Insight Turkey / issues

Editor's Note | Fall 2010

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:18:00 GMT

Turkey’s history of democratization is also a history of constitutional amendments. This is so because the last two Turkish constitutions of 1961 and 1982 were penned under the military regimes. As such, a restrictive civil rights regime and institutionalization of the power of the unelected bodies vis-à-vis representative organs characterized these military-made constitutions.

Turkey’s Role in the Middle East: An Outsider’s Perspective

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:54:00 GMT

Owing to a changing geopolitical environment and a new foreign-policy approach, Turkey’s policies towards and role in the Middle East have undergone substantial changes since 2003. The most important facets, from a European perspective, are Turkey’s efforts to improve relations with its direct Middle Eastern neighbors, and to play a mediating role between different, sometimes quite difficult, players in the Middle East. In general, Turkey has been more successful in improving its relations with proximate neighbors than in settling disputes between other states and non-state actors in the Middle East. As long as Turkey maintains good relations with all players in the Middle East and understands the limitations to its role, it can substantially contribute to positive change in the Middle Eastern landscape. This will also allow more coordination and cooperation between Turkey and the EU with regard to their overlapping Mediterranean and Middle Eastern neighborhoods.

United States and Turkey: Allies at Odds?

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:14:00 GMT

Much has been said and written about US-Turkish relations recently. The main reason for that is the fact that the relations have gone through a difficult period when clear disagreements over several issues have emerged. The “flotilla incident” and Turkey’s “no” vote at the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member of the Council have given the appearance of a major row between the US and Turkey. Part of the reason for that is Turkey’s ambition to make decisions independently as a sovereign nation, which should be respected by her allies. The US and Turkey may have differences of opinion with respect to Israel and Iran. However, I would argue that the areas of cooperation, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, can only be described as exceptional. Instead of focusing on differences, we need to strengthen and highlight areas of cooperation based on our mutual interests.

Constitutional Referendum: Farewell to the ‘Old Turkey’

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:03:00 GMT

This commentary studies the results of the constitutional referendum that took place on September 12, 2010. It argues that the results underscore the Turkish people’s determination to do away with the current constitutional order created by the military regime following the 1980 coup and to write a new constitution that responds to the needs of contemporary Turkey. The commentary situates the positioning of the political parties in the constitutional referendum in the background of the structural changes that Turkish society has been going through in recent decades. It thus argues that the main cleavage in Turkish politics is no longer the traditional left-right ideological axis. Rather, the main line of division is between the static and reactionary forces comprising the old elites who seek to maintain their conventional privileges, and the progressive forces from the periphery who seek to gain political representation commensurate with their newly acquired wealth.

Democratization and Europeanization in Turkey After the September 12 Referendum

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:08:00 GMT

The recent reform of the Turkish constitution makes Turkey a more democratic country according to European Union standards. This does not mean, however, that Turkey is automatically closer to its goal of EU membership as a result of the September 12 referendum. Dynamics surrounding the latest reforms confirmed that, over the years, Turkey’s democratization and Europeanization processes have become less and less the product of a deliberate effort coherently pursued by Turkish elites than the uncertain outcome of what is primarily a struggle for power involving actors representing different segments of the Turkish state and society. A democratic Turkey as a full member of the EU remains a possibility in the medium-to-long term but one that seems to increasingly depend on a combination of favorable developments — a renewed interest in the EU in Turkey and vice versa, a constructive engagement between the government and opposition parties on the future reform agenda, as well as a sustainable solution to the Kurdish issue — which at the moment look far from likely.

The New Leader for the Old CHP: Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:13:00 GMT

The CHP constitutes a crucial place in Turkish political life. From its establishment to its closure after the military intervention of September 12, 1980, the CHP occasionally became a partner of coalition governments and came to power alone. The party was reopened and became more powerful after merging with the SHP in the 1990s. After the resignation of Baykal from party chairmanship in May 2010, whether new party chair would be able to extend the party base and become electorally successful has been started to be discussed. The new party chair Kılıçdaroğlu has a differentiated view of society, politics, democracy and freedom compared to Baykal. But then, the main problem is whether this difference would be able to turn the CHP into an alternative political power against the AK Party.

