[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
Presidential Elections, AKP, and Democracy
Erdoğan Seems Decided to Replace Gül Murat Yetkin reports that there is an undisclosed poll, allegedly showing more than fifty-two percent of popular support for Erdoğan to become a presidential candidate.
On the Way to Çankaya (1)-(2)-(3)-(4)“On Tuesday, July 1, Prime Minister Erdoğan's presidential candidacy will be announced,” Abdülkadir Selvi writes.
HDP Announces Co-Chair Demirtaş as Presidential Candidate The HDP has announced party co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş as its candidate for the upcoming presidential elections in August.
Three Questions Circulating around AK Party (1)-(2) Ali Bayramoğlu reflects upon three questions in regard to the AKP that he thinks interest the whole country, and analyzes the CHP-MHP's game of “reasoning.”
Alevi Votes No Piece of Cake for İhsanoğlu, CHPÖzgür Korkmaz points out that the CHP has had a hard time since the announcement of Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu as a joint candidate for the presidential election in August.
Challenges Awaiting İhsanoğlu’s Presidential Campaign Barçin Yinanç argues that “İhsanoğlu might excel in discreet diplomatic talk, but could underperform when it comes to addressing the masses.”
Is İhsanoğlu the Right Candidate for Turkey? (1)-(2) Hatem Ete claims that “the opposition is waging an uphill battle against the changing nature of the presidency and the spirit of the times.”
Politics Without Identity? For Etyen Mahçupyan, “nobody in the opposition block, neither political parties nor nongovernmental organizations, argue about Turkey's future and offer an alternative to it.”
Project New Turkey Nuray Mert argues that “Turkey’s presidential election is going to be a choice between 'problematic old Turkey' and 'problematic new Turkey.'”
A “New State” Cengiz Aktar writes that the election slated for August is a pre-presidential election with which the foundations of the “New State” of the so-called New Turkey will be laid for Erdoğan.
Can Turkey's Drift to Authoritarianism Be Stopped?“How to position Turkey under the AKP rule on a scale of full liberal democracies on one side and distinctly authoritarian regimes on the other?” Joost Lagendijk asks.
AKP at the Crossroads: Erdoğan's Majoritarian Drift Ergün Özbudun focuses on the “AKP’s recent drift towards an an electoral authoritarianism of a more markedly Islamic character.”
AKP Pushes Its Own Brand of Turkish Neonationalism“Turkish neonationalism, traditionally a product of authoritarian state power, is being pushed by proponents of the AKP,” Mustafa Akyol writes.
The AKP's Shallow "Liberalism" Exposed According to Toni Alaranta, there is a need to go beyond the assertion that the AKP suddenly changed from being liberal to authoritarian.
Turkey's Direction, AK Party's Way“What the AK Party now faces is the dilemma of whether or not to head down the path that Turkey really needs to take,” Cafer Solgun argues.
Watching the Horizon: Turkey's Beleaguered Alevis Gareth Jenkins writes that Erdoğan’s attempts to tighten his grip on power have exacerbated the already widespread concerns of Alevis.
The Rise of ISIS, the Kurds, and Turkish Foreign Policy
The Myth of Sykes-Picot and Its Shortcomings“ISIL may claim that it is ‘smashing the Sykes-Picot borders,’ but we need to be more literate about the past and more sober about the present,” writes Nuray Mert.
Censoring Mosul Stories Is Unacceptable Sedat Ergin draws attention to the ban, which prohibits broadcasting, reporting, or publishing stories about the incident in which ISIL kidnapped Turkish citizens in Mosul.
The Collapse of Davutoğlu’s Pan-Islamist Foreign Policy Behlül Özkan argues that things have not gone as Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu expected.
Turkey's Best Ally: The Kurds Iraqi Kurdistan is now Turkey’s best ally in Iraq, if not the whole region, writes Mustafa Akyol.
Syrian Kurdish Leader: Turkey Turns Blind Eye to ISIS An interview with Salih Muslim, the leader of the Syrian Kurdish movement PYD, on post-Mosul developments and Turkey's alleged support for ISIS.
