[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Turkey and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Turkey Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to turkey@jadaliyya.com by Sunday night of every week.]
English
EU Progress Report
Turkey Progress Report 2013 The European Commission`s 2013 Progress Report on Turkey. Its summary is available as well: Key Findings of the 2013 Progress Report on Turkey.
Reading the EU Call to Turkey Correctly Murat Yetkin asks “what kind of a report would it have been if Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan had not revealed his September 30 ‘democratization package’?”
Turkey on the Long Road to the EU Doğu Ergil, like Murat Yetkin, argues that the package announced by the AKP a while ago has changed the tone of the EU report.
Gezi Protesters Brought Turkey Closer to the EU Commenting on the latest EU report, Barçın Yinanç contends that “the Gezi protesters brought Turkey a step closer to EU membership.”
EU Progress Report Embraces the `Spirit of Gezi` Yusuf Kanlı suggests that the EU found a reason to praise the Gezi protests as a demonstration of Turkey’s emerging “vibrant, active citizenry.’”
The EU`s Mixed Report on Turkey Yavuz Baydar argues that the report will not accelerate Turkey`s EU membership process, yet it should be seen as a balancing act to avoid derailing it altogether.
The EU Progress Report, Corruption, the AKP İhsan Yılmaz indicates that the EU report does not mention a major incident vis-à-vis corruption that took place in April 2013.
Democracy and the AKP’s Package
Kurdish Question Nuray Mert dwells upon the BDP and KCK’s disappointment with the AKP’s “democratization package.”
The Politics of a Polarized Country Following the “democratization package,” Güven Sak asks whether there are any hopes for the constitution drafting process that started in late 2011.
Kemalism and Normalization Taha Özhan says the “democratization package” has ended two Kemalist impositions—the “oath” and “headscarf.”
Turkey’s Islamic Liberals Mustafa Akyol warns those who hope for a more liberal Turkey that they would make a strategic mistake by considering all religious conservatives as an obstacle to their goal.
Turkey`s Two New Impasses Abdülhamit Bilici writes about the difficulties those who try to understand Turkey, due to Turkey’s contradictory outlook.
The Supreme Court, Balyoz and "Compatibility with the Course of Life…" Sedat Ergin examines the Supreme Court of Appeals’ criminal criteria in the Balyoz (Sledgehammer) case.
Erdogan Provides Eid Allowance To Journalist Kadri Gürsel writes about a scandal that occurred in Istanbul and that symbolizes the ethical and identity crises in Turkey’s political-media relations.
Is this the New Turkey? Borrowing Ahmet Turan Alkan’s description, Bülent Keneş says the atmosphere in Turkey is “misty, silent, and heavy."
Could Turkey’s Christians Wear Police Uniforms? Orhan Kemal Cengiz comments on a police department statement encouraging Turkey’s non-Muslims to become police officers.
Foreign Policy
Dark Affairs Across Turkey`s Border Turkey consistently denies that it is providing assistance or logistical support to pro-al-Qaeda groups, but Çengiz Çandar believes that it is.
Pressure Mounts on Turkey Over Radical Groups in Syria Semih İdiz comments on the latest Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on the need for Turkey to prevent the influx of jihadists to Syria.
Radical Groups Operate On Turkey’s Border Fehim Taştekin says that he cannot fully verify the HRW report, but testifies that similar stories circulate in Turkey, and nobody is surprised by them.
Did Turkey Just Let a Chinese Trojan Horse into NATO? Barın Kayaoğlu writes about Turkey’s decision to choose the Chinese-made FD-2000 over the US-made Patriot PAC-3.
Who Will Lead the Middle East? The Patterns of Destructive Competition Gökhan Bacık claims that “today, we are witnessing another regional leadership competition among states like Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar”
Other Pertinent Pieces
Crimes With a View In Istanbul Neighborhood Yasemin Çongar points to the bloody struggle against drug trafficking in Gülsuyu, a marginalized suburb of İstanbul.
Badiou, Zizek, and Revolutionary Romanticism Markar Esayan criticizes Badiou and Zizek regarding their comments on the Gezi Park uprising.
Turkish
Kurdish Question
Anlamlı müzakereye geçiş Abdullah Öcalan’s latest remarks on the peace process, where he asks the government to follow a “meaningful and comprehensive negotiation”.
Çözüm için gerekli olan sadece `zemin` mi? Delil Karakoçan argues that the AKP government’s language and practices for the peace process are inadequate and problematic.
Tarihi barış mı, seçim ve iktidar mı? The peace process is not going well due the government’s lack of efforts, and Erdoğan’s prioritization of power and elections over peace, Muzaffer Ayata says.
İnkar ve utanç duvarı Drawing attention to the newly built wall at the Turkey-Syria border, Adil Bayram argues that despite the AKP’s rhetoric of peace, the AKP is not sincere in regard to the peace process.
