MESOP’S Complete Turkey Media Roundup – January 2014
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The Graft Crisis – A State Crisis in Turkey? Selin Giritli offers a comprehensive summary of the “state crisis” that the graft probes triggered in Turkey.
Q&A: Turkey’s Power Struggle “Turkey’s Prime Minister is facing the biggest threat to his authority since his election eleven years ago,” according to BBC News.
Turkish Politics: No Longer a Shining Example The Economist argues that “Turkey’s government disappoints because of allegations of sleaze and its increasingly authoritarian rule.”
Erdoğan Eye on “Crazy Projects” Links Turkey Scandal to Builders Mehul Srivastava and Benjamin Harvey comment on the recent graft crisis and Erdoğan’s urban projects.
Purge of Police Said to Be Move by Turkey to Disrupt Graft Inquiry Dan Bilefsky and Sebnem Aksu comment on “the largest single purge of police force” following the graft probes.
Erdoğan Faces “Year of Truth” “The latest scandal engulfing Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could shake his firm grip on power,” writes Cengiz Çandar.
Turkey’s AKP: Who Jumped Ship and Why (1)–(2) “The resignations from the AKP and explanations given to them point to an isolated Prime Minister,” says Yasemin Çongar.
How Turkey’s Conservatives Failed Mustafa Akyol argues that “Turkey’s religious conservatives, whether they are in the ranks of the government or the judiciary, have failed to realize their promise of turning Turkey into an ‘advanced’ democracy.”
In Trouble, Turkey’s Leader Blames Israel—Raising Tension for His Country’s Jews Jenna Krajeski comments on the AKP accusations wanting that Israel is behind international conspiracies against Turkey.
Nation or Ummah? Suat Kiniklioglu argues that the portrayal of Turkey as the head of the Islamic ummah is a religious and unrealistic foreign policy narrative designed for domestic political objectives.
Dangerous Delusions Nuray Mert draws attention to the lack of transparency and accountability from the ruling party.
Law and Crazy Disorder Orhan Kemal Cengiz comments on the recent attempts to change the law to interfere with the powers of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK).
The Turkish Government’s Risky Play with Justice (1)–(2)–(3) Murat Yetkin writes about the AKP’s counter-attacks against prosecutors, judges, and policemen involved in the graft operations.
“Significant” Timing Kerim Balci calls the AKP’s counter-attacks against prosecutors, judges, and police officers involved in the graft investigations “a witch hunt.”
Turkey’s Leading Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Accused of Corruption Emre Kizilkaya argues that Turkey’s most famous prosecutor, Zekeriya Oz, was snared in the AKP-Gülen controversy.
Where Will Erdoğan’s Pogrom Lead? Semih Idiz comments on the highly questionable legal steps that the government took after the corruption scandal.
Again, the HSYK “Both the executive and the judiciary should carefully refrain from producing more uncertainty about the independence and impartiality of justice,” writes Taha Akyol.
When the Judiciary Is Not Impartial Etyen Mahcupyan traces the lack of impartiality of jurisdiction back to the constitution-making process.
Turkey’s New Path: De-democratization İhsan Dağı argues that “it must be rare in the world to find a political actor becoming both an agent of democratization and de-democratization within the span of a few years.”
Öcalan: “We Will Not Add Fuel To the Fire” Abdullah Öcalan, jailed PKK leader, announced that they will not support those who “attempting to turn the country into a fire scene.”
Five Reasons 2014 Could Be Tough Year for Erdoğan Kadri Gürsel argues that while 2013 was an annus horribilis for Erdoğan and his party, 2014 could be worse.
What Price to Be “New Turkey?” (1)–(2) Cafer Solgun criticizes Erdoğan’s blockage of the graft investigations and his attempts to form new relationships with his old enemies.
Operation Against Whom? Lale Kemal argues that Turkey faces for the first time a fierce battle taking place among Muslim conservatives and witnesses a shift the government’s in alliances.
Out of the Frying Pan Mümtazer Türköne argues that Erdoğan has developed a political defense strategy by making alliances with military in order to refute the graft probes.
Erdoğan’s House of Cards Abdullah Bozkurt contends that Erdoğan’s attempts such as counter-investigations, bashing of the press, domestic and international conspiracy theories are doomed to fail.
The Trials of Turkey’s Legal System Tülin Daloğlu points that two distinctly separate legal battles, Ergenekon and the graft probe, may end up influencing each other.