Turkey and the ISIL Nonsense Taha Özhan argues against the New York Times’ article, entitled “After Opening the Way to Rebels, Turkey is a Paying Heavy Price.”
Kerry Implores Kurdish Leader to Join a Government and Not Break Away Amid ongoing conflict in Iraq, US Secretary of State John Kerry meets with the president of Iraq’s Kurdish region, Michael Gordon reports.
Does Turkey Still Support a Unified Iraq? Cengiz Çandar pays attention to the fact that “Ankara was quiet after the Iraqi Kurdish forces seized Kirkuk, once considered a Turkish red line.”
Is Turkey Ready for a Free Kurdistan State? Serkan Demirtaş writes that “Ankara is still voicing its well-known official line that Iraqi territorial integrity and political unity must be maintained.”
Turkey Ready to Accept Kurdish State in Historic Shift Daniel Dombey points out that the AKP is ready to accept an independent Kurdish state in what is now northern Iraq.
The Name of the New Front: Turkish-Kurdish-Sunni (1)-(2)-(3) According to İbrahim Karagül, editor-in-chief of pro-governmental daily Yeni Şafak, “we are standing at the doors of these two possibilities.”
Turkey's Perception of the Middle East“We are living through a remarkable turn around in Turkish perceptions of the Middle East,“ Suat Kınıklıoğlu writes.
Kurdish Reality Leaves No Other Options“If you turn your back to it or try to postpone your decisions, reality returns to you as a ruthless challenger,” Yavuz Baydar contends.
Fatal Mistakes Doğu Ergil points out that “the consequences of mistakes and misperceptions in politics are far more critical than those of mistakes made in what one can call ‘ordinary life.’”
The Kurds and Kirkuk: What I Did Not Say Joost Lagendijk restates his main points related to post-Mosul politics in the region in order to clarify some confusions.
Draft Bill for the Peace Process
AKP Seeks to "Legalize" PKK Peace Talks Turkey’s ruling party has drafted a bill that puts the peace process with the PKK in a legal framework, Fehim Taştekin reports.
KCK Co-President Bayık: Need for Negotiations In an interview, KCK’s co-president Cemil Bayık said, “Enacting the bill only is not enough for negotiation; it does not even mean that there will be negotiations.”
Kurdish Legislation: Revolution on the Way…. (1)-(2) Ali Bayramoğlu points out that Abdullah Öcalan, the PKK’s jailed leader, had interpreted the draft bill as a historical step.
Can You Handle the Truth? Ahu Özyurt analyzes the draft bill in terms of the post-Mosul politics in the region.
Kurdish Solution Mümtazer Türköne argues that ”the Kurdish solution is being shaped by these new boundaries in the Middle East, not by the draft law in Parliament.”
PM Erdoğan’s Kurdish Move Before the Presidential Polls (1)-(2) Murat Yetkin reads the draft bill as a means for the AKP to win Kurdish support in the August presidential elections.
A Draft Bill on "You-Know-What"“Can you solve a problem by not naming it?” asks Güven Sak.
The Sledgehammer and September 12 Cases
The Sledgehammer Case: Responsibilities, Invoices, Costs and the 'Situation'… According to Ali Bayramoğlu, the correct evaluation of the Sledgehammer Case has three stages.
Confusions on Sledgehammer Coup Plot Case“Even though the convicts of the Sledgehammer case were released due to lack of evidence, the overall conditions will not allow for the revival of military domination,” Osman Can argues.
The Sledgehammer Case“Are we to believe that some people once plotted against the army, then they decided to plot against the government?” asks Beril Dedeoğlu.
Justice in September 12 and Sledgehammer Cases Mehmet Övür hopes the removal of injustices in Sledgehammer and similar cases will clear the way to confront them completely.
Other Pertinent Pieces
All the Colors of Turkey in HDP's Congress A report on Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) 2nd Extraordinary Congress.
Turkish Cabinet Postpones Glass Factory Workers’ Strike for ‘Disrupting National Security’ (1)- (2) The strike organized by the workers of the Şişecam has been banned by the government.
Universities Under Siege Doğu Ergil draws attention to the draft proposal that aims to change the Law on Higher Education via increasing the powers of the Higher Education Board (YÖK).
