[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
Domestic Politics
A CHP-HDP Election Alliance? Abdülkadir Selvi claims that the CHP and the HDP are working in collusion with the Gülen movement in order to challenge the ruling AKP.
Gülenists in the Corridors of EU Parliament According to Ozan Ceyhun, the Gülen movement is trying to challenge the Turkish government through diplomatic lobbying of European governments.
Turkish Government, Military at Odds over Gülenists The Turkish military appears to be dragging its feet in purging its ranks of Gülenists who have managed to infiltrate it.
Former Police Chief Speaks Out About Turkey`s `Parallel State` Mustafa Akyol interviews former police chief Hanefi Avcı about the political rift that turned the Gülen movement into a government enemy.
Davutoğlu`s Gestures Fall Short of Alevi Demands Fehim Taştekin argues that the Davutoğlu regime’s “Alevi opening” is based on misconceptions of the tenets of Alevism.
What Next, After Censoring Turkish Parliament on Corruption? (1)-(2) Murat Yetkin wonders about the consequences of the gag order on press coverage of a parliamentary inquiry, and writes about the submerged power struggles taking place in the judiciary.
The Roadmap for the Alevi Initiative Yahya Bostan praises the government’s progress and planning of the Alevi opening.
Tunceli or Dersim, the Problem is There to Solve İlnur Çevik encourages the opposition party and Alevi leaders to work with the government rather than against it in order to achieve reconciliation.
Debate Over Turkish Defense Budget Highlights Government`s Shortcoming Lale Kemal examines the recent parliamentary debate over the Turkish military’s budget and criticizes the government for dragging its feet.
Democracy and Tyranny Ali Bayramoğlu suggests that the limits on press freedom today are a carryover from Kemalist authoritarianism.
“AKP’s New Turkey”
Turkey`s Next Election Could Shape More than the Next Four Years Tülin Daloğlu speculates about the potential transformations of government structures as a consequence of the upcoming June 2015 election.
Did Erdoğan Discover a New History? (1)-(2) Etyen Mahçupyan suggests that Erdoğan’s claim that Muslims discovered America was an effort to challenge dominant Western histories, and argues that Erdoğan is politically mobilizing a new, diverse group of Muslim youth.
The AKP Will Fully Control the Judiciary İhsan Yılmaz suggests that the government’s effort to hire thousands of new judges and prosecutors is an attempt to foreclose the possibility of opposition.
Erdoğan`s Journalists and the New Media Order Emre Uslu argues that there are three types of journalists: those who Erdoğan created, those who support Erdoğan, and those who oppose Erdoğan.
President Erdoğan Paves Way for `Tradesmen Rule Era` Özgür Korkmaz criticizes Erdoğan’s populist encouragement of vigilante justice by tradesmen.
Why Do They Toy with the Agenda? Cafer Solgun asserts that Erdoğan’s greatest leadership skill is “his success in manipulating the agenda.”
Is the Political Climate Changing? Yusuf Kanlı claims that Erdoğan’s controversial statements and the AKP’s increasing authoritarianism have dwindled support for the AKP.
Peace and Reconciliation Process
The Gezi Rebellion, Dec. 17, and ISIL All Part of Same Plot... İbrahim Karagül speculates that there is a conspiracy working to disintegrate the Turkish state.
Is a Bright Future for Kurds on the Horizon? Emre Uslu suggests that the rise in academic interest in the Kurds, shown by the number of presentations on Kurds at the MESA Conference in Washington, DC, signals changing attitudes toward the Kurds in Turkey and abroad.
The Kurdistan Freedom Party and Democratizing Turkey Nagehan Alcı writes about the value of the newly-formed "Kurdistan Freedom Party" in Turkey as a net gain for Turkish democracy.
Women’s Rights
`This Nature` has a Serious Problem with Us Kanat Atkaya criticizes Erdoğan’s statement that women’s equality is “against nature,” suggesting that violence is in the government’s nature.
Hankering after a Primitive Past Semih İdiz argues that Erdoğan’s claims about women do not belong in a “secular democratic republic in the modern world.”