Topu Öcalan`a atmak Ruşen Çakır argues that the AKP government makes Öcalan responsible for the peace process as a way to absolve itself from its responsibilities.
Bir müzakerenin sonu mu? Cuma Çicek contends that the “democratization package” cannot deal with the Kurdish question, and proposes three sine qua non steps that a package must contain.
İmralı`nın açıklaması ve şahinlerin hayal kırıklığı Yalçın Akdoğan, Erdoğan’s chief political advisor, draws a line between the BDP-PKK and Abdullah Öcalan, arguing that Öcalan is still optimistic about the peace process.
BDP çatlar mı? Yalçın Akdoğan speculates on the BDP’s future by arguing that it has structural problems due to the identity politics it pursues.
Öcalan`ın kafası hiç karışık değil Oral Çalışlar argues that Öcalan is insistent on pursuing the peace process and the negotiations, and encourages the BDP and KCK to support this process.
Hükümet BDP`den neden rahatsız? Trying to understand the reasons for the AKP’s harsh critiques of the BDP, Ruşen Çakır argues that “the AKP government finds the BDP too ‘rigid’ and ‘unyielding.`”
Türkiye olmasa bunlar yaşanmazdı Amberin Zaman’s interview with Salih Muslim, the leader of the PYD, after his son Servan, a YPG guerilla in Syria, was killed by the ISID (Islamic State in Iraq and Damascus).
Kanlı bayram Oya Baydar points to the violence and atrocities prevailing in the Middle East, even during Eid Al-Adha, and criticizes Turkey’s support for Al-Qaeda and Al-Nusra.
Democracy and EU Report
"Erdoğan`la Hesaplaşmak" Umut Özkırımlı comments on the critiques against liberals or oppositional groups, which did not support the AKP’s “democratization package.”
Başbakan azınlıklar konusunda iyi niyetli mi? Evaluating the AKP’s approach towards minorities, Rober Koptaş says the government is polarizing people in order to increase its votes.
İlerleme raporu Taha Akyol comments on the EU Progress Report on Turkey.
Dün şarttı, bugün gereksiz mi? İhsan Dağı argues that the EU’s findings and suggestions for a more democratic society should be taken seriously.
Cumhuriyet Halk Prangası Analyzing the CHP’s criticisms of the “democratization package,” Ohannes Kiliçdağı says the CHP is not the Republican People’s Party but the “Republican People’s Gyve.”
CHP`nin büyük çaresizliği Alper Görmüş suggests that the CHP is in a vicious cycle because it wants to rise to power, yet it cannot leave its foundational principles of secularism and statism.
Local Elections
Abdullah Öcalan: Mahir Çayan`ın emanetini HDP`ye teslim ediyorum An interview with İdris Balüken, the parliamentary group chair of the BDP, about his meeting with Abdullah Öcalan.
Bize İstanbul trafiğini çözebilir misin Sırrı? Cüneyt Özdemir comments on Öcalan’s support for the newly established HDP, and its candidate for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
Hangi BDP`lilerin CHP yorumu doğru? Koray Çalışkan argues that the BDP can build a coalition with the social democratic wing of the CHP, withdrawing its candidate in order to overthrow the AKP in the next elections.
Oylar bölünmesin Ahmet Saymadi criticizes those who want to create a coalition between the CHP and HDP, and argues that the CHP and HDP do not have anything in common except being anti-AKP.
Kurucu parti, katılımcı siyaset, kaliteli demokrasi ve HDP Ayhan Bilgen argues that the HDP should establish new ground in Turkey’s politics by focusing on participatory politics and democracy.
Gezi Uprising
Kürt hareketi Gezi`de çok büyük bir müttefikle karşılaştı An interview with Ruşen Çakır on the Gezi uprising, the peace process, the democratization package, and Syria-Turkey relations.
"Gezi Hayaleti" her yerde “The specter, or ghost, of Gezi” is haunting both the AKP government and the left, writes Seyfi Ongider.
Gezi ve domino etkisi “It is very likely that the effects of Gezi will create a ‘domino effect,’” Orhan Alkaya predicts.
Gezi turnusolu “After showing a successful performance since 2002, the AKP turned its face in a wrong and negative direction following the Gezi Resistance,” Murat Belge emphasizes.
Turkiye bu kutuplaşmayı kaldıramaz İhsan Dağı draws attention to the growing polarization in Turkey, especially after the Gezi uprising.
Other Pertinent Pieces
Geçmişi senden geri almak bütün ümidimdi Yaprak Zihnioglu’s book, Kadınsiz İnkilap (Revolution without Women) takes us back to 1930s, to the issue of women’s rights, and the representation and participation of women in politics.
Published on Jadaliyya
What Is a Democratization Package Good For?
Defending Future Commons: The Gezi Experience
New Texts Out Now: H. Erdem Cipa and Emine Fetvaci, Writing History at the Ottoman Court
Baris surecinde gerekli olan ciddi bir hakikat ve telafi politikasi