[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
Kobane, ISIS, Turkey-US Relations in the Wake of Kobane
Kobane Battle: A Summary for Beginners and/or the Confused“Just a small note written by a revolutionary to other revolutionaries, that summarizes the minimum information about the acute situation in Kobane and describes what actions to take.”
Stateless Democracy: The Revolution in Rojava Kurdistan (1)-(2) Livestream recording of the “Stateless Democracy” conference, which discusses the Kurdish resistance in Kobane against ISIS, as well as the politics and culture of Rojava and the formation and growth of ISIS.
Turkey NATO Ambassador in the BBC Hot Seat over Kobane / ISIS In an interview with the BBC, the Turkish Ambassador to NATO, Mehmet Fatih Ceylan, explains why Turkey refuses to join the international coalition to stop ISIS.
Turkey to Let Iraqi Kurds Cross to Syria to Fight ISIS Kareem Fahim and Karam Shoumali relay that Turkey will allow Iraqi Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, to cross its border with Syria to fight with ISIS.
Ankara Struggles to Maintain Bearings in Kobani Fehim Taştekin argues that the AKP has been compelled to change its approach towards Kobane and ISIS under US pressure.
Kobani and Turkish-American Relations Kılıç Buğra Kanat argues that the conflicting messages and ambivalent signals from Washington are confusing Turkey about the US strategy in Kobane.
What Do Kobani Airdrops Mean for Regional Politics? Analyzing US bombings of ISIS positions around Kobane, Amberin Zaman argues that the US is likely to use its new leverage on the PYD to goad it into opposing Assad.
Tensions Over IS Resurface in Turkish-US Ties Semih İdiz comments that Turkey opposes US-supplied weapons going to Syrian Kurds, but has no power to prevent it and has failed to convince Washington that Kobani is of no strategic value.
Facing the Causes of ISIS Key to Strategy“Considering that the Western campaign against al-Qaida has led to the organization's geographical expansion, rather than curbing its influence—what the world needs to do to reach different results is to adopt structural policies,” writes Taha Özhan.
Turkey Pays Huge Price because of Erdoğan's Obsessions According to Cafer Solgun, “it once again became clear during the Kobani crisis that the government does not have a realistic and operational Syria policy.”
Turkish Foreign Policy Hits Another Cul-de-Sac Suat Kınıklıoğlu suggests that Turkey’s foreign policy in Kobane “was untenable from the beginning,” and has only gone on to alienate virtually all of Turkey’s allies.
Turkey's War of Perception Robert Ellis comments on Turkey’s aims to replace its negative perception in international public opinion in the wake of ISIS crisis with a “healthy perception.”
Erdoğan's Two-Faced Game PlanŞahin Alpay suggests that the inconsistencies of the current government’s approach to Kobane are part of a “two-faced” election strategy, wherein President Erdoğan condemns Kurdish politics in order to win Turkish nationalist votes while PM Davutoğlu continues peace talks with the PKK in order to win Kurdish votes.
Who Is in Charge, and How? According to Yavuz Baydar, the crisis in leadership over Kobane—not only in Turkey and in Syria, but in the international coalition and NATO as well—has distracted us from the escalation of the Assad regime’s brutal campaign.
The US and Turkey: An Alliance of Necessities Gökhan Bacık claims that the growing rift between the US and Turkey over issues like Syria and Turkey’s increasing authoritarianism is only being held together by the pressing crisis of Kobane.
A Loneliness that Isn't Worth Much Examining the discrepancies between Turkish and American intervention (or lack thereof) in Kobane, Cengiz Aktar suggests that the US will step up its support for Kurdish fighters and Erdoğan’s estrangement from the rest of the world will only grow deeper.
Who Prefers ISIL to Kurds? Mustafa Akyol claims that the deep-seated aversion to the PKK (and by extension, the Kurds) has led both secular and Islamic Turkish nationalists to have a rather ambivalent view on ISIL and the siege of Kobane.
