In Turkey, President Erdoğan has blamed the tumbling Turkish Lira on “foreign powers launching an economic attack on the country.” Meanwhile, Turkish prosecutors continue to arrest people on terrorism charges due to their alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement that the Turkish government blames for the failed 2016 military coup. Here in Canada, 6,500 Turkish citizens have been granted political asylum since 2016 and in the fall of 2019, Canada placed an arms embargo on Turkey, its NATO ally, that has since been extended indefinitely. A key reason for the arms embargo was and is Turkey’s on-going military adventures in Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere in the Middle East. Meanwhile, in the Middle East itself, the challenges continue to mount, from economic distress in Lebanon, to the simmering civil war in Syria, to where next for Israel and the Palestinians? Our speaker will touch on all these topics and what it means for the Middle East and Canada in the near future.

Our speaker

Dr. Chris Kilford is a Fellow with the Queen’s Centre for International and Defence Policy, a sessional professor with the Canadian Forces College and an Associate Faculty member at Royal Roads University. Chris enjoyed a 36-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces and from July 2011 until July 2014 was the Canadian Defence Attaché to Turkey. Today, he is a recognized expert on Turkish foreign policy issues.

Registration

This in-person event will be run at the Tapestry residence in downtown Victoria and is open to Tapestry residents and CIC members only and space is limited.  Registration details to follow.

The fine print

Attendees must follow BC health regulations and show proof of vaccination. Masks must also be worn at all times, unless when seated. If your plans change after registering, please advise us early so that others may attend.