[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
Graft Crisis, Ban on Twitter/YouTube, and Local Elections
The Battle for Turkey’s Future (1)-(2)The Economist writes that “An increasingly autocratic prime minister is losing touch with voters and damaging his country.”
Turkey’s Prime Minister Acts Desperately to Hold onto his PowerThe Washington Post, in its editorial, argues that “Erdoğan is engaged in an ruthless campaign to maintain his hold on power.”
Turkey’s Twitter #failThe Washington Post published a video mocking the Twitter ban in Turkey.
Turkish PM Divides Nation and Neighborhoods Ahead of Local Elections Constanze Letsch draws the attention to the consequences of Erdoğan’s divide-and-rule strategy.
Why Freedom of Expression Is Under Threat in Turkey Many authors have added their names to a joint letter from PEN International and English PEN which calls the ban on Twitter "unacceptable.”
Turkey’s Twitter Ban Is Easily Bypassed, But There Are No Easy Answers to Erdoğan’s Abuse of Power Burcu Baykurt comments on the twitter ban in Turkey.
The Blue Bird Is Flying High Despite all attempts, people continue logging into social media, and everyone is crying “The king is naked” while Twitter’s blue bird continues to fly high, Yusuf Kanlı writes.
Is Turkey Hostage to Erdoğan's Fate? (1)-(2) Reflecting upon the ban over Twitter, Cafer Solgun argues that Erdoğan is ready to take the whole country down with him if he falls.
When Fahrenheit 451 Came to Turkey Henri Barkey writes that the efforts of the Turkish prime minister to shut down social media bears the markings of a Ray Bradbury nightmare.
Twitter and Other Rights and Freedom Osman Can contends that some segments of society are against the reason behind the ban rather than the ban itself.
Everyone Is Getting Turkey’s Twitter Block Wrong"What is the ruling party in Turkey doing, if not effectively blocking content?" Zeynep Tüfekçi asks.
Damn the Rest! Joost Lagendijk points that a growing number of analysts agree that looking at the ongoing use of Twitter in Turkey is not the best yardstick to measure the success of the ban.
Yes, We Ban: Deconstructing Erdoğan's Language Zeynep Zileli Rabanea writes that “Erdoğan's increasingly personalist authoritarianism should be taken seriously.”
Turkey in Turmoil Michael Werz and Max Hoffman argues that “the March 30 elections do not appear to hold the promise of an immediate resolution to Turkey’s political crisis.”
Turkey, the Twitter Ban, and Upcoming Local Elections“The ban is a manifestation of a growing confrontation between the PM and a public disenchanted with his policies,” Kemal Kirişci writes.
Turkey’s Local Elections, Erdoğan and the Spectre of Gezi Halil Gürhanlı argues that “Erdoğan is trying his best to pull as many voters as possible into his nightmare where the ‘terrifying’ presence of Gezi is most deeply felt.”
Turkey: The Road to A Democratic Future A Kadir Yiıdırım argues that “the March 30 elections will define the soul of the Turkish political system for years, and possibly decades, to come.”
Scandal Destabilizes Turkey on Eve of Elections (1)-(2) Cengiz Çandar argues that Turkey’s political crisis goes from bad to worse as the country prepares to vote in municipal elections.
What’s Going to Happen After Turkish Elections? Michael Koplow argues that there will be nothing good in Turkey after the local elections.
Turkey Wonk Podcast: Turkey’s Local Elections (Podcast) Alex Christie Miller and Aaron Stein discuss the upcoming local elections, the Twitter ban, and the AKP’s political machine.
The YouTube Ban and Electoral Politics in Turkey’s Provinces (Podcast) Noah Blaser and Aaron Stein discuss the YouTube ban, the false flag tape, and increasing political empowerment of the Kurdish party in the southeast.
Harder Times Ahead, No Matter Who Wins No matter what the outcome of elections are, the political struggle is bound to be intensified along three sharp divisions, Yavuz Baydar explains.
Fatwa Emerges in Turkish Corruption Allegations Orhan Kemal Cengiz focuses on the role of political Islam in the allegations of corruption against the AKP government.
Islamist Thinking in the Age of Twitter Taha Akyol highlights some contemporary challenges to Islamic thinking that cannot be solved through closing the door to modernization and using old patterns.
Turkey Sprawl: Only Real Model of Democratic Islam Is Rapidly Crumbling Claudio Gallo argues that “the dream of a moderate Islamism ‘alla Turca’ is crumbling away."
The Model and Impact of the Ottoman Empire and Islamic Tradition Charlotte McPherson points to Norman Itzkowitz and his book Ottoman Empire and Islamic Tradition in order to better understand current political situation in Turkey.
The Empire Strikes Back Forget just shutting down Twitter, now Turkey's embattled prime minister has taken to denouncing Ottoman sultans, Nick Danforth writes.
