As the United States shapes and carries out its policies toward Muslim countries, it should do so with Turkey at its side. – Stephen Kinzer
Israel deserves special treatment from the United States, both for historical reasons and because there can be no regional peace without a secure Israel. – Stephen Kinzer
When Prime Minister Erdogan came to Washington in 2009, he sounded almost like the ambassador from Iran. – Stephen Kinzer
One day, Mexico will have a leader who is nationalist not simply in rhetoric, but also in fact. – Stephen Kinzer
Only one American has given his life for Iranian democracy. He was a young idealist from Nebraska named Howard Baskerville. In 1907, fresh out of Princeton, Baskerville went to Iran as a schoolteacher. He found himself in the midst of a revolution against tyranny, and was carried away with passion for the democratic cause. – Stephen Kinzer
Relationships based on deals between leaders or ruling elites tend to collapse amid popular anger. – Stephen Kinzer
The capture, taming, training and keeping of eagles is highly ritualized. Most of the birds, which have a life span of about 40 years, are caught when very young – either snatched from a nest or trapped in a baited net. – Stephen Kinzer
One of the most perplexing political questions of the late 20th century is how new democracies should punish deposed dictators and their associates. Victims cry for justice, but leaders of new regimes must decide to what extent it is possible, moral or prudent to pursue evildoers of the past. – Stephen Kinzer
Because Iranians have had to fight so long and painfully for political freedom, they have a deep appreciation for its value – perhaps deeper than many in the West who take their electoral rights for granted. – Stephen Kinzer
American oil companies – including Amoco, Unocal, Exxon, Pennzoil – have invested billions of dollars in Azerbaijan and plan to invest billions more. As a result, they have developed a strongly pro-Azerbaijan position. – Stephen Kinzer
Sultan Mehmet had good relations with the Medici family and other powerful Italian clans, especially in Venice and Florence, and at his request, they sent him artists and craftsmen by the dozen. – Stephen Kinzer
As recently as the 1970s, some Pashtun leaders in Afghanistan were pushing to create a new state, Pashtunistan, by joining with Pashtuns in Pakistan. – Stephen Kinzer
In 1907, Britain and Russia signed a treaty dividing Iran between them; no Iranian was at the negotiations or even knew they were taking place. – Stephen Kinzer
King Frederick I of Prussia conceived the Amber Chamber in 1701 as a magnificent gift to the Russian royal family that would seal the alliance between the two powers. – Stephen Kinzer
No one will presumably ever be able to prove or disprove such fundamental religious principles as the existence of God. – Stephen Kinzer
At the end of the day, there is still one function of journalism that cannot be computerized, and that is reporters. You’re always going to need reporters. – Stephen Kinzer
Congress, it turns out, is filled with Republicans and Democrats eager to act as enablers for the most repressive forces in Iran. – Stephen Kinzer
Rebels in Darfur have learned the value of mobilizing western human rights groups to prolong wars, and this lesson is working gloriously for them. – Stephen Kinzer
Sultan Beyazid considered his father’s art collection decadent and ordered it sold at auction. – Stephen Kinzer
The idea that Arabia is best run by Arabs is no more palatable to Western leaders today than it was to Napoleon or Churchill. – Stephen Kinzer
The dramatic rise of Turkey in the councils of world power was one of the main geopolitical developments of 2010. – Stephen Kinzer
More than half of Guatemalans are pureblooded Indians, descendants of the proud Maya-Quiche tribes. In their mist-shrouded villages, the Indians worship the corn god and the rain god, only vaguely concerned with the political entity known as Guatemala. – Stephen Kinzer
Other places are also generators of far-flung violence beyond their own borders – Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are obvious examples – but none has as long a history of war, resistance, and terror as Chechnya. – Stephen Kinzer
Not all eagles can be trained, but those who take to life with a master display intense loyalty. Although they are not tethered, they always return after killing their prey. – Stephen Kinzer
After installing friendly leaders in Iran and Guatemala, the United States lost interest in promoting democracy in either country. – Stephen Kinzer
Mexico needs schools, rural development, and an independent judiciary, not high-tech weaponry. – Stephen Kinzer
Turkey can be a bridge to regimes and actions the United States can’t reach. Turkey can talk to people the United States can’t talk to. – Stephen Kinzer
Chechens are not ethnically or culturally Russian, and have now been fighting for generations to free themselves from Russian rule. – Stephen Kinzer
On Aug. 19, 1953, Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh of Iran became the first victim of a C.I.A. coup. Ten months later, on June 27, 1954, President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala became the second. – Stephen Kinzer