Women`s Rights to Justice: A Distorted Speech Tulu Gümüştekin argues that a “black propaganda machine” is twisting Erdoğan’s statements about women to damage Erdoğan’s reputation.
Actions and Words in Turkey Güven Sak suggests that despite Erdoğan’s controversial rhetoric, women have become more empowered under his government.
Pope Francis’s Visit to Turkey
Pope Francis`s Visit and Its Significance Kılıç Buğra Kanat argues that the Pope’s visit to Turkey will strengthen religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Pope Francis in Turkey Opens a New Page İbrahim Kalın discusses the problem of Islamophobia and the potential that the current Pope’s humility will ease religious tensions in Europe.
The Pope`s Interfaith Dialogue with Erdoğan Serkan Demirtaş examines Erdoğan’s comments during the Pope’s visit regarding Western domination of the Middle East.
Turkey Should Use Pope`s Visit to Improve Image of Islam Barçın Yinanç argues that Turkey has a crucial role in fighting Islamophobia in the world.
Foreign Policy
PM`s Iraq Visit and Reintegration with the Region Mahmut Övür discusses the political and historical significance of Davutoğlu’s visit to Iraqi Kurdistan.
International Bias Fed by Internal Opposition Burhanettin Duran argues that the AKP’s “opponents” are working to damage Turkey’s reputation around the world.
A Portrait of a Failing Relationship: US and Turkey Nuray Mert examines the many reasons why the relationship between the US and Turkey has deteriorated.
How Should the Ottoman Legacy be Perceived? Emre Gönen explores continuities between the Ottoman Empire’s foreign policy and the Turkish Republic’s.
Talking Closed Borders Cengiz Aktar describes the material, social, and mental obstacles and damages that exist as a result of the sealing of the Turkish-Armenian border.
Under US Pressure, Turkey Focuses on Relations with Baghdad Zülfikar Doğan writes about the political and economic dimensions of Davutoğlu’s recent visit to Iraq.
Erdoğan Turns Back on EU Membership Bid Semih İdiz suggests that Erdoğan and the Turkish government may no longer be as committed to the EU accession goals as they once were.
Syria / Kobane
Is Turkey Doing Enough for Syria? According to Doğan Eşkinat, the Turkish government has done much more with respect to Syria and Syrian refugees than its critics would like to admit.
Safe and No-Fly Zones: Useful Means to Keep Turkey out of Coalition Lale Kemal discusses the quagmire that Turkey, unable to establish a no-fly zone on its own, faces in Syria.
The Only Way that Turkey and US Can Recouple Verda Özer suggests that a joint strategy on Syria and the creation of a no-fly zone are crucial to rebuilding Turkey-US relations.
Economy
Why Muslims Fell Behind Economically Emre Deliveli compares the pre-modern and modern economies in the Muslim world.
Turkey Prepares to Boost Economic ties with Putin Visit İlnur Çevik discusses the strengthening relationship between Turkey and Russia in light of Western sanctions on Russia and the current strife in the Middle East.
A People-Oriented Growth Model for the Whole World Cemil Ertem asserts that Turkey’s ascension to the G20 presidency will help remedy the economic crises plaguing Europe and the rest of the world.
A Tactical `Oil` War between OPEC and the United States According to Kerem Alkın, Turkey has been able to take advantage of changing dynamics of competition in the oil market.
Other Pertinent Pieces
Turkey`s Response to Measles Outbreak Questioned Tülay Çetingüleç writes about the rise in measles cases that have resulted from the Syrian refugee crisis in Turkey.
Turkish Woman`s Search Gives Voice to Islamized Armenians Pınar Tremblay interviews activist and lawyer Fethiye Çetin about her experience “coming out” as an Armenian.
Turkey Opts for Microchips to Protect Miners According to Mehmet Çetingüleç, a new government measure to attach microchips to miners would only help in locating corpses and does not help prevent deaths like compulsory safety rooms would.
Shame on the Edirne Governor Semih İdiz criticizes the governor of Edirne, Dursun Şahin, for recent anti-Semitic remarks suggesting that he would not allow a synagogue to be built because of Israel’s actions in Palestine.
Turkey`s Gül Returns for Encore Cengiz Çandar suggests that Abdullah Gül’s attendance at the Halifax Security Forum might signal his return to political life in Turkey.
