Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a news conference during the Nato summit in Vilnius in July. EPA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a news conference during the Nato summit in Vilnius in July. EPA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a news conference during the Nato summit in Vilnius in July. EPA
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a news conference during the Nato summit in Vilnius in July. EPA


Is Turkey finally breaking free of the East-West paradigm?


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August 22, 2023

Traditional powers are in turmoil, even decline, opening the way for a rising Turkey. These days one barely needs to squint to imagine Ankara’s favoured narrative coming to fruition.

The US overcame an attempted coup in 2021 and is now struggling with its highest levels of political violence in half a century. The fact that US neighbours such as Canada have reportedly begun planning for American democratic backsliding and a subsequently weakened Nato underscores the grave concern.

China is sliding into an economic slump. Property developer Evergrande just filed for bankruptcy, with $335 billion in debt, and another big developer may soon default. The yuan is at its lowest in 15 years, and after a record 21.3 per cent youth unemployment in June, Chinese authorities said they would stop publishing unemployment figures while they improve data collection.

Great Britain has been in a tailspin since Brexit, while France has been in the grip of frenzied protesters. Russia’s currency has collapsed and its military is stuck waist-deep in Europe’s largest land war in 80 years. Even so, last week The Economist wondered if Germany was “the sick man of Europe”.

When coined by Nicholas I in the 19th century, this term described the declining Ottoman Empire. So one might imagine some rejoicing in Ankara upon its being applied to Germany, particularly as the number of Turks emigrating there has spiked this year.

Sure, Turkey is mired in its own economic crisis, with sky-high inflation, a plummeting lira, and a potential brain drain as a result. But Ankara seems to be having its international moment, which is fitting given the prominence of nationalists in the May elections.

A Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drone is on view during a presentation at the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Siauliai in July. AFP
A Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drone is on view during a presentation at the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Siauliai in July. AFP
Turkey is mired in its own economic crisis, but Ankara seems to be having its international moment

Two years ago, I detailed how Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his inner circle view their country as fighting for the world’s oppressed and reasserting its dominance, thanks to geographic centrality and military might, as global power shifts. Suddenly, every passing day seems to herald the arrival of this vision.

Consider Mr Erdogan’s recent Gulf tour. Many deals are still being finalised, so we can expect to learn of an array of defence, energy and tech agreements in the coming months. But the UAE and Turkey announced agreements worth a combined $50.7 billion. Saudi Arabia made a $3 billion deal with Turkey’s top defence contractor Baykar to build a drone factory in the kingdom.

The trip showed Turkey is now received warmly in the Gulf, following a period of tensions, and its defence industry has matured. Earlier this year, Mr Erdogan set a target of $6 billion in defence exports, up from last year’s $4.3 billion.

But following the Saudi deal, some analysts see Turkey nearly doubling last year’s tally and reaching $8 billion. After launching the world’s first drone carrier in April, for instance, Turkey is reportedly finalising its third regional sale of the new naval concept.

This military might is boosting Ankara’s international confidence, as seen in its pushback against Moscow after Russian forces raided a ship 60 kilometres from Istanbul last week. It’s also strengthened Turkey’s stance as champion of the world’s disadvantaged.

Last year, Ankara brokered a Russia-Ukraine grain deal that may have staved off famine. Now, weeks after Russia pulled out of that agreement, Turkey is in talks with Russia on a deal to start shipping Russian grain to Africa. Last week, in defiance of Russia’s blockade, Istanbul welcomed the first cargo ship from Ukraine, while this week Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan heads to Kyiv to discuss a grain corridor.

But to understand the shifting geopolitical winds, we need to rewind to Nato’s July summit in Vilnius. The big story out of that gathering was the Turkish president agreeing to support Sweden’s bid to join the alliance. Afterwards, we saw few denunciations of Mr Erdogan’s transactionalism or holding up of the bloc’s expansion.

Instead, major media outlets portrayed Turkey as mending ties with the US and tilting towards or recalibrating with the West. In response to this, one prominent Turkey watcher after another argued, just as Ankara might, that today’s Turkey should no longer be depicted as leaning this way or that, but accepted as a rising force with a foot in each camp.

Vessels including those that are part of Black Sea grain deal wait to pass the Bosphorus strait off the shores of Yenikapi in Istanbul. Reuters
Vessels including those that are part of Black Sea grain deal wait to pass the Bosphorus strait off the shores of Yenikapi in Istanbul. Reuters

In some of the most influential publications for Washington policymakers, leading experts argued that Turkey would never anchor itself to the West, that “Nato’s prodigal son” would not return, that Turkey had become post-western, neither enemy nor ally, but rather “a prototype of [a] middle power”.

