Turkey Analyst, 26 March 2008

NEWS DIGEST, March 14-25, 2008

SECTION I: DOMESTIC POLITICS

The chief prosecutor’s launching of a court case to close down the ruling AKP dominated Turkey’s domestic scene, prompting a growing debate within and outside Turkey both of the merits of the case and the closing down of parties in general. In addition, the mid-night summoning of oppositional figures in connection with the Ergenekon investigation prompting speculation of the linkage between the two processes.

ERDOGAN: CLOSURE CASE AGAINST THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE
16 March
Prime Minister Erdoğan, speaking in Siirt on March 15, made his first statement regarding the case demanding the closure of the AKP. Referring to those who submitted and supported the case, he stated that no one could make the AKP, which received the votes of 16,5 million people, the "focal point" of the anti-secular activities. Mr. Erdoğan stressed that this was a move not only against the AKP, but also against the will of the people. Mr. Erdoğan described the AKP as a party emerging from the demands of the people and emphasized its embracing character, remarking that it employs deputies from 80 out of 81 Turkish provinces. He also stated that the AKP is the only party that can establish and sustain a democratic, secular and social state operating under the supremacy of the law. Mr. Erdoğan highlighted the undemocratic character of the move and maintained that those who tainted the democratic character of the state and overshadowed the political and economic stability will carry the burden. He added that the judicial system could not be used against the will of the people, wherein its power rests, and that the rule of law could not be sustained whilst ignoring the will of the people.  (Milliyet)

POLITICAL PARTIES REACT TO AKP CLOSURE CASE
16 March
News of the case submitted to the Constitutional Court to close the governing AKP generated a range of reactions from other political parties. The Deputy Chairman of the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), stated that they do not endorse the closing of any party, and added that it was unfortunate that a governing party took the developments to the extent that the head prosecutor of Turkey submitted a case to close down the AKP because of its involvement in anti-secular activities. Zeki Sezer, the leader of the Democratic Left Party (DSP), which formed an alliance with the CHP during the latest general elections, stated that the AKP has problems with the secular and democratic republic, and declined to further comment the matter as it is presently in the hands of the judicial authorities.
The chairman of the Nationalist Action Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli said, "I want to say that before starting such a process in such an environment, the chief prosecutor should have calculated the political shortcomings and the scale of the damage more carefully. Opening a case proposing to close a party which is governing this country for 65 months is creating a situation which will have grave political consequences, if we set aside the legal dimension".
The Kurdish-rooted Democratic Society Party (DTP), which also has a group in the Turkish National Assembly and which is subjected to a parallel closure case, evaluated the developments from a different perspective. They expressed their disapproval by stating that this case demonstrated the need for expanded democracy. They referred to the people who, following the news of the case, turned out to be guardians of democracy – seemingly a jab at the ruling AKP which had endorsed the closure case against the DTP and efforts to lift the parliamentary immunity of DTP members, but deemed the case against itself a violation of democracy. (Radikal - Turkiye - Vatan)

REHN: “THERE IS NO WAY THIS COULD HAPPEN IN EUROPE”
16 March
The European Commission officer responsible for enlargement, Olli Rehn, stated that "the move from Turkey’s chief prosecutor to close the AKP is not in line with democracy. You cannot see any such attempt in a European country that follows the principles of democracy. In a European country, political issues are discussed in the parliaments and are decided in the elections, not in the court halls. In democracies, governments do not interfere with the judiciary and the judiciary does not interfere with politics. I hope that these events do not exhaust the political energy in the country and do not distract attention from EU reforms. I trust the government with regard to the reforms."
The co-chair of the commission of the combined parliaments of the Turkish National Assembly and the European Parliament, Joost Lagendjik stated, "I was struck with disbelief when I learned of the news. It is a grave mistake [...]. This behavior is emblematic of a state that does not trust its citizens. I am referring to the strict secular circles. They imply that they do not trust the people that the citizens elected or the judgment of the citizens. They are attempting to orchestrate a legal coup, as they could not defeat the AKP by political means. Turkey's relations with the international community will be greatly harmed if the AKP is closed down. We hope that this will not occur. If it does, the people will show their determination with a greater majority in the next elections. These events clearly demonstrate how desperate those supporting the case are". (Hurriyet)

PRIME MINISTER: I AM NEITHER ANGRY NOR UPSET
18 March
Despite his sharp remarks regarding the case to close the AKP, Prime Minister Erdogan eased tensions by stating that he was neither angry nor upset. In a press conference on March 17, Mr. Erdogan stated, “What I want to say to the people is that there is no need for distress. We will continue side by side with the people as we did before. Until Friday (the day the case was submitted) the stock market decreased to 38,000. We must consider this; if democracy is harmed, the economy is instantly affected. We long for another republic in its 100th anniversary, a Turkey that significantly improved in the fields of arts and sciences. We will not allow such barriers to prevent our efforts.” (Radikal)

