I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
September 20, 2011 at 6:47pm
I miss having an editor who assigns me a topic to write about every day. I waste a lot of time reading the news, unable to decide, "What's the most important thing here?" So what if you assign me a topic? Maybe based on some news item related to this crazy part of the world.
You decide, I'll report.
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May '11
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
Claire,
I would certainly like to know about the impact of natural gas exploration and exploitation in the eastern Mediterranean and the impacts on Turkey-Cyprus, Lebanon-Israel, and Israel-Turkey. There are territorial, financial and political issues that I only see the tip of the iceberg on including how Turkey enters the EU while blocking settlement in Cyprus principally over potential drilling rights, or at least as I understand it. How does Turkey really stand here?
-GM
Mar '11
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
I second George.
Sep '11
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
Hi, Claire,
How about the potential changes regarding Turkey's role in the region and the rumored re-establishment of the caliphate?
Cheers,
John
May '11
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
Cultural issue, what is the marriage rate of the urban population in Turkey compared to the rural population?
What is the birth rate of each group?
What effect do you see these trends having on the future of Turkey, and do the young urban Turks think about this?
Domo
Edited on September 20, 2011 at 7:28pmApr '11
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
How has Armenia survived amidst the Persians, Turks, Soviets, etc.?
May '10
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
How about the Troy Davis fiasco? Looks as if the Georgia justice system is eager to have him killed without an examination of all the evidence.
May '10
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
I've been reading Michael Totten's book The Road to Fatima Gate and find myself getting confused with Sunni versus Shia rivalries and Arab versus Persian backgrounds and how these different divisions play out between countries in the Mideast and against Israel. How about a (very) general overview? Or is this a much more difficult, humongous request than I realize?
Oct '10
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
I'd like to know why field goals are measured from the spot of the kick while punts are measured from the line of scrimmage.
Dec '10
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
I think you're gonna be sorry you posted this.
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
I read that the birthrates for ethnic Turks in Turkey is 1.5 and that that for ethnic Kurds in Turkey is 4.5. Is this true? And if so, what are the implications for Turkey down the road?
Jul '11
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
Claire, I think you are going to get so many suggestions that choosing among them will be no different than the problem you have right now.
Mar '11
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
For a local interest piece - compare the virtues of Turkish Coffee with Starbucks.
Jun '11
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
Perhaps this might be outside your cultural sphere.. but a recent list of the wealthiest states in the USA puts Hawaii at the top.
WHY?
As a permanent resident going on 50 years.. I can tell you. We have a very high percentage of "Orientals" in our culture. This includes Vietnamese, Thais..Cambodians and even Filipinos, in addition to the very influential Chinese and Japanese..
Thse people work hard and study hard.
That's all it takes!
Mar '11
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
Serious (and rambling, sorry) set of questions:
We have almost zero visibility of internal Turkish politics. Given the very public posturing of Erdogan on foreign policy, how do the folks on the streets see things? What is the intensity of Erdogan's support vs. the intensity of the opposition, and for how long can they be expected to remain supportive? What package of internal laws and regulations do they support, and how do they align or conflict with US interests? What does the ruling party have to juggle to maintain its support base?
May '10
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
If I were to spend Christmas in Turkey, where are the best places to go?
Dec '10
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
This is magazine sidebar fodder and completely unworthy of your time and talent, but I am deeply curious what you would rank as the 10 locals you've come across in your travels (Middle Eastern or otherwise) where it is beneficial or even necessary to down play or deny that you're an American?
To spice it up, what other fair skinned nationality would it be most advantageous for a melanin-challenged traveler to impersonate in said locals?
Jan '11
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
When people find out your religion and cultural heritage, what (if anything) changes?
Mar '11
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
George Merritt: Claire,
I would certainly like to know about the impact of natural gas exploration and exploitation in the eastern Mediterranean and the impacts on Turkey-Cyprus, Lebanon-Israel, and Israel-Turkey. -GM · Sep 20 at 10:00am
I could not agree more with this suggestion, the potential implications here are significant. STRATFOR has a very interesting piece on some of the nuances of this:
Texas-based energy firm Noble Energy began exploratory drilling in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone on Monday, defying Turkish demands to cease and desist. Since the island of Cyprus is divided into two, with one part internationally recognized as the Republic of Cyprus and the other, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey, Noble Energy was already venturing into controversial waters. What Noble Energy, Cyprus, the United States and much of Europe likely did not anticipate, however, was that Turkey — for lack of better options — would try using this drilling dispute to herald its return to the eastern Mediterranean.
A piece that is well worth reading, I would love to see it expanded upon with some of Ms. Berlinski's on the ground insight.
May '10
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
I would like to see you and Judith looking down the next few years for Israel in the wake of UN statehood for the PA.
Oct '10
Re: I Might Try a New Game Tomorrow, What do You Think?
The West abandoned the Byzantines and eventually Constantinople fell in 1453. Sobieski's unexpected victory on September 12, 1683 that broke the Siege of Vienna was probably the most significant battle in the history of Europe.
Atatürk's founding of modern Turkey had created a very different country than existed as the Ottaman Empire and Turkey develop into America's strongest ally during the tough days of the Cold War and a highly reliable memebr of NATO.
The EU's refusal to permit Turkey to be a member and the United States inability to prevent that rebuke seems to have the West abandoning the same region again and the Byzantines progeny and successors, the Turks.
The refusal in 2003 by Turkey to permit the Coalition Forces to invade Iraq via Turkey's border with Iraq had tremendous negative results for the Coalition Forces. That single decision by Turkey cascaded in to a horrible situation in Iraq. It has continued downward from there.
How does this not end badly, considering the years of loyalty and the refusal of secular Europe (a far cry from Christendom) to accept and be tolerant of Turkey and have it join the EU?