Turkish Public Are Unaware of the Hardships Journalists Face Barçın Yinanç discusses the political and financial obstacles to press freedom in Turkey.
Gag Order, a Murder Case and Shopkeeper Policemen Orhan Kemal Cengiz describes the difficulty of keeping up with the current agenda in Turkey.
Turkish
Dersim and Alevi Opening
Mezhepler aynı yere varırlarmış! Following the Prime Minister’s speech on Alevis in Dersim, Tarhan Erdem criticizes Davutoğlu’s understanding of freedom of religion.
Heyecanı kaybolmuş ‘açılımlar’ Cafer Solgun argues that the excitement of various political openings that marked the early years of AKP, including the first Alevi opening, has faded away as the AKP`s politics became increasingly authoritarian.
Pakete mi girmeli, paketten mi çıkmalı? According to Nuriye Akman, for the Alevi opening to to be a genuine democratic move, the Sunni majority should also get rid of its state-defined understanding of religion.
Dersim’e sefer olur, zafer olmaz Hüseyin Ali finds Davutoğlu’s Alevi speech in Dersim manipulative and assimilationist and argues that a true apology should involve the recognition of democratic autonomy.
Dersimliler `ikili provokasyonu` bozdu İhsan Çaralan describes the reaction of the locals when Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the far-right party in the parliament, visited Dersim following Davutoğlu’s controversial speech in the same city.
“Gag Order” on Graft Allegations
Meclis yolsuzluk soruşturmasına sansürden sonra sırada ne var? After the gag order on a parliamentary inquiry into corruption allegations against four former Cabinet members of the ruling AKP, Murat Yetkin asks “what’s next?”
Yayın yasağı: Hatayı hatayla örtmeye çalışmak According to Ali Bayramoğlu, the gag order on the parliamentary inquiry into corruption allegations is a major political mistake.
Yolsuzluk, hırsızlık, rüşvet gizlenebilir mi? Ender İmrek from Evrensel newspaper, among a few other newspapers, defies the gag order on by detailing the content of the censored information.
Erdoğan iktidarı hukuku gömüyor, seyirci mi kalacağız?.. Hasan Cemal accuses the government of bypassing the law and opening the door for fascism.
Gazetecilerin önündeki en büyük tehlike Amberin Zaman talks about the fatal danger of covering Suruç, the neighbouring town of Kobane in Turkey, and the Syrian border for journalists, who are targeted by ISIS militants.
Yedik ve yaptık diyorlar, vallahi kendileri diyorlar Ezgi Başaran writes about the self-revealing nature of reactions in the media after a group of high-profile pro-government journalists were unexpectedly sacked from their respective jobs.
Haram olsun hakkımız Commenting on the sacking of chief media editors, Hayko Bağdat criticizes them for not covering or manipulating the news to serve the AKP’s interests.
2015 seçimlerine giderken Etyen Mahçupyan ne diyor? Fuat Keyman analyses the view of Etyen Mahçupyan, advisor to the Prime Minister, about the effect of corruption allegations, coarseness, and worker fatalities on the vote.
Kimse duymasın Ali Yurttagül denounces the gag order, seeing it as the darkest moment of the parliament.
“AKP’s New Turkey”
Günün birinde bu ülkeyi terk edebilirim, diyebilmek! Hasan Cemal raises concerns over the deep-rooted anti-semitism and “class complex” that fuels authoritarian tendencies on governmental level.
Aydınlık tarih/ karanlık tarih Murat Belge identifies the process of reality-making in Erdoğan’s discourse.
AK Parti Hükümeti`nin 12 yıllık karnesi Akdoğan Özkan provides figures to depict the performance of the twelve-year AKP rule, and documents the significant worsening in seven important aspects.
Masal ve gerçek! Tarhan Erdem denounces Davutoğlu’s new Turkey discourse by mentioning the lack of progress in freedom of speech and decentralization.
Cumhurbaşkanı yalan söyler mi? Mümtaz’er Türköne is not able to call the President a “liar” because it is banned by law, while giving examples of apparent discrepancies between his statements and facts.
