The Turkey Analyst

Vol. 1 no. 9, 20 June 2008

ANALYSIS

Interview with Süleyman Demirel
In late May 2008, three researchers from the Joint Center’s Turkey Initiative met with Turkey’s 9th president, Süleyman Demirel. This is a summary of his comments, which focused on the background to the current Turkish political crisis. Mr. Demirel, a towering figure over Turkey’s conservative forces for half a century, defines the problem as a struggle between modernity and bigotry.

What Went Wrong with Turkey's Moderate Islamists?
As the storms gather around the AKP, its rule is by all accounts likely to draw to a close. What went wrong with Turkey’s experiment of moderate Islamism? It is tempting for western observers to conclude that it was sabotaged by a supposedly autocratic, dogmatically secularist state establishment which is unwilling to surrender its positions of power. But the fatal mistake of the Islamists has precisely been to expect the seculars to accept surrender.




NEWS DIGEST: THE FORTNIGHT IN REVIEW

I. What the Columnists Say
Turkish newspapers are bought as much for the writings of their columnists as for news. The writings of leading columnists are therefore an important indication of developments and moods in Turkey.

II. Domestic Politics
Summary: News centered on the Constitutional Court’s decision to cancel the recent law legalizing the Islamic headscarf in universities. The decision, widely taken as an indication that the AKP itself will be closed down, generated substantial uproar, while speculations on the AKP’s next moves – including a possible early election – were rife. Click here for full digest.

III. Foreign Relations
Summary: In foreign relations, the two main topics were Foreign Minister Babacan’s visit to the United States and his meetings and speeches there; and the decision by the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly to again discuss Turkey, which had been lifted off the list of imperfect democracies requiring special observation in 2004. Click here for full digest.

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.

The Turkey Analyst occasionally publishes guest analyses, which are normally solicited. Submissions are nevertheless welcome.


CLICK HERE
FOR PDF VERSION

The Joint Center
The Joint Center, created in 2005, is the product of the merger of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, and the Silk Road Studies Program, at the Stockholm-based Institute for Security and Development Policy.

The Turkey Initiative
The Joint Center launched a Turkey Initiative in 2006 in order to improve understand of Turkish domestic and foreign affairs in Europe and the United States.

To Subscribe:
To subscribe to the Turkey Analyst email announcements, please contact Martina Klimesova with an email containing "subscribe Turkey Analyst" in the subject line.