[This article, by Elif Ince, was published in the Turkish newspaper Radikal on 13 June 2013. It was written in part as a response to an article published by the pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak on 10 June 2013, in which Jadaliyya was accused of leading the wave of critical analysis and conspiracy against the Turkish government. The article was translated from Turkish by Emrah Yildiz. Following the article is the rough text of the interview conducted with Jadaliyya Co-Editor Bassam Haddad, and the original text of the Radikal interview in Turkish]
The Foreign Conspirators of the Gezi Park Speak Up
By Elif Ince, Radikal
Under today’s headline of choice, “The Devil’s Triangle,” Yeni Şafak newspaper accused Jadaliyya, an internet-based news feed published in English and Arabic, of conspiring to alter the Gezi Park demonstrations into one that would topple the Turkish government by “transforming them [the demonstrations] into a Turkish Spring, everything being under the sponsorship of George Soros and Georgetown University.” It was also among Yeni Safak’s allegations that Jadaliyya presented to the world what was happening in Turkey in the “most immediate, and most detailed fashion” and that Jadaliyya was “ruling over the reception of Turkey by the world’s media.”
We have asked Jadaliyya editors, authors, and readers about the Gezi Park actions and the allegations, and about Jadaliyya itself, which has become a popular source of receiving news about the Middle East over the course of the last two years. The co-editor, Bassam Haddad, confirms that they have received funding from the Open Society Institute, but notes that these are grants that everyone could apply for, and that the source of their funds does not affect or color the editorial independence of Jadaliyya. Jadaliyya’s editors are clearly unaware of the “foreign-alliances” paranoia of Turkey, and they are surprised and in awe!
“Dirty Alliance”
According to the Yeni Safak article, whose author remains unidentified:
The dirty alliance, forged on the Beirut-Istanbul-Washington line, with foregin media, finance, and academic circles in participation, is becoming more de-classified and decoded every day. Jadaliyya, which has been fanatically feeding the world news about what was happening first and foremost in Istanbul, but also in other parts of Turkey, in the institutional media wing of the Arab Studies Institute of Georgetown University [sic]. The financier behind Jadaliyya, which claims to be a not-for-profit site, is, however, none other than the famous speculator and founder of the Open Society Institute, George Soros—the same name behind the ‘Orange Revolutions’ that started in Ukraine in 2004, and continued in Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. Published as a monthly [sic], and carrying a 1.5 million sales in numbers, the internet site of the journal is supported by a great number of Middle Eastern and Western academics and activists. Even in its very first news reports on the demonstrations, Jadaliyya not only dubbed them as ‘Turkish Revolution’ and ‘Turkish Spring,’ but also generously featured the ugliest adjectives describing Erdoğan, ones that even the demonstrators against him did not dare to mouth.
“They Have Really Overestimated Us...”
Bassam Haddad, one of the editors at Jadaliyya, commented on the Yeni Safak article published along with his picture: “It is almost comical what was written about Jadaliyya . . . [t]hey have really overestimated us!”
According to Haddad:
“There are so many factual errors in the article that I do not know where to begin. For instance, I am not the "Editor" of Jadaliyya, I am one of seventeen Co-Editors, and, as far as I know, I am not involved in any conspiracies to bring down any government, nor have the power or capacity to brainwash my colleagues and "invited" scholars to ASI. Finally, Jadaliyya is not a hard-copy magazine that sells "1.5 million" copies. It`s a website!”
“Every week over three hundred thousand readers [unique visitors] visit our site. On the site we publish daily analyses, and our aim is to serve as a bridge between journalism and academia. The site is run by seventeen academics. Institutionally independent since 1992, we are a part of the Arab Studies Institute. The Open Society Institute as well as the Social Science Research Council are among the providers of grants, but they are partial [grants] and open for everyone to apply for. These funds do not have any editorial effect on our independence, as we do not have taboos. We are solely responsible for everything we publish. Since the inception of the project, we always wanted to emphasize working with local authors. We publish in Arabic, English, and French. We run articles on politics, history, economy, gender and sexuality, culture, art . . . ”
[sic] “We are banned in Syria. We are also not seen under a positive light by the governments of Jordan and Egypt. Nor are we seen under a better light by pro-Israel groups. And because we vehemently oppose the policies of the United States administration in the region, we have been heavily criticized by its supporters. That said, however, we have been never exposed to such far-reaching and hysterical accusations. The claim that we have triggered the Arab uprisings first and subsequently what people live now in Turkey is just laughable. But I can say that we are responsible for World War I!”