Turkey’s Illiberal Judiciary: Cases and Decisions

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:20:00 GMT

Turkey is moving toward achieving an ever-greater level of democracy by removing the remnants of restrictive and paternalistic administrative structures. The judiciary in Turkey has been one of the most influential instruments of state power in maintaining these structures. In the wake of the recently passed constitutional amendments, the question of whether the current government is trying to create a docile judiciary for its political purposes has been widely circulated. However, such questioning misses one of the most crucial motivators of the much needed reform package, i.e., the undemocratic record of the Turkish judiciary. The Turkish judiciary has traditionally considered itself as one of the guardians of the Turkish republic alongside the military. It has consistently delivered undemocratic decisions in the name of protecting the state. This article focuses on many examples of restrictive and paternalistic judiciary decisions in order to highlight the judiciary’s undemocratic role in the Turkish political system.

Constitutional Court: Its Limits to Shape Turkish Politics

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:39:00 GMT

This paper argues that the Turkish Constitutional Court acts within a set of limitations which significantly affect its final judgments. The court’s major consideration and motivation in its deliberations over political cases has primarily been to guard the regime and order, as defined and outlined by a fairly pro-state interpretation. To study the Court’s involvement in political cases, this study examines two types of cases, which will help identify the parameters restricting the Court’s ability to proceed with its expected role. In party closure cases, the Court has considered the probable threat posed by the political party under review; accordingly, its rulings have mostly been in line with the prosecutor’s indictment. The same also applies to cases concerning the headscarf ban, a sensitive issue that could be seen as a fault line in Turkey’s social and political life.

The Armenian Community and the AK Party: Finding Trust under the Crescent

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:47:00 GMT

This article aims to explore one of the critical and relatively understudied dimensions of Turkish politics: the complex characteristics of interactions between the Armenian community (mainly Gregorian Orthodox Christians) and the incumbent government of the Justice and Development Party. Two interrelated questions are raised below: Why did the relationship between the AK Party and the Armenian community become an important topic to discuss? What repercussions did the assassination of Hrant Dink in 2007 have on relations between the Turkish government and the Armenian community? The answers to these questions can help us better understand why a majority party with Islamic roots produced more reliable bonds for the Christian minority than previous governments with their more secular backgrounds and political agendas. I argue that the Armenian community in Turkey is in a constant quest for a secure socio-political climate where it can safely preserve its cultural, ethnic and religious identity. Hence, the political agenda of the AK Party essentially matched the Armenian community’s aspirations for large-scale reforms, which paved the way for a period of vigilant collaboration that remained in effect until the assassination of Hrant Din

The Turkish Model: Acceptability and Apprehension

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:56:00 GMT

Many actors have been interested in probing the approach that enabled Turkey to transform the country into a model of success within a few years. Ironically, this model is at the same time both a source of encouragement and apprehension for Islamic parties and the West. Although it presents an inspiration to Islamic parties and provides them with moral support and hope for change, this article investigates the considerations preventing them from reviewing their approaches to imitate the Turkish model. It assesses the Western interests and concerns over this model and discusses to what extent the West is interested in promoting such a democratic process elsewhere. Prior to analyzing these responses, it discusses the structure and elements constituting the Turkish model.

Turkey as a New Player in Development Cooperation

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:08:00 GMT

The past six decades have witnessed Turkey’s evolution from an aid recipient to an emerging donor country. Turkey’s aid volume now far surpasses Poland and is only slightly behind South Korea. Turkey’s aid policy has undergone fundamental changes since the collapse of the former Eastern block. Connected to this geopolitical transformation, Turkey’s bilateral aid has become an effective instrument in advancing Turkish foreign policy objectives in recent years. This article examines how Turkey reached the status of an emerging donor in terms of international development cooperation and how this shift of status has shaped Turkish foreign aid policy. This article also looks into the reorganization process of Turkey’s Official Development Assistance with a special focus on the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) and its ODA reporting policies. In addition, this article argues the political and strategic considerations as well as trade concerns with recipient countries are the main reasons motivating Turkey’s proactive foreign aid policy.

Turkey’s Darfur Policy: Convergences and Differentiations from the Muslim World

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:26:00 GMT

The effectiveness of the Muslim world in finding a solution to the Darfur conflict is open to debate. While many Muslim countries denied the existence of a genocidal conflict, arguing that the reports were a Western plot, some tried to go beyond the dichotomy of the West’s insistence on genocide and its outright rejection by the Muslim world. This article discusses Turkey’s Darfur policy in terms of ‘the war on terror’ discourse and Turkey’s developing multidimensional foreign policy and the restrictions arising from such a policy. It argues that Turkey’s approach has had the characteristics of both a convergence with and differentiation from that of the Muslim world. Turkey intended to go beyond current debates by creating a new ‘language’ on Darfur but failed due to its ineffective media policy and the limitations of its multidimensional foreign policy. Nevertheless, Turkey’s involvement may be seen as an example of passive quiet diplomacy in a highly complex international environment.

