The Turkey Analyst

Vol. 3 no. 2, 1 February 2010

ANALYSIS

Though Military is Marginalized, Turkey's Liberalization Remains Elusive
Halil M. Karaveli
The Turkish military no longer commands the obedience of society. However, the demilitarization of the Turkish polity is not ushering in a reversal of the traditional state-society relationship. The omnipotence of the state is not in any basic sense challenged. The AKP seeks not so much to dismantle the absolute state authority that the military has embodied, as it strives to become its new embodiment.

Is Time Running Out on Cyprus Reunification?
Gareth Jenkins
Time appears to be running out for a successful conclusion of the latest UN-sponsored negotiations to reunite the divided island of Cyprus. Although representatives of the two communities began intensified talks on January 11, 2010, the impending presidential elections in the Turkish Cypriot north of the island are expected to force a break in the negotiating process. More ominously, if – as currently seems likely – the incumbent Mehmet Ali Talat is replaced by the more hawkish Dervis Eroğlu, the prospects of a settlement are likely to recede considerably.

What the Columnists Say
The question whether or not the military has been devising schemes with the intention of toppling the government of the Justice and development party (AKP) has been the major, really the only topic of the Turkish political debate during the last fortnight. The intense discussion was prompted, once again, by the daily Taraf’s publication of what is allegedly a sensational scheme concocted in 2002-2003 by senior officers to destabilize the country. Although the details of the supposed coup plot have not been universally accepted as truths, it is nevertheless noteworthy that there is a clear tendency among commentators to take the gist of the allegations – that the military has indeed been seeking to subvert the government – for more or less granted. 

RECENT ISSUES: CLICK HERE FOR ARCHIVES

NEW Silk Road Paper published

Between Fact and Fantasy: Turkey's Ergenekon Investigation, by Gareth H. Jenkins, August 2009.


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 wlecomes article submissions.

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.