‘Yeni Türkiye’nin üç ‘genç aydın’ı üzerinden rakamlarla yandaşlık Umut Özkırımlı gives the account of recent important political events through the perspective of three pro-government “young intellectuals”: Yıldıray Oğur, Markar Esayan, and Melih Altınok.
‘Yeni Türkiye’nin ‘eski’ hikayesi: Fatsa’da iktidarla sermaye ‘halka karşı iç savaşta’ Nur Banu Kocaslan’s interview with villagers in Fatsa, a town in Black Sea region, who struggle against the construction of hydroelectric power station in their villages—a theme that binds “old” and “new” Turkey.
Emret cumhurbaşkanım gazetecisi: Gazeteci değil, evet efendimci kâtip! Hasan Cemal reacts against the silence and compliance of journalists with the increasing authoritarianism in Turkey, arguing that the only way to have a sustained democracy is through righteous journalism.
“Yeni Türkiye’de çok sert bir rüzgar geliyor” A former executive in the mainstream media, Levent Gültekin, argues that high-ranking pro-government journalists being sacked is the sign of a near future when there will be intolerance even for moderate voices, those who express reservation while approving government’s policies.
Women’s Rights
Cumhurbaşkanını dinle `kadına şiddeti` anla! İhsan Çaralan notes that the main reason of increasing figures of violence against women is government’s active policy in confining women to traditional gender roles and family structure.
Kadın cinayetlerini önleyebilir miyiz? Nilay Etiler accuses the government of institutionalizing homicides against women and asks politicians and opinion leaders to speak up for women’s issues in Turkey.
Ya fıtrattır, ya meşrep ya da kader: Kadınsan haddini bileceksin! Commenting on Erdoğan’s controversial remarks on the “unequal nature of men and women,” Hürrem Sönmez gives parallel examples from the judicial processes favoring the interests of men.
TC’nin kadınlara karşı suçu According to Eren Keskin, the Turkish State has been responsible for violence committed against women with agreements/protocols are signed only on paper and not actually practiced.
Niye her gün bir kadın katlediliyor? Şahin Alpay invites Erdoğan and the government to make necessary changes in the law with regards to gender equality instead of highlighting the “dispositional differences between men and women.”
Kadın korkusu, komünizm korkusu Aydın Çubukçu states Erdoğan’s speech expresses a deeply-ingrained fear of women`s empowerment and shows his implicit understanding of communism as providing the conditions for it.
Ortadoğu karanlığında bir ışık: JİN JİYAN AZADİ! Nurcan Baysal celebrates the struggle of Kurdish women aiming for an equal society that provides an oasis for women in the Middle East.
Peace and Reconciliation Process
Nasıl bir çözüm? Altan Tan purports that the three demands of the Kurds for the peace process are indispensable for democracy in the country and those demands should not be made conditional on the laying down on arms.
AKP’ye sorular Adil Bayram argues that unless the AKP addresses the “real” issues in the peace process, the talks between the HDP and the AKP do not mean anything significant.
Kürt hareketi Türkiye aydınlarına sürekli kendini kanıtlayamaz ki Ezgi Başaran’s interview with the author, activist, and member of HDP, Ayşe Berktay: “we should not expect the Kurdish movement to constantly prove itself to Turkish intellectuals.”
Çözüm süreci ve kimlik taleplerinin anlamsızlaştırılması Erol Katırcıoğlu criticizes the government’s attempts in delegitimizing the collective demands of the Kurdish movement, and thinks the only meaningful way of invalidating identity claims would be to secure them with a new and democratic constitution .
Ulus devlet-Kürt devleti Hüsnü Öndül claims that the solution to Kurds’ demand for an autonomous governance could be a reformulation of the national state idea in the country, and the establishment of a truly democratic rule on the basis of equal rights.
Ya seçimden önce çözüm ya sonrasında ‘çözülüm’ Veysi Sarısözen is convinced that the AKP will go through an important elimination, possibly including the President himself, after the general elections.
Süreç ve Kandil gerçekliği İdris Baluken describes the peace process through the perspective and practice of Kurdish armed forces.
