[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
Power Struggle Over Prep Schools
Community-Government: Clues of the Tension In the story titled, “The plan to finish Gülen,” Oral Çalışlar writes that “we see that the tension is deepening, not moving toward reconciliation.”
Leak Deepens AKP-Gülen rift Tülin Daloğlu comments on the leaked National Security Council resolution aiming to weaken the Gülen movement.
Silencing Taraf Emre Uslu responds to the government, which accused him and his newspaper (Taraf daily) of espionage and terrorism via publishing confidential documents.
Attacks on Free Press in Turkey “The AK Party government has opted for a policy of denial while throwing anything at the free media in order to intimidate and silence it,” says Abdullah Bozkurt.
Education Reform and Prep Schools A recent statement released by the Hizmet Community`s Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) related to the prep school conflict.
Response to Aspersion Hüseyin Gülerce comments on the GYV’s statement.
What Is the Problem Between the AK Party and Hizmet? Reflecting on the conflict, İhsan Dağı says “the AK Party is now acting as the state has always acted in this land.”
How Will Prep School Controversy Influence Election? (1)-(2) Mümtazer Türköne argues that Erdoğan`s "harshness" helped his party win elections in the past, but now it makes it lose votes.
The Divine Battle Yusuf Kanlı writes that “this is a divine battle for survival for the Gülenists while a battle to consolidate its power for the AKP.”
Government Replaces Military in Defamation Tactics What makes the MGK revelation problematic is that the document was signed by the AK Party, which had itself been targeted by the the same tactics, says Lale Kemal.
Erdoğan`s Blacklist According to Pınar Tremblay, the battle shows that cooperation with the Gülen Movement is no longer worthwhile for the AKP government.
History Will Record This As Well Ekrem Dumanlı is sure that “people will not accept this draft and decision.”
Kemalo-Islamists Versus Civil Society and Hizmet İhsan YIlmaz says “Kemalo-Islamists are hostile to civil society, dissent, and the plurality of viewpoints.”
The Party Versus the Community Mustafa Akyol argues that “what we should learn from this conflict is the burning need to define the boundaries of state and the proper functioning of civil society.
Dangerous and Unnecessary Tension Markar Esayan finds the conflict dangerous and unnecessary.
Erdoğan Tries to Shake Sisi Comparison As Elections Near Semih İdiz writes that the legacy of the Gezi Park protests, the Kurdish opening, as well as the tensions with the Gülen movement are generating a disparate opposition to Turkey`s prime minister.
Will Closing Private Tutoring Centers Improve Equality? Eileen McGivney argues that prep schools are just a symptom of the real problems regarding schooling.
Missing Opportunities (1)-(2) Nicole Pope examines some international surveys to better shed light on Turkey, a country where “debates are intense and fierce, surrounded by a thick fog of corrosive steam.”
Great Gamble on Kurdish Oil
Great Gamble on Kurdish Oil Yavuz Baydar argues that the Diyarbakır meeting is a reflection of the grand energy game.
Is an Independent Kurdish State Possible? Gökhan Bacık writes that the recent developments concerning oil are likely to remove the constraints over the emergence of the independent Kurdish state.
Turkey: Energy Hub, Financial Hub, and Also an Archeological Hub Barçin Yinanç draws attention to the statement of the Chief Executive of Genel Energy: “Oil will always find its way to the markets.”
Turkey Resolves Energy Crisis With Baghdad Mehmet Nayır reports that Turkey has reached an agreement with Baghdad, following disputes over Ankara`s plans to export Iraqi Kurdistan oil.
Realities Behind Historic Erdoğan-Barzani Meeting Göktürk Tüysüzoğlu points out that the Diyarbakır meeting has caused serious rifts among Kurdish groups.
Turkey’s Popularity in Region
Turkey`s Popularity Dives in MENA Region Poll The “country`s approval in the region decreases significantly, especially in Egypt and Syria, Turkish think-tank study shows.”
Turkey`s Diminishing Approval Rate Kerim Balcı comments on the survey that reveals that Turkey`s approval rating in the Middle East has dropped from seventy-eight percent in 2011 to fifty-nine percent.
TESEV Survey Produces Curious Results Looking at TESEV’s survey, Semih İdiz argues that “minds in the Middle East are still confused when it comes to seminal issues.”
