The Turkey Analyst

Vol. 1 no. 14, 26 September 2008

ANALYSIS

Turkish Political Corruption: the AKP, Too?
M. K. Kaya
Corruption allegations have a prominent place on the Turkish political agenda. In a sense, the history of Turkish democracy reads like a chronicle of corruption allegations directed at governments. With the evolution of Turkey’s economy and the rapid urbanization since 1980, corruption has affected all governing parties following that year’s military coup. The same has been true for the AKP, in spite of the party’s self-proclaimed image of purity and its anti-corruption rhetoric. A recent German court case exposes the mechanisms of Islamist political and media finance.

The Revamped CHP Catches the AKP off Balance
Halil Magnus Karaveli
As the hopes that the AKP would get back on the track of reform and democratization recede, there is a real chance that the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) could reinvent itself as a centrist alternative in Turkish politics. There are also encouraging signs that Turkish social democrats realize that they have to revert to their old ways and make peace with Europe.

NEWS DIGEST: THE FORTNIGHT IN REVIEW

I. What the Columnists Say
The corruption charges and the new opposition tactics of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), are shaking the ruling AKP, and are widely commented by Turkish columnists. Several of the columnists notably pay attention to the role played by CHP’s Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who is described as a rising star that Prime Minister Erdogan has good reason to be afraid of.

II. Domestic Politics
Summary: The Deniz Feneri embezzlement case and the Prime Minister's confrontation with media magnate Aydin Dogan dominated headlines in domestic news. Click here for full digest.

III. Foreign Relations
Summary: Aside from reverberations of the Deniz Feneri scandal, foreign news included continued speculation on Turkey's Caucasian initiative and relations with the United States. 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.

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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.

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