Is Kobane a Trojan Horse for Turks? Commenting on Turkey’s ambivalence toward Kurds and the peace process, Güven Sak wonders whether we should see the siege on Kobane as a Trojan horse aimed at Turkey for “when it brings its guard down.”
Peace and Reconciliation Process
Öcalan: There Is a Need for Courageous Political Steps Abdullah Öcalan declared that, far from the resolution process “dying and ending,” it has actually entered a brand new and a more hopeful stage as of 15 October.
Have the Kurds Played Their Cards Wrong on Kobani Protests? According to Tülin Daloğlu, the fragile atmosphere between the Turkish government and the Kurdish movement has fractured again in the wake of Kobane.
The State’s Responsibilities During the Crisis… Ali Bayramoğlu argues that the government’s allowing for the Peshmerga to cross into Kobane will provide an opportunity for the partial easing of the bottleneck of the peace process.
What’s Happening in the Resolution Process and at Kobani? Abdülkadir Selvi suggests that Prime Minister Davutoglu believes that they will reach success in the peace and resolution process.
Something's Wrong with Turkey’s Kurdish Peace Bid Although both the Turkish government and the Kurdish movement reflect an optimism about the future of the peace process, there are too many “ifs” in their statements, writes Murat Yetkin.
Is There Consensus on the Peace Process "Road Map" or Not? Analyzing Öcalan’s and Erdoğan’s recent statements about the peace process, Ismet Berkan argues that peace process has been put back on track.
Erdoğan and the Peace Process Emre Uslu argues that Erdoğan deceived the public about the peace process in order to gain some time for the AKP’s victory before the next elections.
Kobani and the Solution Process Orhan Miroğlu is afraid that the Kurdish movement would tie the future of the peace process to Kobane.
AKP's Shortsighted Approach to Kurdish Question Orhan Kemal Cengiz argues that the AKP does not adopt the peace process to swiftly changing circumstances.
Domestic Politics: Closing the Corruption Files, Erdoğan-Gülen Struggle, Latest Judicial Reform Package
Implementing the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention in Turkey OECD’s report on “Implementing the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention in Turkey” is “seriously concerned” about Turkey’s ability to detect and investigate foreign bribery.
Closing the Corruption Files Günal Kurşun comments on the public prosecutor’s decision to drop all charges of the 17 December corruption and bribery case.
Caricature of Justice and the EU“Exactly when the prosecutors were closing down the corruption file, police officers, some of whom were on the investigation team into the corruption scandal, were being transferred to a maximum-security prison in Silivri,” writes Orhan Kemal Cengiz.
Erdoğan Angles to Tag Gülenists as a National Security Threat Metin Turcan relays that the President Erdoğan wants to include the Gülenist movement as a national security threat to Turkey.
Gülen Community Should Return to Civil Society“The Gülen community today must acknowledge that its strategy has backfired and proved counterproductive, jeopardizing the very civil society realm it intended to ‘safeguard,’” writes Mustafa Akyol.
Turkish Government Aims to Restructure Military Police Commenting on the AKP’s new bill aiming at putting gendarmerie under civilian control, Tülin Daloğlu argues that it might be linked to the ongoing peace process or to preventing the gendarmerie from helping law enforcement pursue corruption charges against the government.
AKP Proposes "German Model" for Turkish Police According to Pınar Tremblay, Turkey's latest judicial reform package is an open-ended extension of law enforcement powers, indicating further erosion of the rule of law.
Turkish Navy Sails through Rough Seas According to Metin Turcan, after the Sledgehammer trials saw many naval officers detained and forcibly retired, Turkey is now displaying its navy to bolster the “New Turkey” vision in both the domestic and global scene.
Other Pertinent Pieces
Declaration by Scholars for Peace in Solidarity with the Saturday Mothers of Turkey“On 25 October 2014, the Saturday Mothers will remind us for the five hundredth time of the daughters and sons they have lost due to the forced disappearances on the part of the state, mostly in the Kurdish region.”