“Jadaliyya Was Among the First to Examine and Critique the Term ‘Arab Spring’”
The author of one of Jadaliyya’s first articles about Gezi Park, Jay Cassano, comments that after having lived in Istanbul for two years and worked as a free-lance journalist, he became interested in issues of urban renewal. His interest intensified, especially after having watched the documentary Ekümenopolis, which tells the story of Istanbul’s transformation. He followed the recent history of Gezi Park’s lived realities in his article, entitled “The Right to the City Movement and the Turkish Summer,” published on 1 June 2013 on Jadaliyya. He recounts, in his article, how the police have intervened in the protests at the demolition of the Emek Movie Theater and also against those who wanted to enter Taksim Square on 1 May for May Day celebrations. He mentions the Third Bosporus Bridge and analyzes the demonstration under the prism of “the right to the city.” Cassano states, “Since 2011, I have followed Jadaliyya, because it has published reliable and in-depth analyses and news on the Middle East. They usually avoid the clichés and pitfalls that mainstream English-language media most often resort to. Actually, Jadaliyya was the first to question and critique the term `Arab Spring` while reporting on what has been happening in the Arab world.” Cassano also adds that Jadaliyya could have been picked as a target for its coverage of “the Kurdish problem.”
“Its unique quality is its avant-garde stance,” says Nazan Üstündağ, an assistant professor at Boğaziçi University’s Sociology Department, whose observations on the Gezi Park resistance, penned for the Turkey-based daily Gündem, have been translated into English and published on Jadaliyya. Üstündağ adds, “I have been following Jadaliyya for the past few years. I started to follow the Arab revolutions. Both because it is half-academic, and because it is a fast-moving newsfeed, I use it a lot. Its unique quality is its avant-garde nature. It has covered the Arab revolutions with their artistic and electronic media dimensions.”
Rough Text of Interview with Jadaliyya Co-Editor Bassam Haddad
(Conducted by journalist Elif Inci for Radikal)
Elif Inci (EI henceforth): What do you think made the Yeni Şafak newspaper react in such a way, what in the content might have alarmed them so?
Bassam Haddad (BH henceforth): I think it is fact that Jadaliyya, as an analytical publication, does not have a vested organizational interest in the events in Turkey and is not connected to a political party or a particular anti-government movement. So, it has credibility, and can be threatening to some. Thus, fabrications about its connections and intentions had to be made. It is almost comical what was written about Jadaliyya.
EI: To readers from Turkey who might not have heard of Jadaliyya, in a nutshell, what is Jadaliyya, how did the team get together, and who writes for it? What is its connection with Turkey? (according to Yeni Şafak you form a devilish triangle along with Georgetown University and George Soros)
BH: Jadaliyya is a daily analysis publication that tries to bridge the gap between academia and journalism, for wider consumption. It is not a new site. It is run by seventeen academics listed on the website, and is part of the Arab Studies Institute (ASI), which has been operating independently since 1992. ASI also produces the peer-reviewed publication, The Arab Studies Journal, and Tadween Publishing. All are interested in critical knowledge production and the scrutiny of knowledge production processes on the Middle East.
EI: Yeni Şafak was "praising" Jadaliyya for "leading global media`s point of view" on the Gezi protest, publishing the most detailed articles first, and for broadcasting "in a fantastical manner" protests all over the world. They also said the ``montly 1.5 million selling magazine is supported by many Middle Eastern and Western activists and academics.`` What is the secret of your success? Basically, who are your writers and how do they follow the ground so closely?
