The Turkey Analyst

Vol. 4 no. 5, 7 March 2011

ANALYSIS

Turkey remains an “Angry Nation” but could still serve as a democratic inspiration
Kerem Öktem
Turkey remains an “Angry nation”, tormented by the many ghosts of its history, some of which still lurk in the shadows. Its political system is characterized by deep polarization, and it is by no means certain that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will go on to dismantle the edifice of state tutelage bequeathed by the “guardians” who have now been put on the defensive as never before in the history of the republic. Yet even if the country’s immediate prospects remain ambiguous, the people of Turkey have nonetheless used the ballot box several times to successfully defy authoritarianism and military diktats. That deserves to serve as an inspiration for others in the Middle East.

Squaring the Circle: the PKK Return to Violence and Turkey’s Intractable Kurdish Problem
Gareth H. Jenkins
On February 28, 2011, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced that it was abrogating its unilateral ceasefire first declared on August 13, 2010. Initially, the PKK had been expected to continue to abstain from violence until after the June 12, 2011 general election; after which Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has pledged to introduce a new, more liberal, constitution. However, recent months have witnessed growing frustration at the AKP’s refusal to clarify what concessions to Kurdish demands will be included in the new constitution; while a large number of Kurdish nationalists have been arrested and prosecuted on poorly substantiated charges.

What the Columnists Say
The latest wave of arrests in connection with the Ergenekon trial has caused uproar in the Turkish media. The arrests of the journalists Nedim Şener and Ahmet Şık were met with general incomprehension and were widely condemned. Commentators who otherwise express support for the pursuit of the Ergenekon case – believing that there is indeed a conspiracy to overthrow the AKP government – have withheld their support for the latest arrests. Several pro-government commentators have notably warned the AKP government that many more will now be tempted to conclude that it seeks to silence the opposition. They also express the worry that those who have claimed all along that the Ergenekon case is a sham have now been handed a proof to be exploited.

RECENT ISSUES: CLICK HERE FOR ARCHIVES

NEW Silk Road Paper published

Reconciling Statism with Freedom: Turkey's Kurdish Opening
by Halil M. Karaveli, October 2010.



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 by Halil M. Karaveli.

The Turkey Analyst welcomes article submissions.

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 write to info@silkroadstudies.org with an email containing "subscribe Turkey Analyst" in the subject line.