On the Occasion of the Saturday Mother’s 500th Vigil for the Disappeared Nancy Kricorian relays her firsthand observations from the five hundredth vigil of the Saturday Mothers in Istanbul for their disappeared relatives.
How a Turkish Leftist Gave His Life to Save Kurdish Kobane“All I wanted to do is bring some spark to the lives of unlofty people, to a world without a spark, to a world which has been reified,” writes Suphi Nejat Ağırnaslı, who died while defending Kobane against ISIS.
After Gezi: Erdoğan and Political Struggle in Turkey The recent Global Uprisings documentary chronicles a year of resistance and repression that has left Turkey profoundly divided in the wake of the Gezi uprising.
Forbidden Fruit: Censorship at Antalya Golden Orange 2014 Kaya Genç comments on the controversies and censorship aroused around Love Will Change the Earth (Yeryüzü Aşkın Yüzü Oluncaya Dek), a documentary on last year's Gezi Park uprisings.
"When Greeks and Turks Meet: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Relationship Since 1923" William Eichler’s book review for When Greeks and Turks Meet, edited by Vally Lytra, demonstrates the long history of coexistence between Turks and Greeks.
Israel Accuses Turkey of Aiding Hamas Coup Plan Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon accused Turkey of being indifferent to the preparations of Hamas' Istanbul office to attempt a coup against Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, writes Tülin Daloğlu.
Turkish Central Bank Fails to Combat Inflation The governor of Turkey's Central Bank has done well in financial stability, but time is running out for him to control inflation, writes Mehmet Çetingüleç.
Turkish Government Aims to "Save" Marriages Turkey’s government has launched a drive to curb the divorce rate, up thirty-eight percent over the past decade, but the services it has offered have come under criticism as meddling in citizens’ private lives, writes Tülay Çetingüleç.
Judicial Regulation Grip on FoE According to BIA Media Monitoring Report, nineteen journalists were arrested in October, whereas twenty-one journalists were exposed to violence.
Turkish
Kobane, ISIS, Turkey-US Relations in the Wake of Kobane
Kobanê'de Kürtler, sosyalistler, ve emperyalistlerİrfan Aktan analyzes the ambivalent political stance of the Turkish left toward the Kurdish movement, asserting that “the greatest possible resistance against the AKP’s attempts to establish a more authoritarian, fascist system with every passing day might be to strengthen the Kurdish movement at the negotiating table.”
Gelinen nokta… Cengiz Çandar suggests that the emerging relationship of the US with Kurds outside of Iraqi Kurdistan—namely, the PYD—has opened the way for American diplomatic relations with the PKK, indicating a new era of US foreign policy and the “bankruptcy” of the AKP regime’s foreign policy.
Erdoğan'ın Kobani'de anlayamadığı, göremediği According to Cengiz Çandar, Erdoğan fails to see how Kobane is understood by the world, and his approach to the issue—that is, managing the Turkish public opinion—is not productive.
Kobani'den bir mektup! Fahmi Taştekin lists Salih Müslim’s requests from the Turkish government and argues that the demands for “safe borders, peace, and humanity” are not too much.
Yeni bir Maan mı bekliyorsunuz? Hasan Sivri highlights the situation in Hama, a cosmopolitan Syrian village under ISIS attack, warning against a possible massacre against Alevis.
Rojava devrimini içten yıkmak Mahir Sayın deciphers the shift in Turkey’s politics regarding Kobane, in light of the government’s general stance towards Kurdish cantons in Syria.
Erdoğan Kürtlere neden kılıç çekti? Hadi Muhammedi traces Turkey’s political strategy about Syria and speculates about the consequences of the controversial relationship between ISIS and Turkey for the country and the region.