As the Pieces are Being Rearranged Adnan Bostancıoğlu comments on the international dimensions of the graft probe.
Erdoğan Offers Instability (1)–(2) Yavuz Baydar argues that Erdoğan is taking decisive steps that are reminiscent of the ones done away with at the end of the 1990’s.
Messages of Dolmabahçe (1)–(2) Doğu Ergil hopes that this crisis may be a valuable opportunity to reform the archaic and authoritarian legal and administrative system.
Skullduggery and Uncertainty Amanda Paul draws attention that no one in the EU is interested in Erdoğan’s skullduggery and talk of conspiracy theories.
Neither Tutelage Nor Corruption Markar Esayan claims that Turks and Kurds should stand against corruption and political engineering together.
Corruption or Spies? İhsan Yilmaz points out that Erdoğan is launching a psychological war campaign to dodge questions about alleged corruption by using his media and state power.
Tutelage and the Judiciary “December 17 has shown the extent of the actions the judiciary tutelage is capable of taking,” claims Taha Ozhan.
Turkish Intelligence Agency (MIT) at Center of Political Storm Pınar Tremblay draws attention that the myth of a “new MIT” has been caught in the crossfire of the AKP-Gülen movement battle.
Parallel Hearts… Hüseyin Gülerce refutes the argument that Gülen movement is a “parallel state” with political aims.
The Real Problem Is Not an AK Party-Gülen Movement Conflict According to Abdulhamit Bilici, the real problem is democracy, justice, and the rule of law.
Truck Full of Weapons
Turkey Declares Vanishing Truck to Syria “State Secret” “Turkey’s government has used the ‘state secret’ shield to conceal the truck suspected of transporting arms to Syria,” Fehim Tastekin points out.
Covert Operation or Crime? Yusuf Kanli argues that the “covert operation” at the Syrian border reveals the lack of democracy in Turkey.
Is Turkey Sending Weapons to Syria Under Guise of Aid? Serpil Çevikcan points out that the controversy over the truck goes beyond the question whether Turkey supplies arms to the Syrian opposition or not.
Roboski (Uludere) Massacre
Turkish Kurds React to Court Decision on Roboski Bombing Turkey’s military prosecutor has decided not to prosecute those behind the Roboski Massacre, Tulin Daloğlu reports.
The King Is Naked: Perfect Atrocity Eyüp Can argues that the government, from the beginning, instead of healing the pain, is performing according to its most brutal statist defense reflexes.
Sorry, We Killed You Due to An Unavoidable Mistake! Burak Bekdil emphasizes that not a single official has been held accountable due to the “unavoidable mistake”—the Uludere Massacre.
New Process for Roboski “Will Prime Minister Erdoğan offer a formal apology, and will President Gül urgently call the state to investigate this incident?” Orhan Miroğlu asks .
Other Pertinent Pieces
The Spirit of the Police Laws in Turkey: Legislative Discourses, Instruments and Mentality TESEV’s recent research on the law enforcement agency in Turkey.
Who Are the Female Fighters of the PKK? The BBC’s video-news about female fighters of the PKK operating at Turkey-Syria border.
Energy-Hungry Turkey (1)–(2) Olgu Okumuş deliberates on the issue of energy in Turkey due to Turkey’s aim of meeting its growing energy demand and being an energy transit hub.
Turkey Makes Splash in Mediterranean With Naval Acquisition “Turkey’s purchase of a landing platform dock vessel is raising questions about its naval strategy,” writes Burak Bekdil.
New Focus on Child Brides in Turkey Riada Asimovic Akyol points that Turkey needs to take more aggressive action to reduce its number of child brides.
Women Absent From Turkey’s Local Polls, Except in BDP Meral Tamer points that the upcoming municipal elections will be mostly devoid of female candidates, except the BDP.
Turkish
The Graft Crisis
Cemaat-hükümet savaşı üzerine sıkça sorulan sorular (1)–(2)–(3)–(4)–(5)–(6) Ruşen Çakır answers the frequently asked questions related to the graft wars of Turkey.
Siyasi devreler Ragıp Zarakolu provides a historical and comparative analysis of the AKP government.
Daha açık konuşalım mı? (1)–(2) Let’s talk frankly about the graft crisis, Nuray Mert suggests.
Yolsuzluk da var, operasyon da! Mesut Yeğin argues that there is both a political intervention and a graft scandal in Turkey.
Kriz bilançosu: Otoriterleşme (1)–(2) Ali Bayramoğlu points out that the graft crisis has primarily led to an authoritative transformation.