Erdoğan's Reforms Meant to Educate "Pious Generation" The government uses education as a tool to shape conservative and pious students, Orhan Kemal Cengiz argues.
Waiting in Istanbul“For all that they came to symbolize during the months to follow, the protests were meant to emphasize that justice does not move at the speed of money,” writes Meagan Day.
Turkish
Presidential Elections, AKP, and Democracy
Muhalefetin siyaset dışı adayı Ali Çarkoğlu points out that the CHP’s and MHP’s joint candidate Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu is a reputable person, but has no experience in politics.
İhsanoğlu tercihi ve risk alan Kılıçdaroğlu Commenting on İhsanoğlu’s advantages and disadvantages, Mehmet Karlı argues that the CHP took a serious risk and responsibility.
Türkiye’nin zihni çatıyla değil ikinci 10 yılla meşgul Mustafa Karaalioğlu argues that the CHP and MHP limit their politics to anti-AKP rhetoric, while the AKP focuses on future projects.
Üçüncü Cumhuriyet’e doğru (1)-(2) According to Hatem Ete, debates about presidential elections are actually tutelage versus democracy debates.
Apolitik ve temiz hayaller Etyen Mahçupyan argues that İhsanoğlu’s electorate will be disappointed after the elections.
İhsanoğlu uygun bir aday; eğer diğer aday Erdoğan olursa, Türkiye bir rejim tercihi yapacak, şakası yok Murat Sevinç analyzes İhsanoğlu’s and Erdoğan’s candidacies in the presidential elections.
Erdoğan'ın işleri hiç de kolay değil, güç günler bekliyor onu! Erdoğan will have difficult times ahead, Hasan Cemal argues.
Kadın Cumhurbaşkanı İstiyoruz Platformu: Adayımız Prof. Büşra Ersanlı The "We Want a Woman President" Platform suggested Professor Büşra Ersanlı as a candidate for the presidential elections.
Kurnazlığın sonucu değil, demokrasinin gereği Altan Öymen supports the CHP’s decision by arguing that running a joint candidate like İhsanoglu is in line with democratic principles.
Erdoğan eksenli Çankaya senaryoları Yüksel Taşkın analyzes three viable scenarios for the presidential elections.
Üçüncü çizgiye taraf aranmaz Hüseyin Ali argues that the Kurdish movement does not necessarily support any of the candidates, but follows its own principles for democratic modernity and a democratic nation.
Parlamenter demokrasi mi despotik başkanlık mı?“Parliamentary democracy or despotic presidency?” asks Gençay Gürsoy.
CHP'de neler oluyor? Baskın Oran argues that Ihsanoglu is an interim solution in order to get rid of Erdoğan’s rule.
Erkam Tufan-Mücahit Bilici Erkam Tufan’s discussion with Mücahit Bilici on the differences between “the AKP’s New Turkey and White Turks’ Kemalist Turkey.”
The Rise of ISIS, Kurds, and Turkish Foreign Policy
‘IŞİD’ neyin ‘semptomu’ Ergin Yıldızoğlu lists four reasons that paved the way for ISIS to become an influential actor in the Middle East.
Ikiz politika Hüseyin Ali argues that the AKP’s attempts to become an effective power in the Middle East with neo-Ottomanism and sectarianism instead of democratization puts Turkey in danger.
IŞİD meselesinin esrarı: Sünni dünyanın yükselişi değil çöküşü! Nuray Mert argues that ISIS is not a consequence of the rise of Sunni world, but of its decline.
Irak bölünüyor mu? Five experts analyze the probability of Iraq’s partition.
Yeni Ortadoğu ve Türkiye Adil Bayram argues that Turkey has to democratize and solve the Kurdish question in order to be a powerful actor in the Middle East in the wake of the ISIS attacks.
Bağımsız Kürdistan, bir zamanlar 'kabus'tu, bugün hayatın gerçeği! Hasan Cemal argues that Turkey’s nightmare scenarios such as an independent Kurdistan are becoming today’s realities.