BAYKAL: NO PARTY SHOULD BE CLOSED
18 March
The chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deniz Baykal has addressed the case to close the AKP. Mr. Baykal stated that it is unacceptable to embrace the closure of any party in a democratic political environment. However, Mr. Baykal said that this was not a political, but rather a legal case prepared within the framework of its judicial responsibilities, and added that some reactions were exaggerated. He concluded by stressing that a more respectful stance should be taken vis-à-vis constitutional institutions. (Sabah)

DSP: CHANGING CONSTITUTION WOULD BE HARBINGER OF CHAOS
19 March
Democratic Left Party (DSP) Chairman Zeki Sezer stated in a press conference in the parliament that the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli’s proposal that individuals, rather than political parties, should be punished was unfeasible. Mr. Sezer said that “The statements that Prime Minister Erdogan made regarding the Islamic headscarf issue while in Madrid provided an impetus to the events. We now witness attempts to influence the process by making amendments in the constitution with the proposal of the MHP, while the case is ongoing. This symbolizes new chaos. Attempts to amend the constitution while the case is processing will damage the rule of law” (Sabah)

FORMULAS FOR THE AKP TO EVADE THE CASE
20 March
The AKP is trying to prevent the Constitutional Court from closing the party, and for this purpose, four formulas are on the agenda. First, there is the “Venice” formula, which states that political parties can only be closed as a result of the promotion of violence and racism. The formula also allows individuals, people in the party administration, to be banned from politics. The second is the “Brussels” formula, which requires the permission of the parliament to close political parties. The third is the “Japanese” formula, which makes the decisions of the Constitutional Court subject to a vote in the parliament. The last formula would remove the authority of the chief prosecutor to open a closure case, instead granting it to a council that would include representatives from various legal institutions. (Radikal)

 CHANGING THE 68th AND 69th CLAUSES OF CONSTITUTION
21 March
The AKP’s legal staff has proposed to negotiate with the Nationalist Action Party (MHP) in order to prevent political parties from being closed. The proposal includes amendments to the 68th and 69th articles of the constitution. According to the proposal, it would be impossible to open a case to close down a political party based on crimes committed by individual party leaders or administrators. Hence individuals, in the first place, will be responsible for their acts. Racism, incitement to violence, terror, separatism, accepting money from a foreign state, or a party program’s discordance with the constitution would constitute reasons to close the party. (Sabah)

LEFTIST JOURNALIST ILHAN SELCUK TAKEN INTO CUSTODY DURING ERGENEKON OPERATION
22 March
Ilhan Selcuk, a columnist in the anti-AKP daily newspaper Cumhuriyet and a prominent leftist political figure in Turkey, was taken into custody on Friday within the framework of the Ergenekon operation. Eleven more people were taken into custody, including the Workers' Party leader Doğu Perinçek and the former rector of Istanbul University, Kemal Alemdaroğlu. Although there is no official statement from the law enforcement official responsible for the Ergenekon Operation, it is said that Mr. Selçuk was taken into custody on claims of "acting on behalf of an organization without being a member of the organization". Some analysts maintain that the operation is a new step in the power struggle between secularists and Islamists. Many AKP officials, including Prime Minister Erdoğan, have stated that the case to close down the AKP was launched in order to cover up the Ergenekon issue. The Ergenekon gang is suspected of being responsible for a series of bombings targeting Cumhuriyet newspaper offices last year. It is also said that the group had been plotting a series of bomb attacks and assassinations, and were responsible for the killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. (Hurriyet)

BAYKAL: AKP IS TRYING TO CREATE ITS OWN “DEEP STATE”
22 March
CHP chairman Deniz Baykal reacted against the taking into custody of Cumhuriyet newspaper columnist İlhan Selçuk, Workers’ Party chairman Doğu Perinçek and the former rector of Istanbul University, Kemal Alemdaroğlu. He accused the AKP of attempting to create its own “deep state”. Mr. Baykal said: “We face new problems every day in the second term of the AKP. Conflicts unheard of in a democratic country have become normal in Turkey. The price is paid by the republic, national unity and the democratic culture of Turkey. The legal system and the rule of law are under serious threat. The AKP is attempting to amend the constitution according to its wishes”. (Sabah)

The Turkey Analyst
The Turkey Analyst is a publication of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Joint Center, designed to bring authoritative analysis and news on the rapidly developing domestic and foreign policy issues in Turkey. It is published weekly, and includes a topical analysis, as well as translations and summaries of selected Turkish news reports. It is edited and compiled under the supervision of Svante E. Cornell, Halil M. Karaveli, and M. K. Kaya.

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