Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
I've been super-busy with freelance projects and my two new jobs: I'm now a (Senior!) fellow of the American Foreign Policy Council and a (Senior!) Fellow of the Gatestone Institute--where they both promised I could write as much about Turkey as I want and they'd never complain. So I haven't had as much time for Ricochet. But I'm always reading what you're up to, and I really miss our conversations. (They both lured me away from you with that "Senior" title. I love the way that sounds. I can't wait for Gatestone to put my name and title on the site.)
Anyway, if you've been wondering what I've been up to, here's a piece I just wrote about the World Economic Forum in Istanbul called Davos on Tour:
The arrival of the World Economic Forum in Istanbul this week was overshadowed in the Turkish media by the arrival of Madonna and her entourage, although there was a symmetry in events—massive security, caravans of expensive cars with tinted windows, snarled traffic and cab drivers cursing them all. Tagging behind the Material Girl was her twenty-four-year-old lover, Brahim Zaibat; tagging behind Turkey’s mercurial prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. In both cases, the pair looked every inch the happy couple. ...
I've also got a long piece about the Gülen movement coming up in City Journal. (Pity my editors: They asked for four thousand words and I sent them ten thousand. They're probably tearing their hair out right about now. But really, you can't sum that story up in four thousand words. In fact, you can't sum it up in ten thousand, but I figured they'd plotz if I sent them a 20-volume treatise, complete with footnotes and bibliography.)
My debut piece for Gatestone will be published on Monday--it's about the Turkish Supreme Court's war on porn, and the dilemma this poses for Turkish blackmailers. So stay tuned and watch this space.
Oh! And I finally got around to posting the English version of a piece about Margaret Thatcher that was published last March in the German Financial Times. At least, I think that's what was published--I don't read German very well, so I don't know if the translation was accurate.
Life is good here in Istanbul in the springtime, even though the world's a mess--my garden's in bloom, my cats are happy, and so am I. I hope you're all busy and thriving, too.
I'm often here, even if I don't have as much time to post anymore.
So mind your manners, because you never know when I might be reading.
Love,
Claire
PS: If you're really jonesing for my non-stop Turkey updates, you can always follow me on Twitter: @claireberlinski. Never a dull moment, I promise you.
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Comments:
Aug '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Claire, We miss you too!
Edited on June 16, 2012 at 9:52amMay '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Thought she defected to the dark side for a moment.
Aug '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Welcome back!
Oct '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Glad to hear life circumstances worked out for you, Claire. Hope you can post more!
Apr '12
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
"Where there is no strong central authority, things are just awful. Look at the Middle East; look at Africa. Above all look at Europe, where the power of very many ancient nation states has, just as Thatcher feared, been diluted in favor of the European Union". Great article on Thatcher and this point you made resonated. I only just watched the Thatcher movie this past month.
Apr '11
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Yay! Yay for Claire!
Oct '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Hi Claire! Can you please comment on the latest immigration issue that was brought up today by Obama?
Mar '11
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Hey Claire, Pseudodionysius isn't a cat anymore. Can I be your favorite now?
Aug '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
I devoutly hope these are paid positions, because you sure deserve one (or two). Congratulations, or is it tebrik? (I've only seen the word once, and in a eurovision.tv comment - how questionable is that?)
In your absence, I wrote about Turkey. It was hard. All those undotted i's and soft g's. You take the wheel now!
Sep '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
I'm looking for meat dish to go with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. There will be a knock at your back door momentarily.
Sep '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
And my new more serious avatar is to stump for a position as Senior Avatar at the Institute for Brooding Introspection and Dramatic Lighting.
Sep '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
I was worried she may have bought a dog.
Sep '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Talk amongst yourselves; don't mind me.
Sep '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
You will also have to jam the rudder of Crow's Nest, who currently has the favor of our Senior Lady of Anatolia.
Mar '11
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Pardon me, I'm just waiting for my turn... please go on...
May '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
It's been so long, I thought that "Senior" meant "citizen".....
Oct '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Congratulations, Claire!
Jun '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
We've assembled a hostage rescue team. We actually would already be in Turkey, but Casey and Pseudo have caused endless delays, what with their little cat fights and all. I think they (Casey and Pseudo) fall into the "known unknowns" category.
Congratulations on the new jobs.
Dec '10
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Claire, you don't look old enough to be a Senior anything.
May '11
Re: Hey Ricochet, I Miss You Guys!
Welcome back. Is there any chance you could get your friend Michael Totten to weigh in on the situation in Egypt? Apparently he thinks it is pretty dire.