[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
Post-Election Politics and Coalition Scenarios
Did Erdoğan Push the Button for Early Elections? According to Yavuz Baydar, President Erdoğan and the AKP are working as slowly as possible in order to generate the necessary political and legal conditions for an early election.
Hope You Enjoy the Show! Bülent Keneş claims that the AKP has continued to govern as if the election never happened, while the opposition parties have not mobilized effectively against the AKP’s ongoing practices.
Foreign Policy Implications of the Election Ömer Taşpınar suggests that the prospect of a Turkish military intervention in Syria will be used as a diplomatic fulcrum in Turkey-US relations.
The Circle Tightens for Kılıçdaroğlu Etyen Mahçupyan argues that the anti-Erdoğanism of the opposition parties is a weak post-election strategy that has strengthened the relationship between President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Davutoğlu.
June 7 Elections Leave Opposition in Deeper Disarray İlnur Çevik asserts that the CHP, MHP, and HDP are not capable of forming an effective opposition, which will lead to early elections.
Early Elections are Close at Hand Claiming that the prospects for a coalition are weak, Melih Altınok writes that “there is no need for Turkey to fear a new election as it is the only country that is capable of holding free elections in the region.”
CHP Leader Predicts Early Elections in Turkey Zülfikar Doğan interviews CHP chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu about the AKP’s post-election practices as well as various coalition scenarios.
Turkey Needs a Stable Government According to Tulu Gümüştekin, the population of Turkey craves the stability offered by the AKP over the past decade, particularly given the volatility in Syria and Greece.
What`s Behind Erdoğan`s Delaying Tactics? Arguing that the prospect of an early election is primarily about Erdoğan’s self-preservation, Semih İdiz concludes that “the odds remain stacked against Erdoğan one way or another.”
The Possibility for a New AK Party in Turkish Politics İhsan Aktaş reminds readers of the AKP’s achievements during its thirteen years in power and suggests that the AKP needs to reevaluate its “New Turkey” discourse.
Turkey`s Future in the Region Kılıç Buğra Kanat calls upon the opposition parties to be wary of political and economic stability due to the war in Syria and the rampant instability across the region.
Bringing Down Threshold to Consolidate Democracy Yusuf Kanlı encourages the opposition parties to use their force as a majority in parliament to lower the ten percent election threshold.
AKP Still in De Facto Power Despite Elections (1) - (2) - (3) Murat Yetkin examines several coalition scenarios that are affected by Erdoğan’s ubiquitous political pressure in parliament, and discusses the popular desire among the electorate for a new constitution.
Anti-Chinese Racism in Turkey and the Uighur Issue in China
Islamists` Xenophobic Policies Threaten Turkey Abdullah Bozkurt asserts that the political Islamist ideology of the AKP has “[capitalized] on festering resentment and anti-Western, anti-Semitic and anti-Asian sentiments.”
Turkey`s Sinophobia, China`s Persecution Mustafa Akyol writes that the racist discourse about and attacks on people perceived as Chinese are rooted in ultranationalist ethnic superiority as well as misconceptions of the Uighur issue in China.
China, Turkey: Friends or Foes? Fehim Taştekin contextualizes the recent political and media blitz about Chinese oppression of the Uighurs within a larger history of diplomatic ups and downs between China and Turkey over the same issue.
How Can Nationalists Tell between Korean and Chinese People? Özgür Korkmaz condemns MHP chair Devlet Bahçeli for condoning attacks on Korean tourists who were perceived as Chinese on the basis that “both have slant eyes.”
Responding to Racists with Racism Kanat Atkaya argues that the appropriate way for combating Chinese oppression of Uighurs is to raise awareness and to protest, rather than to encourage and facilitate attacks on people perceived as Chinese.
Potential Military Intervention in Syria
The Siege from Within Claiming that the election was an effort to take the AKP “hostage,” İbrahim Karagül asserts that an intervention in Syria is necessary as a measure to prevent the war from entering into Turkey’s borders.
What the Opening of İncirlik Air Base Means Yavuz Baydar examines the strained relations between the US and Turkey and evaluates talks aimed at trying to use a US Air Base near the Syrian border for anti-ISIS operations.