Whistleblower in Istanbul Fired from Urban Planning Job, But Not Before Being Forced to Count Cats David Lepeska interviews the whistleblower of the graft probe initiated into Fatih municipality.
Loud and Proud Jenna Krajeski explores LGBT rights in Turkey on the eve of local elections.
Leak Scandal and Shooting Down Syrian Warplane
Turkey Bans YouTube After Sensitive Leak Hours after an audio surveillance of a high-level secret meeting leaked, Turkey blocked access to YouTube, Tülin Daloğlu reports.
Turkey Says Syria Security Leak "Villainous" as YouTube Blocked Turkish authorities denounced the leak as a "villainous act" and a "declaration of war."
Tapping the Foreign Ministry Is No Fun; It's Espionage (1)-(2) Murat Yetkin analyzes the leak as “a really worrying situation for Turkey.”
Turkish Tomb in Syria Becomes Flashpoint for Conflict What does the story of Abu Basil have to do with the current crisis? Fehim Taştekin asks.
Turkey Sidelined by its Arab Spring Policies Fehim Taştekin writes that Turkey's policies in the wake of the Arab Spring, particularly in Syria, have led to it being sidelined in regional politics.
Border Violation or Election Ploy? After Turkey shot down a Syrian plane, some claimed it was part of a ploy to make the AKP look strong in the upcoming elections, Aslı Aydıntaşbaş reports.
Was Shoot Down of Syrian Plane Linked to Turkish Elections? Kadri Gürsel comments on the suspicions that the government is involved in crisis engineering to minimize the loss of its votes.
Increasing Danger for Turkey to Enter into Syrian Quagmire Lale Kemal argues that “Turkey may this time find itself being dragged into the Syrian conflict.”
Constructs Hasan Kanbolat recalls that the “deep state” set off a bomb in Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's home in Thessaloniki when the Democrat Party (DP) began to lose its power.
ISIS Emerges as Threat to Turkey Semih İdiz writes that most Turks would prefer that Ankara step back from its current Syria policies and distance itself from any support for jihadist groups.
Kurdish Question and Peace Process
Kurds Add to Erdoğan Woes With Threat of Violence After Vote Local elections may hand control to Kurdish parties across the southeast, upping pressure on the government to meet their demands or risk a return to violence, writes Selcan Hacaoğlu.
The Two New Universes of Kurds and Turks Nuray Mert shares her impressions from the Newroz celebration held in Diyarbakır last week.
What Öcalan’s Newroz Letter Means for the Peace Process According to Hatem Ete, PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's second Newroz letter was significant for at least two reasons.
Diplomacy and Security After Crimea: The New World OrderThe Economist argues that Turkey will find it harder to persuade its Kurds that their future lies in making peace in Putin’s new world order.
Untangling the Turkey-KRG Energy Partnership: Looking Beyond Economic Drivers Gönül Tol discusses the domestic and regional factors that led to a sea change in Turkey’s Kurdish policies.
Gezi Uprising, Generation Y, and Alevi Question
Turkey's Slow-Burning Alevi Unrest According to Soner Çağatay, since the beginning of the Gezi protests, Turkey has been undergoing two simultaneous movements.
"Witnessing Gezi" Emin Özmen’s documentary on the Gezi Uprising.
We Are Turkey’s Generation Y—Not A Robot Lobby Burcu Baykurt argues that “Generation Y tweets through teargas to expose how absurd the reductive narratives of the political elite are.”
Other Pertinent Pieces
Can Eastern Mediterranean Gas Discoveries Have a Positive Impact on Turkey-EU Relations? Ayla Gürel and Fiona Mullen’s piece on Mediterranean gas discoveries and their possible effects in the region.
Crises and Elections: What are the Consequences for Turkey’s EU Bid? Eduard Soler i Lecha underlines that with the crises in the background, Turkey and the EU will hold crucial elections.
Erdoğan, Israel and the Upcoming Turkish Municipal Elections No one in Jerusalem is buying the idea that after the municipal elections, if Erdoğan wins, all will return to normal with Turkey, Herb Keinon reports.
Turkish
Graft Crisis, Ban on Twitter/YouTube, and Local Elections
“Din elden gidiyor” diyenler dini ayağa düşürdü! (1)-(2) Murat Menteş argues in an interview that the Gülen community and the AKP have damaged religious values.
Sağın slogan repertuarı ve AKP Güven Gürkan Öztan analyzes the political grammar of right-wing parties in Turkey.
İleri demokrasi hayalinden 3. dünya liderliğine Murat Aksoy argues that the AKP is losing its legitimacy.
Katiller, faşistler, hırsızlar ve lumpen burjuvazi Pınar Öğünç compares and contrasts corruption scandals in Turkey to Arundthahi Roy’s comments on corruption in India.
Ve malum soru: Kime oy verelim? Yetvart Danzikyan calls for an opposition that stands outside the existing system.