The thrust seemed to be that the owner of Nato’s second-largest military would never be fully on-side because of misaligned interests. Thus, the US, with its nuclear weapons at Incirlik air base, would need to find new ways to make deals, because of threats posed by China and Russia and a possible Middle East powderkeg.

To put it simply: this independent, empowered Turkey is likely to be impossible while remaining invaluable. Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish presidency’s communications director, could have hardly said it better. The AKP-led government has of course taken troubling steps against free speech and the rule of law, but its diplomatic assertiveness, leavened with apparent humanity and nestled within an Islam-friendly society, has some observers hinting at an emerging Turkish exceptionalism.

A prominent Muslim-American blogger recently said he finds diverse, rainbow communities repellent and may leave the US for Turkey. Many British Muslims have already made the move, according to Turkey’s state broadcaster, and Islamic students and scholars have been arriving as well.

I recently heard that one of Mr Erdogan’s preferred Quranic references is Surah Al Imran 139, which broadly translates to: “Do not lose heart, for you will have the upper hand if you’re a believer.” The haters are gonna hate, the verse seems to suggest in this context, but come to Turkey, see the reality, and become part of something bigger and better.

Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
  • Ban fruit juice and sodas
  • Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
  • Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
  • Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
  • Don’t eat dessert every day 
  • Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
  • Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
  • Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
  • Eat everything in moderation
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
AL%20BOOM
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Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

In numbers: China in Dubai

The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Mobile phone packages comparison
Williams at Wimbledon

Venus Williams - 5 titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008)

Serena Williams - 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016)

SHAITTAN
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HEADLINE HERE
  • I would recommend writing out the text in the body 
  • And then copy into this box
  • It can be as long as you link
  • But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
  • Or try to keep the word count down
  • Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into 
  • That's about it
Temple numbers

Expected completion: 2022

Height: 24 meters

Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people

Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people

First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time

First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres  

Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres

Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor 

Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE

Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:

• Buy second hand stuff

 They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.

• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres

 Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.

• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.

Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.

• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home

Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.

The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV

Power: 360bhp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh282,870

On sale: now

What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
  • Grade 9 = above an A*
  • Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
  • Grade 7 = grade A
  • Grade 6 = just above a grade B
  • Grade 5 = between grades B and C
  • Grade 4 = grade C
  • Grade 3 = between grades D and E
  • Grade 2 = between grades E and F
  • Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR

US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.

KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.

 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EElmawkaa%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ebrahem%20Anwar%2C%20Mahmoud%20Habib%20and%20Mohamed%20Thabet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E500%20Startups%2C%20Flat6Labs%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES

All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated

Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona

The specs

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8

Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm

Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km

Price: Dh380,000

On sale: now 

Top 10 most polluted cities
  1. Bhiwadi, India
  2. Ghaziabad, India
  3. Hotan, China
  4. Delhi, India
  5. Jaunpur, India
  6. Faisalabad, Pakistan
  7. Noida, India
  8. Bahawalpur, Pakistan
  9. Peshawar, Pakistan
  10. Bagpat, India
Inside%20Out%202
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKelsey%20Mann%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Amy%20Poehler%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%2C%20Ayo%20Edebiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

ENGLAND%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EFor%20Euro%202024%20qualifers%20away%20to%20Malta%20on%20June%2016%20and%20at%20home%20to%20North%20Macedonia%20on%20June%2019%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGoalkeepers%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Johnstone%2C%20Pickford%2C%20Ramsdale.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDefenders%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alexander-Arnold%2C%20Dunk%2C%20Guehi%2C%20Maguire%2C%20%20Mings%2C%20Shaw%2C%20Stones%2C%20Trippier%2C%20Walker.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMidfielders%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bellingham%2C%20Eze%2C%20Gallagher%2C%20Henderson%2C%20%20Maddison%2C%20Phillips%2C%20Rice.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EForwards%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFoden%2C%20Grealish%2C%20Kane%2C%20Rashford%2C%20Saka%2C%20Wilson.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPECS%3A%20Polestar%203
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MATCH INFO

Barcelona 4 (Messi 23' pen, 45 1', 48', Busquets 85')

Celta Vigo 1 (Olaza 42')

Updated: August 24, 2023, 4:31 AM