Kobane maskeleri düşürüyor Hüseyin Ali remarks that the Turkish government's stance towards Kobane reflects an inherent animosity to Kurds, and the continuation of this stance would block the peace process.
Erdoğan, Kürt milliyetçiliği kartına oynuyor Abbas Vali expresses his views on the reasons for the attack by ISIS on Kobani, the contradictions in the Turkish government’s policies in the peace process, and the current situation in Syria.
Kobanê ve ABD: “Emperyalist haydutlardan patates ve silah almak" Foti Benlisoy addresses the controversy around the US help to Kobane, arguing for a nuanced political perspective and a balanced stance between ideological determinism and absolute pragmatism.
Beş soruda Kobani’ye askeri yardım Ruşen Çakır’s answers critical questions regarding the military help to Kobane.
PKK ile PYD aynı mı Amberin Zaman argues that the president’s equation of the PKK with the PYD is problematic and limits opportunities to address problems with regards to both domestic and regional politics.
Kötü haber: Kürtler kahraman oluyor! Esra Arsan gives an account of how the Turkish media portrayed the Kobane protests in Turkey, detailing the strategies used to create consent for the government's policies.
İktidarın, ‘’Kobanê Çelişkileri’’ Mehmet Boran addresses the contradictions in the government's statements regarding Kobane and questions the initial reluctance to intervene.
Sınırdaki, hatta içimizdeki tehlike: Peşaver sendromu Mete Çubukçu discusses in detail the potential repercussions of training a “new oppositional force” against ISIS in Turkey.
Devlet olmayan devlet Burhan Ekinci’s impressions on social, political, and cultural life in Erbil.
PYD emperyalizmle işbirliği mi yapıyor? Commenting on the recent debates among the Turkish left about the US bombing of ISID and support for the PYD, Ridvan Turan rhetorically asks “Is the PYD collaborating with imperialism?”
National Security Bill
Güvenlik reformunun mantığı: Almanya’nın polisini alalım, yargısını almayalım According to Berke Özenç, Turkey adopted German security regulations without incorporating the judicial measures to prevent human rights abuses.
Dr. Gülşah Kurt: Bunlar dudak uçuklatan düzenlemeler; güvenlik devletine gidiyoruz Gülşah Kurt points out the problem of impunity in the Turkish judicial system, and warns against the consequences of the security discourse.
Bir savaş hazırlığı olarak "Güvenlik" Paketi Kemal Göktaş details the “real” motivations behind the Security Bill.
Ne mutlu polisim diyene: Artık ‘akla’ değil ‘kafaları’na göre arama yapabilecekler! Ali Topuz scrutinizes the Security Bill proposal, citing possible undemocratic practices that might spring from the regulation.
İç güvenlik paketi ve otoriterleşme Analyzing the content of the Security Bill, Mehmet Karlı argues that the AKP government is moving towards an authoritarian regime.
The Saturday Mothers’ 500th Vigil for the Disappeared
Cumartesi Anneleri/İnsanları 19 yaşında Bianet gives a list of news covering 2009-2014 for the Saturday Mothers’ long struggle in search for their loved ones.
Rosa Arjantin'den Cumartesi'yi selamlıyor Rosa Tarlovsky from Plaza de Mayo talks about her struggle to find her children who were kidnapped by the military regime and recounts her visit to the Saturday Mothers in 1998.
500 haftadır adalet aranıyor A. Hicri İzgören marks the significance of the Saturday Mothers’ struggle in keeping the history of state violence alive in Turkey.
Arjantin’den 500. haftaya kayıplar ve hakikat mücadelesi Hülya Dinçer gives a history of Plaza de Mayo's thirty seven-year old struggle for truth, and draws lessons for the struggle in Turkey.
Video-haber: Dört dakikada 500 hafta A four-minute video depicting the five-hundred-week-old struggle of the Saturday Mothers.