Turkish Culture Popular Among Gaza Palestinians Rasha Abou Jalal reports that Prime Minister Erdoğan`s support for Palestine has prompted strong interest in Turkish culture among Gazans.
A Reset in Foreign Policy
Turkey`s Foreign Policy Reset Will Not Be Easy (1)-(2) Cengiz Çandar writes that Turkey’s allies still have misgivings about the recent past and direction of Turkish foreign policy
Turkey Recasts Approach to Armed Groups in Syria Fehim Taştekin asks whether cutting off logistical support to al-Qaeda in Syria will be enough to extricate Turkey from the Syrian morass.
Reset of Turkish Foreign Policy or Reset of Region? Verda Özer claims that Turkey plays the new regional game by its own rules.
The Politics of the Sunni World and Iran Nuray Mert contends that “the shortcomings of ‘political Islam’ should not be confused with the political expression of religious values.”
Foreign Policy Was Shattered by Your Factory Settings Kadri Gürsel comments on the claim that the AKP government has reset its foreign policy back to factory settings.
Turkish Foreign Policy Falters As Gov`t Grows Authoritarian in Domestic Policy Bülent Keneş argues that Turkey`s Middle East policy has collapsed due its self-styled "big state" rhetoric and chest thumping.
Will an Empowered Iran Be Rival to Turkey? Sami Kohen asks whether Turkey will pay for the nuclear deal between Iran and P5+1.
Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum Remains in Limbo Although not officially canceled, Tülin Daloğlu points out that the fifth Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum may not be held this year.
Failure in Formulating a New Constitution
Why Can We Not Have a New Constitution? Orhan Kemal Cengiz points out that the Constitutional Reconciliation Commission has been dispersed without accomplishing its mission.
Seduced by the Promise of Marriage Doğu Ergil comments on Haşim Kılıç’s statement regarding the failure of formulating a new constitution.
Constitutional Amendments Under the Justice and Development Party Rule Vahap Coşkun writes that “the need and demand for a new Constitution remains very much alive.”
Other Pertinent Pieces
Nelson Mandela: A Leader Above All Others In its editorial, The Guardian compares Mandela and Öcalan.
Will Erdoğan Visit Genocide Memorial in 2015? Orhan Kemal Cengiz argues that Turkey’s official position is not likely to change on the hundredth anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
Turkey`s Highest Court Boosts Credibility by Watershed Ruling Semih İdiz writes that a landmark ruling by Turkey`s Constitutional Court is causing discomfort within the AKP government.
Turkey Looks East, After Failed Attempts to Join EU Murat Belge asserts that Turkey has turned its interest toward membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) after its failed attempts to join the EU.
Syrian Refugees in Istanbul Sent from Pillar to Post Yasemin Çongar points out that over 200,000 Syrian refugees struggle to find shelter and work in Istanbul as winter sets in.
Turkey`s Rock `n` Roll Imam Spurs Controversy Gayatri Parameswaran and Felix Gaedtke focus on the investigation related to Ahmet Muhsin Tuzer`s music.
Turkey’s Credit Card Issue Could Become Explosive Thomas Seibert claims that debt in Turkey is becoming a social crisis.
Who Else But the Liberators? An anonymous Kurdish blogger comments on the debate about whether there exists such a thing as a Turkish race.
How Democratic Is the Ballot Box? Cengiz Aktar explains why we can hardly claim that the electorate will make a free and informed choice in Turkey.
Hagia Sophia’s Precarious Future Tuğba Tanyeri Erdemir comments on Arınç’s statement, which is widely understood as a hint at future plans for opening the Hagia Sophia for Muslim prayers.
Which Morals? Soli Özel comments on a recent survey of the Metropoll research, which indicates that sixty-nine percent of the society does not tolerate co-habitation.
Turkish Anarchists Turn to Kemalism Emre Kızılkaya claims that the Gezi uprising not only shook the government, but also challenged the archaic features of “Kemalism 1.0.”
Heper: Democracy an Inevitable Goal for Military A comprehensive interview with Metin Harper, the author of Turkey`s Political Life: Historical, Theoretical, and Comparative Perspectives.
Turkish
Power Struggle Over Prep Schools
`Fitnenin` şifresi (1)-(2)-(3) Ahmet Hakan traces the codes of the intrigue (fitne) between the Gülen movement and the AKP government.