Kartlar değişse de oyuncular sabit According to Yaşar Taşkın Koç, there are more parties and interests than those of the government and the Kurdish movement involved in the peace process.
Çözüm Süreci`nde yaklaşım farklılıkları Former deputy secretary of National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Cevat Öneş: “Lack of consensus among the top people in government and the state regarding the biggest obstacle in the way of the country’s development and democratization is both a misfortune and pertains to the characteristics of our politics.”
Sürecin süreci İrfan Aktan gives a chronology of government’s handling of the Kurdish issue between 2003 and the current day.
‘Kürdistan’ sözcüğünü daha mı az kullansak? Frederike Geerdink questions the multiple meanings of history writing in Kurdistan and proposes to use a different name for the region.
Yanıtlanması gereken birkaç basit soru Ayşe Berktay criticizes the government’s use of vague terminology in the peace process, and demands clear operationalizations for a more genuine negotiation.
Müzakere According to Celalettin Can, while two parties of the peace process are still in the phase of dialogue/meetings, not in negotiation, a need for a third party facilitator emerged.
Foreign Policy
IŞİD karşıtlığı üzerinden Irak’ta bir toplum kurma ihtimali Yasin Aktay discusses ISIS’ uniting force in bringing otherwise untrustful actors together to form a society in Iraq.
Esad, IŞİD bir yana, Biden’ın özür için Erdoğan’a ne dediğini merak ediyorsanız… Murat Yetkin writes about what happened in the Erdoğan-Biden meeting.
Yurtta huzur, cihanda itibarı yakalamanın yolu Abdülhamit Bilici argues that Turkey has been losing its reputation in the international arena.
Ankara-Washington: Mutsuz evlilik According to Cengiz Çandar, the US-Turkey relationship is not in good standing despite attempts in presenting it to be good.
Sahte mutluluk tablosunun ardındaki gerçekler Nuray Mert argues that the positive media coverage of Biden’s visit to Turkey is not enough to hide the fundamental differences between the two countries’ understanding of foreign policy in the region.
‘Kürt sorunu’ Kobanê’den sonra Türkiye’nin ‘beka’ sorunu oldu! Veysi Sarısözen warns the government of an approaching rapture among the ranks, and offers pacing-up of the peace process as a remedy.
Irak Kürdistanı’ndaki algı: IŞİD geldi, Türkiye yoktu! Mete Çubukçu states that the public image in Iraq regarding Turkey is having been abandoned against ISIS forces.
Economy
İşsizlik mi büyümeden, büyüme mi işsizlikten? Sinan Alçın critizes government’s economic development policy but demonstrates that only through increasing employment can a sustained development happen.
Ortadoğu ve enerji! Yusuf Gürsucu underlies the exploitative nature of energy politics in the region.
İsteyen 2003-2007 ile avunadursun biz gerçek duruma bakalım Comparing the period between 2003-2007 to the 2008-2014 period, Fatih Özatay raises concern over the increased price paid for any unit of development in recent years.
Türkiye işçi sınıfı ve devrimci sınıf çalışması Cihan Soylu claims that the possibilities of a class struggle have proliferated and varied due to changes in demographics.
Bütçeyi izlemek gerek! According to Sezai Temelli, the national budget is as much a political matter as it is a matter of economics.
Tüketici Güven Endeksi kriz öncesi seviyeye geldi Süleyman Yaşar discusses the significance of the recent decrease in the Customer Confidence Index.
Other Pertinent Pieces
Üniversiteler yarı açık cezaevleri Kerem Altıparmak criticizes the “security paranoia” that has transformed access to and movement within university campuses.
Enternasyonal According to M. Sinan Birdal, we should look not to a leader’s cult of personality to understand the forces of democracy, but rather to the working classes.
Adalet sağcı bir kavram mıdır? Rıdvan Akar examines the genealogy of the concept of justice among right-wing parties in Turkey.
Nepotizm ve silah sanayii Lale Kemal argues that there has been an increase in nepotism in the weapons industry during AKP rule.
Dünya tarımı yeniden keşfederken topraklar elden kayıyor According to Bülent Gülbuçuk, while the world recognizes the value of cultivable land, there is a reverse tendency in Turkey.
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