Who Has `Boots on the Ground` in the Fight Against ISIS? According to Barbara Slavin, the United States is working with Iran-backed Shia forces to combat ISIS due to the complacency of its Sunni allies.
Erdoğan Talks the Talk but Doesn`t Walk the Walk Semih İdiz argues that the ascent of Kurds in northern Syria, accompanied with shifting diplomatic relations with the US, have made the demise of the Assad regime less of a priority for the Turkish government.
Turkey and US Start Seeing Eye-to-Eye on Northern Syria İlnur Çevik suggests that the diplomatic talks between the US and Turkey prove that both parties agree about the limitations of the PYD in Syria as a force to combat ISIS.
Turkey to Host 2.5 Million Syrians By End of 2015 Serkan Demirtaş examines the myriad problems related to the Syrian refugee crisis and the infrastructural and social shortcomings in efforts to solve those problems.
Kurdish Politics and the Peace and Reconciliation Process
What Kind of Peace? The Case of the Turkish and Kurdish Peace Process Latif Taş argues that the AKP’s approach to the Kurdish peace process has been characterized by “risk-avoidance to maintain the status quo,” leading to a stagnation in peace talks.
The Unsteady Dynamism of Kurdish Politics Etyen Mahçupyan claims that the HDP’s approach to politics, both in terms of the war in Syria as well as the peace talks in Turkey, are driven by an inconsistent anti-Turkey anti-ISIS discourse.
PKK Should Keep Its Promise from 2013 Markar Esayan criticizes the PKK for reneging on its promises to withdraw, citing the electoral successes of the HDP as evidence that the peace and reconciliation process is moving forward.
Turkey Shuts Down Smugglers by Shooting Mules Mahmut Bozarslan discusses the Turkish military’s continued use of violence in Roboski, where they bombed 34 villagers in 2011, by killing mules to crack down on cross-border smuggling.
Other Pertinent Pieces
A Turkish Plan to Bail Out Greece? Examining the fraught diplomatic and social relationship between Greece and Turkey, Cengiz Çandar discusses several proposals in parliament to loan money to the Greek government.
The Ones We Remember Only with Mass Casualties Melis Alphan discusses the high rate of seasonal agricultural workers’ deaths, which is exacerbated by governmental indifference and the lack of legal protection.
Turkish
Post-Election Politics and Coalition Scenarios
Dikkat! AKP yangından öteberi kaçırıyor! Ezgi Başaran criticizes the fact that the interim AKP government and President Erdoğan are still carrying out structural changes in Turkey although they are supposed to work to form a new coalition government as soon as possible.
Erdoğan`ın niyeti Kasım`da seçim Murat Yetkin relays the complaints that President Erdoğan is stalling the formation of a coalition government in order to go into re-elections in November.
Erdoğan`ın seyir defteri: Kasımda seçim Serkan Demirtaş argues that that President Erdoğan is stalling for time in an attempt to break the ties between the opposition bloc, exhaust all coalition scenarios, and create a perception among the public that a “coalition government cannot be formed.”
Savaş hükümeti, erken seçim ya da… (1)-(2) Filiz Koçali sees an AKP-MHP coalition as a “war government” and argues that an AKP-HDP coalition should be taken into consideration.
Nafile turlardan sonra erken seçim mi?.. Enseyi karartmayın! According to Hasan Cemal, President Erdoğan is trying to create an anti-coalition public imaginary in order to drag Turkey into early elections, yet he is far less powerful than he was before 7 June elections.
Ekonomi erken seçime dayanır mı Süleyman Yaşar argues that an early election would bring chaos to Turkey and throw foreign capital away.
7 Haziran seçimlerinden sonra nereye? Murat Paker criticizes the MHP’s harsh and uncompromising attitude towards any coalition scenarios with the HDP, as well as its opposition to the continuity of the Kurdish peace and reconciliation process.
Ete kemiğe büründü, AKP diye göründü İrfan Aktan argues that those who expect the AKP to “learn a lesson” from the 7 June elections forget that the AKP is more than a pragmatist mass party; it is a “party for a cause.”