Paşasının Başbakanı Mehmet Altan argues that despite the seemingly radical changes promoted by the AKP, Erdoğan adheres to a military constitution written after the 1980 coup.
AKP-Cemaat gerilimi neyi ima ediyor, Erdoğan ne yapmaya çalışıyor? Bekir Ağırdır argues that the struggle over prep schools gives clues about the fractures within the AKP government.
Kürdistan... The “2004 National Security Council resolutions showed that Kurdistan had been governed by ‘unidentified governments’ for years; and the AKP has used the Gülen community as a ‘weapon’ against the PKK,” Eren Keskin writes.
Devlet kimle, neden uğraşır? “Meet the state; may it be ‘our’ or ‘their’ state. Despite its sovereign, the state wants us to obey,” says İhsan Dağı.
AK Parti’nin kaçırdığı fırsat? Targeting the Gülen movement, the AKP is missing the historical chance of being a democratic role model for the Middle East and the West, Abdülhamit Bilici argues.
Kavga nasıl bitecek? (1)-(2) Ali Bayramoğlu speculates on the future of the AKP-Gülen struggle and the AKP’s votes in the upcoming elections.
Kim gayretullaha dokunacak? “In a country like Turkey, where there is no guarantee of democracy, law, and rights, there won’t be two winners of this struggle,” Cüneyt Özdemir says.
Siyasi bir aşk-nefret haritası (2013) Cüneyt Özdemir also maps the relations and actions of the political parties in Turkey.
Dershane, cemaat, siyaset, laik devlet ve Aleviler Murat Aksoy argues that the AKP-Gülen struggle renders invisible the Alevi question and this group’s exclusion from citizenship rights.
AKP ile Cemaat’in devleti ele geçirme savaşı Oya Baydar points out that the prep school crisis is in fact a power struggle over the state itself.
Cemaat-CHP yakınlaşması Ruşen Çakır argues that CHP’s approach to the prep schools issue is seemingly neutral, yet closer to the Gülen movement’s.
‘Paralel devlet’ çözülüyor mu? (1)-(2) Delil Karakoçan argues that in addition to the "deep state," the Gülen movement has acted as a “parallel state” for years.
Yeni rejimin ‘sivil’ aktörleri “It is the new stage of a war that began with Erdoğan’s decision to move the Gülen movement from important state institutions and effective positions,” Yetvart Danzikyan writes.
Tarihe imza atmak Mehmet Baransu comments on the 2004 National Security Council resolution which was signed by the AKP and discussed an “action plan against reactionary forces,” including the Gülen movement.
Tam bugün, tarihe kayıt düşmek için Mehmet Karalıoğlu claims that despite recently revealed documents, the AKP government has always supported the actions of the Gülen movement.
Cemaat-hükümet kavgası: hukuk bir gun herkese lazım olur Ismet Berkan argues that the recently revealed secret “action plan against reactionary forces” showed the importance of rule of law.
O MGK kararı 2010`a kadar uygulandı Ezgi Başaran interviews Ali Özgündüz—Istanbul MP of the CHP and the former public prosecutor—about the 2004 National Security Council resolution.
Dershane, cemaat ve ilkeli durma şartı Ergun Babahan argues that the Gülen community cannot get enough support in this struggle, because it has taken actions in line with a shifting political atmosphere.
Great Gamble on Kurdish Oil and Rojava
Cemil Bayık: Bahara kadar süre tanımışız (1)-(2) A comprehensive interview with Cemil Bayık, the co-chair of the executive council of the KCK.
‘Petro ekonomi’ ve Rojava çıkmazı “The AKP’s enmity towards the Rojava Revolution would ruin not only the peace process in Turkey but also the AKP government’s ‘petro-economic’ dreams,” Veysi Sarısözen writes.
İyimserlikten kötümserliğe; Türkiye-Kürdistan ilişkileri Günay Aslan argues that the AKP government is developing its relations with Kurdistan only out of geopolitical necessities.
Başbakan`dan Perwer`e Kürtçe için `resmi dil` açıklaması An interview with Şiwan Perwer about the Diyarbakır meeting.
Rojava özerkliğe doğru mu gidiyor? Mutlu Çiviroğlu analyzes the Rojava revolution and the shifting position of Rojava in the Middle East.
