Languages: English, Turkish, conversational French
Areas of Expertise: Turkey and Turkish politics; the Kurdish issue (in Turkey and Iraq); democracy; media freedom
Asli Aydıntaşbaş is a senior policy fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relation. Her topics of focus with the MENA programme include Turkish foreign policy and external ramifications of its domestic politics.
She joined ECFR after a lengthy career in journalism; most recently she was a columnist at Milliyet (2009-2015) and previously a commentator on regional issues in international publications and networks. Aydintasbas' columns not only delve into issues in Turkish foreign policy vis a vis the Middle East, but also probe issues of freedom and democratization in Turkey. She has written on these issues for publications such as the International Herald Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Forbes, Politico, and Newsweek.
Aydıntaşbaş hosted the popular daily television programme Karşı Gündem on CNN Türk from 2013 to 2014. Prior to joining Milliyet, she served as a Washington correspondent and later the Ankara bureau chief for Sabah, one of Turkey’s leading newspapers. She covered the Clinton Administration, the United Nations, the Bush Administration, and the Iraq War in 1997-2004 as a Washington and New York correspondent for NTV and Radikal.
Aydıntaşbaş is a graduate of Bates College, where she was the recipient of Maung Maung Gyi Award for Excellence in International Relations and holds a MA in Journalism and Middle East Studies from New York University.
She is based in Istanbul but travels regularly throughout the Middle East and Europe.
Anthony Dworkin steps in for Mark Leonard and discusses the US strategy in Syria with Asli Aydintasbas, Julien Barnes-Dacey and Jasmin El-Gamal. The podcast was recorded on 10 January 2019.
Mark Leonard speaks with Asli Aydintasbas, Jeremy Shapiro and Julien Barnes-Dacy about what effect the incident might have on relations between Saudi Arabia, the US and Turkey. The podcast was recorded on the 16 October 2018.
Bookshelf:
The Jungle Grows Back by Robert Kagan
The River of Doubt by Candice Millard
Lords of the Desert by James Barr
Khashoggi disappearance: Time for an independent investigation by Julien Barnes-Dacey
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Mark Leonard examines the looming Syrian-Russian military action in Idlib in discussion with ECFR experts Asli Aydıntaşbaş, Julien Barnes-Dacey, and Almut Möller. What do Turks and Europeans make of the possible humanitarian and geopolitical consequences?
Bookshelf
The tiger who came to tea by Judith Kerr
Into the Hands of the Soldiers: Freedom and Chaos in Egypt and the Middle East by David D. Kirkpatrick
The Death of Truth: Notes on Falsehood in the Age of Trump by Michiko Kakutani
Francis Fukuyama Postpones the End of History by Louis Menand
The podcast was recorded on 12 September.
Asli Aydıntaşbaş & Ellie Geranmayeh - 06 September 2018
Views on priorities and possible outcomes of the upcoming meeting of the leaders of Iran, Turkey, and Russia from our Iranian and Turkish fellows
Mark Leonard speaks with Oksana Antonenko, Director for Global Political risk Analysis at Control Risks, and ECFR Turkey experts Asli Aydintasbas and Almut Moeller about the current crisis in Turkey. The podcast was recorded on 31 August 2018.
Bookshelf:
To Go Forward, Turkey Must Look Back by Daron Acemoglu
Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World by Suzy Hansen
The House of Government: A Saga of the Russian Revolution by Yuri Slezkine
East West Street: On the Origins of "Genocide" and "Crimes against Humanity" by Philippe Sands
Podcast "Stimmenfang" - Sachsen, wir müssen reden!
by Asli Aydıntaşbaş - 23rd March, 2018
The survey reveals the varying motivations of the 28 EU member states for keeping Turkey close -- but not too close.
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by Almut Möller with case studies by Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, Sebastian Dullien & Kadri Liik - 30th May, 2017
In the federal election year, Germans are ready to give new European solutions a strong boost and take more risks
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by Asli Aydıntaşbaş - 24th November, 2016
Despite the vote in the European Parliament to “freeze” Turkey’s EU accession talks, there is still a chance to save the troubled EU-Turkey relationship.
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by Asli Aydıntaşbaş - 23rd September, 2016
The role of the Gülen movement in Turkey’s coup attempt
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by Asli Aydıntaşbaş - 23rd June, 2016
The growing friendship between Russia and Turkey in recent years was a problem for Europe. But their recent bust-up is an even bigger one.
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Asli Aydıntaşbaş & Ellie Geranmayeh - 06 September 2018
Views on priorities and possible outcomes of the upcoming meeting of the leaders of Iran, Turkey, and Russia from our Iranian and Turkish fellows
Asli Aydıntaşbaş - 02 August 2018
The Turkish-US relationship is either experiencing its first serious fissure since 1975, or just another bump in the road. No one can be sure.
Asli Aydıntaşbaş - 26 June 2018
From possible US sanctions to electing a new economic tsar, Erdogan has his hands full after Sunday’s elections
Asli Aydıntaşbaş & François Godement & Kadri Liik & Jeremy Shapiro - 25 May 2018
The four power audits show that Europeans, particularly when working together, retain the capacity to cooperate and compete effectively with all these powers. But they also show that, in each case, Europe is failing to do so.