Siyasette saflar sıklaşırken Kemal Sayar points to the drastic polarization in Turkey between “us” and “them.”
Demokrasi üzerine aykırı sorular, garabet oluşumlar What kind of a social contract can be established in a country where there is no longer trust and confidence among groups, asks Nilüfer Göle.
Nilüfer Göle'nin sorularına cevaplar Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu answers Nilüfer Göle’s questions.
HDP ve CHP meselesi Nazan Üstündağ argues that the CHP’s and HDP’s electorates have different—and incommensurable—politics and concerns.
Turkiye'de internet kapatılır mı? Following the ban on Twitter, Cüneyt Özdemir asks if the government can shut down the Internet in Turkey.
Yasak ve yenilgi… Ali Bayramoğlu argues that the political crisis pushed Erdoğan to even ban Twitter.
Batsın sizin imajınız Advocating the ban on Twitter, Yalçın Akdoğan, Erdoğan’s chief political advisor, accuses Twitter of violating personal rights and privacy.
Yolsuzluk seçimle yıkanamaz An interview with Bülent Küçük about the ban on Twitter, Berkin Elvan’s funeral, local elections, and the Kurdish question.
HDP oyunu CHP'den mi alıyor AKP'den mi? Erdem Yörük argues that the HDP is a bıigger threat to the AKP than it is to the CHP.
7 maddede 30 Mart'ta sandıktan çıkacak sonuçları okuma rehberi Bekir Ağırdır presents a guideline to interpret the results of local elections on 30 March.
Hastalandım, ruhum bulandı, sandığa gidemeyeceğim Nuray Mert claims that Turkey is no longer a democracy.
Bu savaş 30 Mart'ta bitmez (1)-(2) Ruşen Çakır argues that the 30 March elections cannot end the struggle between Gülen and Erdoğan.
Ruşen Çakır: Küresel savaşı cemaat kazandı, ulusal savaşın kazananı yok The Wall Street Journal’s interview with Ruşen Çakır about political Islam and the Erdoğan-Gülen struggle.
Seçime iki gün kala… Gencay Gürsoy argues that even if Erdoğan wins the elections, it won’t be easy for him to govern Turkey for another term.
Leak Scandal and Shooting Down Syrian Warplane
Devletin "iflas" hali After an audio surveillance of a high-level secret meeting about waging a war against Syria was leaked, Turkey blocked access to YouTube, Cengiz Çandar writes.
Anaakım gazeteler sır vermedi, Sözcü hariç muhalifler yasağa meydan okudu Mainstream and pro-government media groups demonized “traitors” who leaked “state secrets,” whereas oppositional media groups criticized the government for planning a war against Syria.
Buradan OHAL'e gideriz Ezgi Başaran argues that leaked document about Turkey’s intervention in Syria may lead to the declaration of “state of emergency” in Turkey.
Baykal’ın kaseti, devletin sırları demokrasinin geleceği Mustafa Karaalioğlu argues that those who leaked high-level secret meeting about Syria are the same clandestine structure that had leaked Deniz Baykal’s tapes before.
Keseb sürgünü 3.0 Fehim Taştekin analyzes armed conflict in Keseb, an Armenian village on the Syrian border, in relation to the shooting down of a Syrian warplane and the recent leaked meeting on Syria.
Bir devletin sona erdiği an…İsmet Berkan argues that although the leaking of the meeting about Syria is a step towards transparency, the leaking of such a high-level secret meeting is “the end of a state.”
Dört dörtlük rezalet Nedim Şener calls the leaked document “villainous” both in terms of Turkey’s foreign policy and the state’s inability to protect its secrecy.
Kurdish Question and Peace Process
Newroz’dan seçime Adil Bayram points out that Kurds asserted their determination for democratic autonomy through Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır.
Türkiye bölünürken…İrfan Aktan argues that Turkey’s West is polarized between the AKP and “others,” but both groups are against Kurds.
Kürtlerin çatışan taraflara endekslenmeye ihtiyacı yok Ruşen Çakır’s interview about the Kurdish question and the peace process in the wake of the Erdoğan-Gülen crisis.
Other Pertinent Pieces
Aşırı-tüketilmiş bir kavram: Beyaz Türkler (1)-(2)-(3) Doğan Gürpınar analyzes the term “white Turks”.
Isci sinifinin laneti: Fazla alakadar olmak- David Graeber Deniz Nehri translates David Graeber’s article entitled “Caring Too Much: That’s the Curse of the Working Classes.”
Published on Jadaliyya
The State v. Individual: On State Crimes and Judicial Parody in Turkey
The Irrepressible Charm of the State: Dershane Closures and the Domestic War for Power in Turkey
All Politics Is Local: Mustafa Sarigul and the CHP (Part One)
All Politics Is Local: Mustafa Sarigul and the CHP (Part Two)
All Politics Is Local: Mustafa Sarigul and the CHP (Part Three)