The Turkey Analyst

Vol. 2 no. 10, 22 May 2009

ANALYSIS

Süleyman Demirel's Odyssey from Conservatism to Secularism
Hlail M. Karaveli
Süleyman Demirel, the grand old man of Turkish politics, aspires to revive the defunct center right which used to rule Turkey, creating an alternative to the AKP. However, Demirel no longer appeals to the conservative majority that composed the constituency of the center right. Indeed, he is accused of having betrayed the historical mission of Turkish conservatism by allying himself with the nationalist-secularist military-bureaucratic establishment. Demirel’s evolution in fact personifies the radicalization of republican state ideology.

Ankara's Growing Realism on the Nabucco Project
M. K. Kaya and Svante E. Cornell
The Nabucco pipeline is key to Europe’s diversification of natural gas supply, but faces numerous problems. Turkey has been a problem country for Nabucco given the low level of coordination of Turkish policy on the issue and Ankara’s exaggerated demands. Nevertheless, Ankara now appears to have adopted a more realistic policy. However, Ankara’s stance on Nabucco and its rapprochement with Armenia did considerable damage to the project by putting into question Azerbaijan’s participation. Indeed, while Turkey appears less of a problem than a few months ago, the ball is now in Baku.

What the Columnists Say
The confrontation between the Islamic conservative/liberal alliance and the nationalist-secularist camp continues to set the tone of Turkish politics. The funeral of Türkan Saylan, the founder of the secularist “Association for the defense of the modern way of life”, turned into a manifestation by the secularist opposition. The change of leadership in the Democratic party was widely interpreted as an attempt to revive a secularist center right alternative. While liberal and conservative commentators are worried that the secularist manifestation at Saylan’s funeral and the election of a new DP leader are part of the machinations of the Ergenekon organization, others see the former event as evidence that the attempts of Islamic conservative forces to incriminate all opposition is backfiring, and are hopeful about the prospects of a new center right.

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NEW Silk Road Paper published

Prospects for a 'Torn' Turkey: A Secular and Unitary Future?, by Svante E. Cornell and Halil M. Karaveli, October 2008.


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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