‘Tarafsız’ Erdoğan siyaseti yönlendiriyor hala! Celalettin Can criticizes President Erdoğan for breaching the rule of impartiality of the President, as he continues to interfere in and tries to control post-election politics.
HDP`nin "kilit rolü": Amerika ve Avrupa nasıl bakıyor? Fuat Keyman argues that the US and Europe are aware of the “key role” played by the HDP in the democratization of Turkey, recuperating its image in the region, and ensuring the continuity of the peace and resolution process.
Kurdish Politics and the Peace and Reconciliation Process
Önder Apo özgürleşmeden çözüm olmaz Bese Hozat argues that peace is not possible without bringing freedom to Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999.
Özgür ve eşit koşullarda müzakere According to Hüseyin Ali, the negotiation process should be carried out under free and equal conditions by first and foremost bringing freedom to Öcalan, who is still in solitary confinement.
Kürt süreci devam MHP`ye tamam Murat Yetkin writes that both the AKP and CHP have exhausted all coalition scenarios with the MHP, given the MHP’s harsh opposition to the continuity of the peace process.
Hainlerin vekiliyiz! Ali Kenanoğlu criticizes the state’s and the military’s attacks on people and animals in Roboski, where thirty-four civilians were bombed to death by the Turkish military in 2011.
Bir daha, yine Roboskî Fatih Polat points out that military attacks in Roboski aim at forcing villagers to evacuate their land and migrate.
Öcalan dışlanarak, speküle edilerek ne çözülür? Drawing attention to the fact that HDP representatives and Öcalan have not met for the last four months, Fehim Isik argues that the Kurdish problem cannot be solved if the state continues to exclude Öcalan from the resolution process.
Anti-Chinese Racism in Turkey and the Uighur Issue in China
Tahrip olan bir halk ve tahrik olan Türkiye Fehim Taştekin analyzes the recent crisis in East Turkestan and Turkey’s response to it.
Uygurlar, Kürtler, özerklik ve bağımsızlık Ulaş Başar Gezgin draws attention to the structural parallels between the oppression of Uighurs in China and Kurds in Turkey.
Burnumuzda tütüyor ırkçı olmayan bir ülkenin ferah kokusu Ezgi Başaran criticizes the MHP supporters’ racist attacks on anyone “who looks Chinese.”
Çinli sanıp Koreliyi dövmek, Roboski’de Kürt katırı öldürmek, Artvin’de doğaya ‘koymak’… Oya Baydar condemns increasing racism in Turkey, which paved the way for nationalist attacks on Korean tourists who were mistaken for Chinese, and the Turkish military’s slaughter of “Kurdish mules” in Roboski.
Roboski’nin katırı, Çin’in turisti, faşistin aklı Doğan Durgun draws parallels between those who deny the Kurdish problem and those who go “Chinese hunting” in support of Uighurs.
Other Pertinent Pieces
İşçisin sen yalnız öl… Leyla Alp draws attention to the lack of job safety in Turkey.
Mevsimlik tarımda mevsimlik cinayet In the wake of a traffic accident that ended up in the death of fifteen workers, Sezen Yalçın analyzes the inhumane and exploitative conditions under which seasonal agricultural workers in Turkey work.
Metal direnişi ve hareketten korku Ender İmrek writes about the resistance of mineworkers who went on strike.
Talana karşı direnen ülke! İhsan Çaralan reports that inhabitants of Artvin are resisting against both domestic and foreign mining companies in order to protect their natural and cultural values.
Doğa düşmanı, yeşil düşmanı yol! Tuba Şatana writes about the recent protests in the Black Sea Region against the state’s construction and mining projects, which would necessarily ruin the natural environment.
Published on Jadaliyya
Meydan Politics: Taksim in Flux after Gezi
Will the Greferendum Bring A Rupture?: Answers from the European Left
The Light Bulb and the Oak Tree: Politics of Space Meets the Ballot Box
First Thoughts on the Elections in Turkey: A Roundtable
Refugees in Turkey: Implications of Increasing Politicization
HDP’nin programina evet diyen muhafazakarlar, kadin, Alevi ve LGBTI’lerle esitlige de evet diyor