Barzani'nin temsilcisi Kerkuki: Irak'ta ya uc devletli konfederal sisteme gidilir ya da Kurtler bagimsizlik ilan eder! Barzani’s representative Kerkuki said that the best solution for Iraq is a three-state confederation that consists of Kurdistan, Shiaistan, and Sunnistan.
Kürtlerin seçenekleri Ali Bulaç examines four possible scenarios for the Kurds.
Ortadoğu üzerine“Which masculinities were provoked with which tools to create such a big anti-Shia base?” asks Nazan Üstündağ.
Türkiye bağımsız Kürdistan’a hazır mı?“Is Turkey ready for independent Kurdistan?” asks Ruşen Çakır.
Bağımsız Kürdistan'ın neresindeyiz Amberin Zaman explains why she finds an independent Kurdistan unlikely.
Kürdistan bağımsız olacak mı? Sami Kohen argues that it is hard to establish an independent Kurdistan without the support of the US.
Draft Bill for the Peace Process
'Çözüm paketi' TBMM'de The AKP has submitted to parliament a draft bill called “Law to End Terrorism and Strengthen National Togetherness” that aims to put the peace process with the PKK in a legal framework.
Yasa ön açıcı (1)-(2) Abdullah Öcalan, the PKK’s jailed leader, believes that the draft bill would pave the way for social reconciliation and permanent peace.
Yasa yeni üslup eski Duran Kalkan, member of the KCK Executive Committee, argues that the draft bill for the peace process is new, but nonetheless its wording is old.
Dönemeç geçiliyor mu? Tarhan Erdem criticizes the name of draft bill, arguing that “terror” is not the cause but the effect.
Velev ki Kürtler'e seçim oltası Ezgi Başaran writes that the bill is the result of the success of the Kurdish movement.
Karnından konuşan "çözüm süreci" Ahmet İnsel criticizes the lack of clarity in the draft bill.
26 Haziran: Çözüm için büyük adım Oral Calışlar argues that the draft bill is a big success of the peace process that has lasted for nineteen months.
Pimi çekilmiş paket! Aslı Aydıntaşbaş points that the AKP’s legislation of a draft bill is a strategic move just before the presidential elections.
'Kürt' demeden 'Kürt sorunu'nu çözmek…İsmet Berkan criticizes the bill since it does not mention the word “Kurd” at all, as if it fights with an imaginary and unaccredited terror.
Kürtlerin müzakereyi kendi başlarına yürütme hakkı As opposed to those who criticize the name of the bill or the lack of the word “Kurd’ in the content, Ruşen Çakır applauds the draft bill.
'Çözüm süreci'ne dair: "Evet ama..." Cengiz Çandar analyzes the positive sides as well as the lacks and weaknesses of the draft bill.
Öcalan’ın yarattığı evren… (1)-(2) Delil Karakoçan argues that such a draft bill came true due to Öcalan’s intellectual and political struggle.
Sürece yasal ve siyasi güvence Hatem Ete argues that the draft bill provides the peace process with legal protection, democratic legitimacy, and political will.
Hatip Dicle: 1915'te Kürtler de Ermenilerin mallarına el koydu An interview with Kurdish politician Hatip Dicle just before he was released from prison after being imprisoned in 2009 as a part of the KCK operations.
HDP Congress
Öcalan HDP oluşumunu TİP'e benzetti (1)-(2) Murat Sabuncu analyzes the HDP Congress, which calls for a democratic republic, common country, and democratic nation.
‘Müzakere devletle, barış halklarla olur’ Burhan Ekinci reports that Figen Yüksekdağ, who comes from a socialist background, became the HDP’s new woman co-president.
Bir Selahattin Demirtaş portresiİrfan Aktan presents the portrait of Selahattin Demirtaş, who was elected as the co-president of the HDP.
Demirtaş ile gelecek Yıldırım Türker argues that Selahattin Demirtş promises an honorable future.
HDP: Umutlar ve ihtimaller According to Mithat Sancar, the HDP’s new co-president Demirtaş is an important name for the Kurdish electorate to establish a sense of belonging to the HDP.
Öcalan gölgesinden, Öcalan damgasına According to Ayhan Bilgen, Öcalan is no longer a “demonized” symbol for the Turkish public, but a figure of peace.