Çözüm süreci konusunda Erdoğan kapısı neden hâlâ aralık? (1)-(2)-(3) Hasan Cemal relays his observations and thoughts about the Kurdish Conference organized in Brussels.
Başbakan’ın Diyarbakır gösterisi ve Rojava Gencay Gürsoy comments on Erdoğan’s Diyarbakır meeting and his implicit enmity towards the Rojava Revolution.
Rojava tüm kimliklere açık Mete Çubukcu argues that Rojava is becoming an autonomous region that is open to all identities.
AKP`nin değer hırsızlığı “When you capture people’s values by force—whether dead or alive—and render them valueless and naked, unintentionally you produce actors of new rebellions,” İrfan Aktar writes.
Prangalarla koşmak: 1990′larda özgür basın deneyimi An interview with Gülten Kışanak, the co-chair of the BDP, about the "deep state" in the 1990s, free press, and democratic autonomy.
Kürt meselesinin aritmetiği “Turkey without the PKK is a pipe dream and it means the end of the peace process,” Etyen Mahçupyan argues.
A Reset in Foreign Policy
‘Reset’ yine yeniden Although Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoğlu rejects the term “reset,” Temel İskit contends that Turkey should “reset” its foreign policy.
Ortadoğu`da Türkiye Algısı 2013 TESEV’s 2013 report points that Turkey’s popularity in the Middle East has considerably decreased.
Extrajudicial Killings and Forced Disappearances
Şırnak katliamı ve sonrasında Ankara`da neler oluyordu? Doğan Akın comments on the newly established documents about the killing of thirty-eight Kurdish civilians in 1994.
Tahir Elçi: Şırnak katliamında Genelkurmay, hükümeti de yalanlamış oldu An interview with Tahir Elçi, the attorney of the families who lost their relatives in the 1994 bombings.
Başbakan Erdoğan, Şırnak Katliamı’nın hesabını sormayacak mı? The unanticipated declaration of the General Staff opened a giant hole in the “state denial,” writes Hasan Cemal.
Local Elections and HDP
Express Special Issue (November-December 2013) Express’ special issue covers a wide variety of subjects from the establishment of the HDP to the uprisings and the peace process.
`HDP’nin liberallere ve islamcılara uzanamamasının sebebi sol` “The reason why the HDP fails to expand its scope to embrace Liberals and Islamists is that Left still has a negative view of them,” Yalçın Çakmak writes.
Muhalefetin seçim sınavı Commenting on the local elections, Ayhan Bilgen contends that focusing only on Istanbul is a big handicap, since Turkey does not consist only of Istanbul.
Kaba laisizmi aşmak Adil Bayram argues that the BDP and HDP should move beyond “crude secularism” and embrace religious segments of society.
Other Pertinent Pieces
Gezi`den sonra gelen: "kızlı-erkekli" şeyler üzerine düşünceler Alev Özkazançlı argues that the AKP’s plan to ban co-ed houses brings back the debate about women’s bodies.
Cumhuriyete üçüncü adamdan bakmak Kemal Göktas focuses on Recep Peker, the first prime minister of a multi-party regime, and comments on the interpretations of Kemalism.
Darbe, OTPOR, Melih Gökçek, Cemil Çiçek ve arkadaşları Murat Gültekin examines forgotten actors aligned with the military to organize coups against communists.
Yunan erkek olmaktan kurtulmak fantezisi Vangelis Kechriotis comments on the deep-rooted Turkish nationalism and enmity towards Greeks.
Medyada Nefret Söylemi ve Ayrımcı Dil, Mayıs - Ağustos 2013 Raporu Hrant Dink Foundation’s report focuses on hate speech in the media about the Gezi uprisings.
Dr. Şivan Documentary A documentary by Çayan Demirel about Sait Kırmızıtoprak (who was known as “Dr. Şivan”) and about the imprisonments and trials that were known as “Saits incidents” in Kurdish history.
Dersim`in kayıp kızlarının bedenine yazılmış devletin otobiyografisi Sema Kaygusuz’s speech at the premiere of Nezahat Gündoğan’s film Hay Way Zaman, which is about orphaned Armenian girls in the Dersim Massacre.
Published on Jadaliyya
Lo sivano, ‘kine em?’—Hey Sivan, Who Are We?
Tornistan (Gezi Park Animated Film)