BH: I am not sure we have a secret. We simply do not have political, social, or cultural taboos, and are thoroughly independent as analysts, and thus attracted like-minded writers. From the beginning, we wanted to be in touch with indigenous writers living in the regions we are concerned with. This distinguished Jadaliyya from other publications. We also publish in Arabic, English, and French, address the entire Middle East from Mauritania to Iran, publish on politics, history, economics, gender, art, and culture, and apply high standards in reviewing submissions.
[Questions on Yeni Şafak`s claims...]
EI: The article claimed ``Jadaliyya`s sponsor is George Soros, who was behind the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan..." Do you have any relationship with Soros? Who funds the publication?
BH: Wow, they are really overestimating us. The organization that produced Jadaliyya received partial funding from a few sources, including the Open Society Institute (OSI) and the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), but there is absolutely no editorial influence, as we basically do not have taboos. All this is printed on the website, under our "About" page. We are solely responsible for everything we publish. As an organization, we believe in non-hierarchy and are based primarily on voluntary labor, which provides our growing team with a sense of ownership over their own domain within the organizations. This solidarity-based model allowed us to celebrate our twentieth anniversary as an intensely independent institution.
EI: The article also claimed: ``even in the first stories on Gezi Parkı, Jadaliyya used the words ``Turkish revolution`` and ``Turkish spring,`` and that you used ``curse words even the protestors didn`t use.`` Another statement from the piece: ``Jadaliyya`s first issue was published 21 September 2010, just 3 months before Tunisian protests.`` Analysts are quoted as saying this cant be a coincidence, and that Jadaliyya is aware of changes in the Islamic world and is trying to use that power to advance their goal with Soros.
BH: I am not aware of any curse words or problematic language in this regard. We have been critical of all repression and violations, and sometimes harsh language is used, but we do not descend to the level we are being accused of here.
As to the claim that Jadaliyya somehow influenced the Arab uprisings and now the situation in Turkey, well, this is the comical part of the criticism. However, we are responsible for World War I.
EI: Has Jadaliyya dealt with similar attacks from certain press in the countries it writes about?
BH: We have been banned in Syria, and are frowned upon by the Jordanian and Egyptian governments, as well as by pro-Israel groups, and now the pro-Turkish government. We have also been critiqued heavily by those who support US foreign policy in the region because we vehemently oppose this policy. But we have never seen any party go to such great lengths of ridiculous accusations. Ultimately, it all makes sense that all these parties do not like Jadaliyya. Thankfully, enough readers do not agree, and consider Jadaliyya a resource on a daily basis, especially since we publish articles that are critical of various violations of basic rights, at the local and global levels, with emphasis on social justice and distribution.
EI: Also about you, the article has a little bio. They say that you teach at George Mason University and Georgetown University, that you have many books and articles on the Arab Spring and the Middle East, and that you give "theoretical and practical" advice in meetings with academics and activists.
BH: There are so many factual errors in the article that I do not know where to begin. For instance, I am not the "Editor" of Jadaliyya, I am one of seventeen Co-Editors, and, as far as I know, I am not involved in any conspiracies to bring down any government, nor do I have the power or capacity to brainwash my colleagues and "invited" scholars to ASI. Finally, Jadaliyya is not a hard-copy magazine that sells "1.5 million" copies. It is a website! There are many more fabrications, but they all delegitimize themselves and discredit the author(s) and publications responsible for them.
Other information about the inception and development of Jadaliyya can be found in this interview by Portal 9.
[Original Radikal article in Turkish]
Gezi Parkı`nın `dış mihrak`ları konuştu
Yeni Şafak`ın `şeytan üçgeni`nin bir parçası olduğunu iddia ettiği, `George Soros sponsorluğunda, Gezi eylemlerinden Türk baharı çıkarma planları yapmak`la suçlanan Jadaliyya sitesinin editörü: "Suriye`de yasaklıyız ama bu kadar gülünç iddiaları ilk kez duyuyoruz."
Yeni Şafak`t pazartesi günü yer alan haberde internet sitesi Jadaliyya`dan `dergi` olarak bahsedilmiş, 1,5 milyon sattığı öne sürülmüştü...