'Halkların' tamam, peki 'Demokratik'? Aydın Engin argues that the HDP embraces all nations but its internal organization is not as democratic as its name indicates.
HDP muhalefete değil iktidara aday Erol Katırcıoğlu writes that the HDP is a candidate not for the opposition but for the government.
HDP Kongresi’nin ardından…Ömer Ağın reminds us that Öcalan’s definition of “democratic nation” is qualitatively different from “nation.”
The Sledgehammer and September 12 Cases
O artık bir mahkum! Ragıp Zarakolu examines ninety-year-old General Kenan Evren’s life imprisonment for the 1980 military coup.
Darbecilerden kahraman yaratmayı başaranlara… Oya Baydar argues that the Ergenekon and Sledgehammer cases are full of sociological, legal, and ethical lessons for Turkey.
Çok ilginç hesaplar dönüyor, beyler bayanlar Ezgi Başaran visits the media coverage of the Sledgehammer releases.
AKP için ders notları 1: Kısa cumhuriyet tarihi (1)-(2)-(3) Aydın Engin argues that the AKP and its proponents need a “Short History of the Republic.”
Tarihle yüzleşme: Bir başka bahara! Taner Akçam compares Turkey to Argentina in terms of “facing the past” in the wake of the Ergenekon, Sledgehammer, and September 12 cases.
Darbelerle hesaplaşmak… Although the September 12 generals were sentenced to life imprisonment, another September 12 regime is being established in Turkey day by day, Yetvart Danzikyan argues.
Dünyanın bütün mağdurları! Birrr-leşiiin!! birrr-leşiiin!! Turgay Oğur points out that after the Sledgehammer releases, opponents of the military coup were divided into three groups.
Jön Türkler’den Kenan Evren’e askerî vesayetÜmit Kurt examines the history of military tutelage in Turkey from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic.
Şişecam Strike
Camın ve grevin ustaları haklarını arıyor Aziz Çelik reports that around six thousand workers at Turkey’s biggesr glass producer, Şişecam, went on strike for better wages.
Bakanlar Kurulu, Şişecam grevini 60 gün süreyle erteledi The Ministerial Cabinet postponed the Şişecam strike for sixty days because it is “threatening national security.”
Milli güvenlik varsa grev yok! Aziz Çelik traces the history of postponing strikes in Turkey under the name of “national security.”
İşçi düşmanlığına karşı mücadeleİhsan Çaralan analyzes the state’s prohibition and postponement of various strikes of glass workers.
Radikal’s Shut Down
Radikal 18 yıl sonra veda etti, işte son yazılarRadikal newspaper shut down on print publishing after eighteen years; it will continue publishing only in digital media.
4 yayın yönetmeni Radikal'i anlattı Four editors explain why Radikal has to cease print publishing.
Radikal artık daha ‘ekonomik’Radikal’s editor Ali Topuz and Radikal 2’s editor Nazan Özcan comment on the newspaper’s shutting down.
Radikal'in hikâyesi: Tehlikenin farkında mısınız? Hasan Cemal argues that technology and online media are the realities of today’s life, and they jeopardize print publishing.
Radikal’in ardından… Pinar Ögünç writes that digital media relies on the basic principles of capitalism such as flexibility, exploitative working conditions, and insecurity.
Radikal ve benim Radikal maceramÜmit Kivanç comments on Radikal’s shut down and explains his own experience at Radikal.
‘Radikal’ According to Yakup Kepenek, Radikal’s decision to operate only in digital media is another barrier to free thought and the right to the acquisition of knowledge.
Other Pertinent Pieces
Kendi işine bakmayan TÜSİAD Commenting on the resignation of TÜSIAD’s chairman of the executive board, Ayse Buğra examines the conflict between the business world and political power.
Miftah – 6 | Sinan T. Gülhan, 21 Haziran 2014 Emrah Göker’s conversation with sociologist Sinan T. Gülhan about his doctoral thesis, entitled “Social Production of Concrete Spaces: State, Labor, and Capital in Istanbul.”
Türkiye'de orta sınıf meselesi Süleyman Seyfi Öğün argues that eighty percent of Turkey’s population is middle class.
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