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The new ‘Great Game’: What awaits us?
Hürriyet Daily News | May 28 2018 Mehmet Öğütçü New players who were on the sidelines of the Cold War’s bipolar global order have now rejoined the fray. Despite the global financial crisis, the “Middle Kingdom” has conquered a place on almost all of the world’s playing fields. Beijing has positioned itself to challenge the dollar as...
Turkey’s foreign and security policy ‘needs to support its energy goals’
Hürriyet Daily News | April 02 2018 Barçın Yinanç | Turkey needs to adapt its energy policies to speedy geopolitical and technological changes, according to Mehmet Öğütçü, chair of the Bosphorus Energy Club. Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News, Öğütçü stressed that the country needs to have an integrated strategy with foreign and security policies that support...
Empowering and enhancing the position of women in energy
Hürriyet Daily News | March 29 2018 By MEHMET ÖĞÜTÇÜ Women in business and government generally have significantly expanded their presence over the past few decades. But there is still a long way to go for the consolidation of women’s position in the business world and government, realizing their true potential and ensuring gender parity through effective...
Killing the perennial lies in the EU-Turkey relationship
Hürriyet Daily News | 10 July 2017 In view of the stark realities of today, Turkey is a long way from securing full EU membership and both sides should explore down-to-earth and “win-win” strategies to avoid one crisis after another. The debate over whether Turkey qualifies for EU membership, or whether, as a predominantly...
Forging a new and realistic partnership with the ‘Turkic world’
Hürriyet Daily News | January/03/2017 Mehmet Öğütçü It is possible to travel from China’s Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Region in the east all the way to the Adriatic shores in the west speaking nothing but Turkish. Most people living in this vast geography belong to the Ural-Altaic language family, sharing common historical, religious, cultural and ethnic ties....
Any optimism in the Chinese ‘Rooster Year?’
Hürriyet Daily News | December/26/2016 Mehmet Öğütçü LONDON – As the world is preparing to leave 2016 behind as a year fraught with political surprises, financial crises and market volatility, governments and businesses including those in Turkey have started to set their eyes on what the next 12 months have in store for them politically...
Rex Tillerson and a positive agenda for Turkish-US ties
Hürriyet Daily News | December 20.2016 Mehmet Öğütçü | Donald Trump is giving signs at every opportunity that he will follow a very different line from the past U.S. presidents we have known until now, and that his management style will not be much different than that in his own real estate business. In the...
Losing a friend in the EU but gaining a better partner in Europe
Hürriyet Daily News | 11 July 2016 MEHMET ÖĞÜTÇÜ Irrespective of what U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said during the Brexit campaign about Turkey perhaps not joining the EU for the next several decades, and the street posters frightening the public about the 78 million Turks flocking to the U.K. if the Remain vote was...
Time to demonstrate a genuine partnership of equals in Ankara and Brussels
Hürriyet Daily News | March 14 2016 CONTRIBUTOR: MEHMET ÖĞÜTÇÜ, STEPHEN JONES Time to demonstrate a genuine partnership of equals in Ankara and Brussels There is a deep unease among Turks that the European Union will wash its hands and conscience of the worsening Syrian refugee situation by extending a colossal handout – now 6...
Making diplomacy work for business and vice versa
Hürriyet Daily News | February/16/2016 MEHMET ÖĞÜTÇÜ & EMRE DOĞRU Undoubtedly we are going through turbulent times not so good for business deals and quality investment unless it is a high risk, high return transaction. Geopolitical and economic troubles today are creating a risk-ridden environment for governments and businesses across the world. Turkey is no exception....
Turkey to extract opportunities out of many crises
Hürriyet Daily News | January/18/2016 MEHMET ÖĞÜTÇÜ – STEPHEN JONES There is a Chinese word for “crisis,” which is the same as that for “opportunity.” So many crises are unfolding in Turkey’s backyard, posing serious security and economic challenges. Yet, perhaps no country more than Turkey could potentially benefit or enhance its position if it manages them...
Egypt: The catalyst for a new eastern Mediterranean gas hub?
Hürriyet Daily News | November/25/2015 CONTRIBUTOR *Simone Tagliapietra/ **Georg Zachmann In recent years, the eastern Mediterranean has been a hot topic in international gas markets. Since the Tamar and Leviathan fields off the shore of Israel and the Aphrodite field off of Cyprus were discovered in 2009-2011, a number of export options have been discussed,...
Proposal to create the East Mediterranean Energy Community
Hürriyet Daily News | Wednesday, November 25 2015 LEADING NEWS SOURCE FOR TURKEY AND THE REGION OPINION/ MEHMET ÖĞÜTÇÜ Chairman, The Bosphorus Energy Club After several weeks of consultations in various capitals from Ankara to Tel Aviv, Washington D.C. and Brussels, I believe that it is high time to propose a regional champion to advocate integration, partnerships,...
China’s One Belt and One Road – Quo Vadis?
Hürriyet Daily News | October/27/2015 Mehmet Öğütçü | China’s Silk Road initiative is a real game-changer, irrespective of whether it will succeed or not as planned, in realizing its ambitious one belt and one road project. It is the brainchild of ambitious President Xi Jinping, who wants to leave behind a lasting legacy while at...
What does the future hold: Cables or pipelines?
Hürriyet Daily News | July/06/2015 Mehmet Öğütçü and Julian Popov* When we talk about energy cross-border infrastructure or energy security we usually focus on pipelines, tankers and increasingly on liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and terminals. The world of energy however is transforming fast and there is a good chance that high voltage power cables...
New energy dynamics: The time is here for a new international energy governance
Hürriyet Daily News | 13 April 2015 Mehmet Öğütçü – Urban Rusnák* Rapidly changing energy dynamics are set to determine the course of our economic development, complex geopolitical confrontations, amazing technological breakthroughs and massive investment and trade flows. As a result, the newly emerging energy game, with players and rules that have changed beyond recognition...