Peace and Reconciliation Process
Öcalan: Süreci sabote etmek isteyenler fırsat kolluyor A summary of Abdullah Öcalan’s most recent comments about the ongoing peace process and the events in Kobane, as related by the HDP delegation.
Öcalan, tavşana kaç tazıya tut mu dedi? Abdülkadir Selvi claims that Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish movement have taken advantage of events like the Gezi protests and the 17 December “coup” to avoid keeping their word in the peace process.
Nereye kadar?Çandar continues to criticize Erdoğan’s take on the PYD as an obstacle to the peace process and questions the sustainability of equating ISIS with the PKK.
Dolmabahçe'de konuşulanlar Ali Bayramoğlu analyzes a recent meeting of the “Wise People Committee” (Akil İnsanlar Heyeti) with the Prime Minister and his cabinet, arguing that the meeting proves the dynamism of the Committee as well as the government’s commitment to the peace process.
AKP ve süreç Examining the AKP government’s discourse on the peace process in relation to the new security bill, Beşê Hozat says that “the AKP’s roadmap is not a map for the solution; it is a dead-end.”
"İmralı iyi, Kandil kötü" diye diye… According to Ruşen Çakır, the government has an imbalanced approach to the peace process that privileges negotiations with Öcalan and sees Cemil Bayık as trying to sabotage the process.
Barış süreci, iktidar ve ilahi Sırrı! (1)-(2) Nuray Mert accuses Kurdish politicians, especially Sırrı Sureyya Önder, of omitting the AKP’s ever-increasing authoritarian moves for the sake of the peace process.
Ne iyi bir savaş vardır ne de kötü bir barış Sırrı Süreyya Önder’s answer to Nuray Mert’s controversial article.
‘Çözüm süreci’ anlayışları Ahmet Selim argues that both parties are waiting for a compromise in order to reach the peace in their own imaginations.
Nerdesin ‘kardeş’!Özgür Güven argues that Kobane has become a litmus test for the “brotherhood” rhetoric that has been deployed by the Turkish public for decades.
Other Pertinent Pieces
Karanlık kuytularda birbirimize fener olalım! Müştereklerimiz (Our Commons) initiative analyzes the parallels between the struggle in Kobane and the Gezi/post-Gezi resistance, describing the geopolitical significance of Kobane and the revolutionary potential of the Rojava governmental structure.
Gezi sanatının direnişi ve Sema Yayla As a result of a public protest at the trial of Ethem Sarısülük’s murderer, in which she threw red paint on the front door of the Ankara courthouse, Sema Yayla was sentenced to six years in prison; this blog post calls on the public to protest at her court hearing, which took place last week.
Görevine son verilen Prof. Ökçesiz: Akademide ağalar ve marabalar var In an interview with Olga Ünaydın Azizoğlu, Hayrettin Ökçesiz discusses his termination from the position of Rector at İstanbul Aydın University and remarks upon the limits on academic freedom and the cronyism of private education.
Şüpheli kaza, kaçırma girişimi, suikast; Türkiye'de neler oluyor?Ümit Kıvanç describes the suspicious accident that killed Press TV reporter Serena Shim in Suruç, the attempted kidnapping of a commander in Urfa by a Syrian opposition group, and the assassination of the former Suruç mayor and his son.
"Ölü Kadınlar Memleketi" çıktı Burçe Bahadır introduces her new book, Ölü Kadınlar Memleketi, about femicide and gender-based murders in Turkey.
İnsanlık suçu işleniyor In an interview, architect Doğan Hasol names ongoing construction/development projects in Istanbul as “crimes against humanity.”
İmre Azem’in kamerasından Validebağ direnişiİmre Azem’s video recording of Validebağ resistance against the government’s attempts to demolish the grove for the construction of a mosque.
Validebağ’da belediyeden parsel cinliği: Numara değiştirilip yargı baypas ediliyor Nur Banu Kocaaslan condemns Üsküdar Municipality for demolishing Validebağ Grove for making profit.
Published on Jadaliyya
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