Yasar Yakis to write weekly Op-Ed column for Arab News

JEDDAH: Turkey’s former Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis is the latest addition to the star-studded list of Op-Ed columnists at Arab News, the Middle East’s leading English-language daily.
His columns — focusing on Turkish, Arab, regional and international affairs — will appear every Wednesday in the print and online edition. His new Author Page and archive can be accessed online at http://www.arabnews.com/authors/yasar-yakis .
“We are delighted to have Mr. Yakis join Arab News’ pool of highly insightful and influential columnists,” said Faisal J. Abbas, Editor-in-Chief of Arab News.
“He brings vast global knowledge and long years of experience as his country’s chief diplomat, as well as a deep understanding of Arab affairs,” he said.
Yakis has served his nation in different capacities in Damascus, Riyadh, Cairo and Vienna. He was a senior associate member at St. Antony’s College, Oxford University, between 2012 and 2014.
The fact that he is a founding member of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) adds immense weight to his opinion. He was decorated with the Order of King Abdul Aziz (1st Degree) in 1992 for his contribution to the improvement of Turkish-Saudi relations.
A number of high-profile columnists have recently joined the Op-Ed pages of Arab News. They include Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU); Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor, a prominent Emirati businessman; Frank Kane, an award-winning business journalist based in Dubai; Baria Alamuddin, an award-winning journalist and broadcaster; Yossi Mekelberg, professor of international relations at Regent’s University London; Khalid Abdulla-Janahi, group chief executive of Dar Al-Mal Al-Islami Trust (DMI Trust); Ray Hanania, an award-winning Palestinian-American former journalist; Diana Moukalled, a veteran journalist with extensive experience in both traditional and new media; and Raghida Dergham, senior diplomatic correspondent and New York bureau chief for Al-Hayat newspaper.