognizing the events of 1915 as a genocide against the Armenian people. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül and Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt had spent time in Washington in February talking to American officials, explaining the dangers of such a resolution.................

Oil Markets: Samsun-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline and Iran’s Nuclear Crisis

Hasan Selim Ozertem

This commentary is from USAK's Energy Review Newsletter

This week an important step was taken for a dream to come true; first stone was laid for the “Samsun Ceyhan crude oil pipeline project” in Turkey. Also known as Trans-Anatolia Project, Samsun Ceyhan Crude oil pipeline is another leg of Turkey’s initiative of becoming an energy corridor between western markets and the eastern energy resources.........................