‘Yolsuzluk’tan kaçarken ‘Ergenekon’a tutulmak (1)–(2) The AKP government is caught up in the Ergenekon case while it tries to escape from the graft probes, Cengiz Çandar writes.
Telâşa lüzum yok… Fehmi Koru offers a friendly warning to the government and argues taht there is no need for panic.
Memleket siyasetinde ittifak hesapları If the AKP-Gülen Community alliance is resolved, Rober Koptaş calculates the possibilities of new alliances.
“Eski rejim”le ittifak mı? Alper Görmüş calls into question the government’s attempt to form an alliance with the representatives of the old regime.
Masasına bütün toplum davetli An interview with Büşra Ersanlı and Ayşe Berktay on the graft probes and the KCK trials.
Darbe var diye diye kendi darbesini yapanları tarih baba çok gördü! Hasan Cemal draws attention to the fact that in history there have been many coup d’etats staged in the name of dodging a coup.
Bu iktidar darbeden yargılanacak Mehmet Altan argues that the AKP government will be tried in a court on charges of committing a coup.
Zemberek boşaldı, balayı bitti This is the end of the honeymoon between the AKP and the Gülen Community, writes Mücahit Bilici.
Yangın Haftası Can Dündar points out that the graft crisis has come to the point of a decisive war.
Hırsızlık, Paralel Devletler, Daha Neler… Ergin Yıldızoğlu comments on the graft crisis and the government’s allegations of “a parallel state.”
Vesayetin her türüyle mücadele ederiz (1)–(2)–(3) Yalçın Akdoğan, Erdoğan’s chief political advisor, vows that they will fight against all sorts of tutelages.
Bundan sonra ne olacak ne olmayacak? Mustafa Karaalioğlu speculates over what comes up next in the graft and corruption wars.
‘Türkiye ekonomisi çökerse, Gülen hareketi de çöker’ An interview with an American sociologist, Joshua Hendrick, who has been working on the Gülen Community for more than ten years.
‘Türkiye’de liberal entellektüeller İslamcıların ‘faydalı aptalları’nı mı oynadılar?’ Ariane Bonzon asks whether liberal intellectuals are the “useful idiots” of the political Islamists in Turkey.
Liberal entelektüeller kendilerini “İslamcılara”mı kullandırtmış? Akın Özçer comments on Ariane Bonzon’s claims.
Murat Belge: 27 Mayıs tipi darbe olabilir, endişe verici benzerlikler var! Murat Belge compares the the graft crisis with the coup of 27 May.
Murat Belge’yi okumak Harun Tekin comments on Murat Belge’s comparison.
AKP’nin gitmesi Kürtlere ne getirir? If the AKP loses its power, what that will bring to Kurds, İrfan Aktan asks.
AKP’ye aldanmamak Kurdish people should not swallow the government’s promises, Adil Bayram argues.
Aklımda onlarca soru Nazan Üstündağ poses questions which have come to her mind.
Roboski (Uludere) Massacre
Kaçınılmaz katliamlar Hüseyin Ali writes on the military court decision related to the Roboski massacre—“an unavoidable mistake.”
Roboski’nin hesabı sorulmayacaksa çekin kuyruğunu gitsin! Hasan Cemal addresses the prime minister and the chief of the Turkish General Staff in regard to the Roboski massacre.
Uludere’de suçlu yok! Utanma var mı? Reflecting upon the military court decision, Cüneyt Özdemir asks whether there is a sense of shame, given that no one was found guilty.
Roboski: İki devlet… (1)–(2) Ali Bayramoğlu offers an insight into “the two states” in the Roboski and Hrant Dink investigations.
Other Pertinent Pieces
Sor bakalım neden yıllardır sürgündeler, kim bu Kürt gazeteciler? Tuğçe Tatari interviews Kurdish journalists who have been living and working in Europe for many years after receiving political asylum.
Kürtlerin kozu Kürdistan petrolü Çetin Çeko argues that oil has become the trump card of Kurds in the Middle East region.
Bu yaylalar kimin? Umut Kocagöz and Özlem Işıl ask who are the owners of the Black Sea uplands.
Published on Jadaliyya
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Proverbs, Politics, and Paris: An Interview with Nancy Kricorian
Ismail Besikci and the Reality of Kurdistan
Towards the End of a Dream? The Erdoğan-Gülen Fallout and Islamic Liberalism’s Descent