İSTANBUL - Yeni Şafak gazetesi, pazartesi günkü ‘Şeytan Üçgeni’ manşetinde Jadaliyya adlı İngilizce-Arapça yayın yapan bir internet haber sitesini, “George Soros ve Georgetown Üniversitesi sponsorluğunda, Gezi Parkı eylemlerini hükümeti devirecek bir `Türk Baharı`na dönüştürmeyi istemek”le suçluyordu. Jadaliyya’nın Gezi Parkı protestolarını dünyaya “İlk önce ve hem de en detaylı biçimde” sunduğu ve “Dünya medyasının algısını yönettiği” de Yeni Şafak’ın iddiaları arasındaydı.
Son iki yıldır tüm Ortadoğu ’dan haber almak için oldukça popüler bir kaynak haline gelen Jadaliyya’nın editör, yazar ve okurlarına Gezi Parkı eylemlerini ve Yeni Şafak’ın iddialarını sorduk. Hedef gösterilen editörlerden akademisyen Bassam Hadad, Soros’un kurduğu `Açık Toplum Enstitüsü`nden kısmi (masraflarının yaklaşık üçte birinden azını karşılayan) bir fon aldıklarını doğruluyor ve bunun herkes tarafından başvurulabilen bir fon olduğunu, editöryel bağımsızlıklarını etkilemediğini söylüyorlar. Türkiye ’nin dış mihrak paranoyasından habersiz ve şaşkınlar!
‘KİRLİ İTTİFAK...’
Yeni Şafak’taki imzasız haber şöyle: “Yabancı medya, finans ve akademik çevrelerin `Beyrut, İstanbul ve Washington` hattında oluşturduğu `kirli ittifak` her geçen gün biraz daha deşifre oluyor... İstanbul başta olmak üzere Türkiye`nin dört bir yanındaki eylemleri fanatik üslupla dünyaya duyuran Jadaliyya, Washington`daki Georgetown Üniversitesi`ne bağlı Arap Araştırmaları Enstitüsü`ne (ASI) bağlı bir medya kuruluşu. Sitesinde kar amacı gütmediğini belirten Jadaliyya`nın finansörü ise 2004 yılında Ukrayna`da başlayıp Gürcistan ve Kırgızistan`da devam eden `Turuncu Devrimler`in arkasındaki isim olan ünlü spekülatör ve `Açık Toplum Enstitüsü` kurucusu George Soros. Aylık yayınlanan ve 1.5 milyon satışı olan derginin internet sitesi Ortadoğulu ve batılı bir çok akademisyen ve aktivist tarafından destekleniyor… Gezi Parkı eylemleriyle ilgili verdiği ilk haberlerde bile `Türk devrimi` ile `Türk Baharı` ifadelerini kullanan ve Erdoğan`a karşı eylemcilerin dahi ağza almadığı en çirkin sıfatları bol bol sıralayan Jadaliyya`nın kuruluşu ise oldukça şaibeli görünüyor...”
‘BİZİ ÇOK BÜYÜTMÜŞLER...’
Jadaliyya editörlerinden Bassam Haddad, George Mason Üniversitesi`nde Ortadoğu çalışmaları bölüm başkanı, ayrıca Georgetown Üniversitesi`nde de ders veriyor. Ortadoğu ve Arap baharı ile ilgili birçok makale ve kitabı bulunuyor. Yeni Şafak’ta fotoğrafı ile birlikte basılan makale hakkında “Yazılanlar şaka gibi. Bizi ne kadar büyütmüşler!” diyor...