_3.png "Pic: Kremlin.ru via WikiCommons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vladimir_Putin_and_Recep_Tayyip_Erdo%C4%9Fan_(2015-06-13)_3.jpg#/media/File:Vladimir_Putin_and_Recep_Tayyip_Erdo%C4%9Fan_(2015-06-13)_3.jpg - CC BY 4.0 - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/")
Asli Aydıntaşbaş - 19 April 2018
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to get ahead of a downward curve in Turkey’s fortunes. He has – probably – done enough to win this new snap vote
Guney Yildiz & Asli Aydıntaşbaş & Julien Barnes-Dacey - 25 January 2018
What Turkey's intervention means for Syria, the Kurds, and Ankara.
Asli Aydıntaşbaş - 18 January 2018
Turkey seems finally to be settling for a second-tier “privileged partnership” with Europe.
Asli Aydıntaşbaş - 24 November 2017
The saga of an Iranian gold trader has driven a wedge between Turkey and its allies.
Anthony Dworkin steps in for Mark Leonard and discusses the US strategy in Syria with Asli Aydintasbas, Julien Barnes-Dacey and Jasmin El-Gamal. The podcast was recorded on 10 January 2019.
Mark Leonard speaks with Asli Aydintasbas, Jeremy Shapiro and Julien Barnes-Dacy about what effect the incident might have on relations between Saudi Arabia, the US and Turkey. The podcast was recorded on the 16 October 2018.
Bookshelf:
The Jungle Grows Back by Robert Kagan
The River of Doubt by Candice Millard
Lords of the Desert by James Barr
Khashoggi disappearance: Time for an independent investigation by Julien Barnes-Dacey
Mark Leonard examines the looming Syrian-Russian military action in Idlib in discussion with ECFR experts Asli Aydıntaşbaş, Julien Barnes-Dacey, and Almut Möller. What do Turks and Europeans make of the possible humanitarian and geopolitical consequences?
Bookshelf
The tiger who came to tea by Judith Kerr
Into the Hands of the Soldiers: Freedom and Chaos in Egypt and the Middle East by David D. Kirkpatrick
The Death of Truth: Notes on Falsehood in the Age of Trump by Michiko Kakutani
Francis Fukuyama Postpones the End of History by Louis Menand
The podcast was recorded on 12 September.
Mark Leonard speaks with Oksana Antonenko, Director for Global Political risk Analysis at Control Risks, and ECFR Turkey experts Asli Aydintasbas and Almut Moeller about the current crisis in Turkey. The podcast was recorded on 31 August 2018.
Bookshelf:
To Go Forward, Turkey Must Look Back by Daron Acemoglu
Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World by Suzy Hansen
The House of Government: A Saga of the Russian Revolution by Yuri Slezkine
East West Street: On the Origins of "Genocide" and "Crimes against Humanity" by Philippe Sands
Podcast "Stimmenfang" - Sachsen, wir müssen reden!
Mark Leonard speaks with Asli Aydıntaşbaş about why Erdoğan called early elections for this summer, and the new European Commission’s accession report.
Bookshelf:
The world America made by Robert Kagan
El libro de los abrazos by Eduardo Galeano
Mark Leonard speaks with ECFR experts Asli Aydintasbas, Kadri Liik, Julien Barnes-Dacey, and Manuel Lafont Rapnouil about how the international community might respond.
Bookshelf:
Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story by Henry Morgenthau
Joseph Conrad: A Biography by Jeffrey Meyers
Brother’s Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
La mondialisation des pauvres by Armelle Choplin and Olivier Pliez
Alone in the desert? How France can lead Europe in the Middle East by Manuel Lafont Rapnouil
Mark Leonard speaks with Asli Aydıntaşbaş, Kadri Liik, François Godement and Jeremy Shapiro about Europe’s relations with the US, China, Russia and Turkey. The podcast was recorded on the 6 March 2018.
Mark Leonard, Asli Aydintasbas, Kadri Liik and Jeremy Shapiro, discuss Turkey's offensive near the Syria-Turkey boarder, the future of US-Turkey relations and Russia's role in the region. The podcast was recorded on 23 January 2018.
Bookshelf:
Johan by Oli Bagel
Slow Burn by Slate
Paris 1919: Six months that changed the world by Margaret MacMillan
95 theses about technology by John Naughton
In this op-ed for the Washington Post, Asli Aydintasbas analyses the disrupted US-Turkey relationship in the Syria conflict and advocates a more comprehensive approach to a peace settlement.
Clarín quotes Asli Aydintasbas about how Erdogan is trying to undermine Mohammed bin Salman by linking him to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Asli Aydintasbas quoted by the New York Times on the Erdogan's pressure on Saudi Arabia in contrast to Trump.
Asli Aydintasbas quotes Jeremy Shapiro in the Washington Post regarding the US midterm elections and it's affect on the rest of the World.
Asli Aydintasbas quoted in Politico on the Turkish strategy for Saudi Arabia following the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.
Asli Aydintasbas' latest Op-Ed for The Washington Post on the broader agenda behind Turkey's investigation into the death of Jamal Khashoggi
Asli Aydintasbas in the Washington Post on Turkey's investigation into the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.
The New York Time quotes Alsi Aydintasbas concerning the leaks in Turkey following the Jamal Khashoggi disappearance.
Asli Aydintasbas quoted by the Financial Times on Turkey and Saudi relations in the wake of Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance.
Email: aydintasbas@gmail.com