Hadad’ın Radikal`e yaptığı açıklamaları şöyle:
“Haberde o kadar yanlış var ki nereden başlayacağımı bilemiyorum. Öncelikle ben Jadaliyya’nın ‘editörü’ değil 17 editöründen biriyim. Bildiğim kadarıyla hiçbir hükümeti devirmek için komplo kurmadım, meslektaşlarımın beynini yıkayacak gücüm ve kapasitem de yok. Jadaliyya kağıda basılmadığı için 1.5 milyon kopya satması mümkün değil.``
``İlk günden beri bölgeden yerel yazarlarla çalışmak istedik. Arapça, İngilizce, Fransızca yayın yapıyor ve Ortadoğu’ya hitap ediyoruz. Politika, tarih, ekonomi, toplumsal cinsiyet, kültür, sanat haberleri yayınlıyoruz. Her hafta 300 binin üzerinde okuyucu sayfamızı ziyaret ediyor. Sitede günlük analizler yayınlıyoruz, niyetimiz akademi ve gazetecilik arasında bir köprü kurmak. Site 17 akademisyen tarafından yürütülüyor, 1992`den beri bağımsız olan Georgetown Üniversitesi`ne bağlı Arap Araştırmaları Enstitüsü`nün (Arab Studies Institute) bir parçasıyız. Açık Toplum Enstitüsü (Open Society Institute) ve Sosyal Bilimler Araştırma Konseyi (Social Science Research Council) fonları aldığımız kaynaklar arasında ama bunlar kısmi ve herkesin başvurabileceği fonlar. Üzerimizde kimsenin editöryel bir etkisi yok. Analizlerimiz tamamen bağımsız, ayrıca politik, sosyal ve kültürel hiçbir tabumuz yok.``
`SURİYE`DE YASAKLIYIZ`
``Suudi Arabistan’da yasaklanmıştık, Suriye’de hala yasaklıyız. Ürdün ve Mısır hükümetleri tarafından da hoş görülmüyoruz, İsrail yanlısı gruplar tarafından da. Aynı zamanda Amerikan hükümetinin bölgedeki politikalarına şiddetle karşı durduğumuzdan bu politikalara destek verenler tarafından da ağır eleştirildik. Ama daha önce hiç bu kadar ileriye giden ve gülünç suçlamalara maruz kalmamıştık. Arap isyanlarını ve şimdi de Türkiye’de yaşananları tetiklediğimiz iddiası komik... Ama 1. Dünya Savaşı’nı bizim çıkarttığımız doğrudur!’’
‘ARAP BAHARI’ DEYİMİNİ İLK ELEŞTİREN JADALİYYA OLMUŞTU
Jadaliyya’ya Gezi Parkı ile ilgili ilk haberlerden birini yazan Jay Cassano, iki yıl İstanbul’da yaşadıktan ve serbest gazetecilik yaptıktan sonra kentsel dönüşüm meselesine dair bilgilendiğini, özellikle de İstanbul’da dönüşümü anlatan Ekümenopolis belgeselini izledikten sonra konuyla yakından ilgilendiğini söylüyor.
Cassano, Jadaliyya’da 1 Haziran’da yayınlanan ‘`Kent hakkı ve Türk yazı` başlıklı makalesinde, Gezi Parkı’nda yaşananların geçmişini takip ediyor: 7 Nisan Emek Sineması protestosunda ve 1 Mayıs’ta Taksim’e girmeye çalışanlara polisin nasıl müdahale ettiğini anlatıyor, 3. köprüden de bahsediyor ve meseleyi ‘kent hakkı’ etrafında açıklıyor. Cassano, “2011’den beri Ortadoğu’ya dair güvenilir ve derinlemesine haber yaptığı için Jadaliyya’yı takip ediyorum. İngilizce yayın yapan ana akım medyanın düştüğü klişelerden uzak duruyorlar. Aslında Arap dünyasında yaşananları haberleştirirken ‘Arap Baharı’ deyimini ilk sorgulayan ve eleştiren Jadaliyya olmuştu” diyor.
‘ÖZELLİĞİ AVANGART OLMASI’
Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Sosyoloji Bölümü öğretim görevlisi Yrd. Doç. Dr. Nazan Üstündağ’ın da Gündem gazetesine yazdığı Gezi Parkı direnişi izlenimleri, 8 Haziran`da İngilizceye çevrilerek Jadaliyya sitesinde yayınlandı. Üstündağ, ‘’Jadaliyya’yı birkaç senedir takip ediyorum. Arap devrimlerini takip etmek için başlamıştım, hem yarı akademik olduği hem de çok çabuk haber alabildiğim için çok kullanır oldum. Jadaliyya’nın özelliği avangart olması, Arap devrimlerini sanatsal boyutuyla da elektronik medya boyutuyla da anlattı’’ diye konuştu.