Making of a New State in the Balkans: Kosovo

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:38:00 GMT

Kosovo is one of the last states in the Balkan puzzle to gain its independence. The disputed region that declared independence on February 17, 2008 is still a “quasi-state,” a country with limited sovereignty, divided into a Serbian dominated north and an Albanian south. The international community has committed itself to the political and financial responsibility of securing peace in Kosovo and in the Balkan region at large. Yet neither the UN nor the EU has been able to undertake the necessary measures to prevent a possible partition of the new state. Besides a number of unresolved juridical and political issues, the country also has to deal with negative macroeconomic developments. Due to the lack of legal clarity, and the so-called reconfiguration of the tasks, competences and responsibility areas of the international organizations, only very modest steps have been made to integrate the country in the stabilization and association process of the accession to the EU.

Geo-Economics of European Gas Security: Trade, Geography and International Politics

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:49:00 GMT

This paper hypothesizes that analyzing the geo-economic and energy security characteristics of gas supplies to Europe may help in understanding the features of regional and international relations with regard to selected countries. The paper highlights the significance of natural gas in the New Energy Order, and points to the importance of supply security for the EU. It looks at Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya and Algeria as suppliers and Turkey as a transit country in an emerging gas corridor to Europe. It examines supply-side opportunities, which promote new fields of international cooperation based on gas trade, and addresses certain restraints that may reduce the likelihood of further regional cooperation. Economic and geographic factors create new opportunities for regional trade and international relations. This geo-economic aspect, however, takes place with international security issues varying from case to case.

Europe’s Destiny: The Old Lady and the Bull

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:10:00 GMT

Scholars and politicians debating the future of Europe usually fall into two camps. There are the Euro-enthusiasts, claiming that Brussels – backed by a strong single market and an increasingly harmonious Union – has a bright future. And the Euroskeptics, declaring that the days of European progress are gone and that the continent is bound to helplessly watch how the winners of globalization steal its global influence. The view that Europe lacks vision and is in deep political and economic trouble, is en vogue– and flourishing not only in Washington and Beijing, but in Brussels itself. Current trends indeed cause concern. Europe is the world’s slowest-growing region, its budgets are strained, and its population is aging at an alarming pace. Euro-enthusiasts counter, arguing that the EU’s population is still larger than that of the U.S. and Russia combined, and it is the world’s biggest trading bloc and largest single market. So, what is Europe – an economically stagnant ‘continent of the past’ or an evolving global power?

Neighborhood Challenge: The European Union and its Neighbors

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:23:00 GMT

The EU’s neighborhood policy presents an alternative perspective to its position on enlargement and membership. As such, it complements the EU’s broader objective of promoting political, economic and social development and stability on its periphery. Neighborhood Challenge evaluates the progress and coherence of the EU’s foreign policy practices through an examination of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) in several key regions. The book consists of 18 chapters focusing on various dimensions of EU policies toward the Western Balkans, the Middle East, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Turkey.

Imagine Europe: The Search for European Identity and Spirituality

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:26:00 GMT

Lately, the search for the revival of a European spirit to respond to the continent’s pervasive crises in economic, social, cultural, and political spheres has been the subject of many books and articles. This search has brought forth several different approaches, along with heated debates, as to how this resurgence in the first decade of the 21st century could be crystallized and projected into the future. Imagine Europe: The Search for European Identity and Spirituality, edited by Luk Bouckaert and Jochanan Eynikel sets out to keep track on these debates and delve into the question of the identity crisis besieging Europe.

Political Settlements in Divided Societies – Consociationalism and Cyprus

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:29:00 GMT

There is a growing literature on what political settlements are to be adopted in deeply divided (or post-conflict) societies and in protracted intra-state conflicts. These societies share the common characteristics of being divided by diverse ethnic lines based on opposing demands for security, power, status, and territory. The concept of consociationalism, which was introduced to political science by Arend Ljphart and first employed in the Netherlands in 1917, is a form of government that provides political stability in deeply divided societies through guaranteed group representation, power-sharing arrangements and functioning democratic institutions. The political settlements in divided societies and consociationalism together are increasingly becoming an autonomous subject of study. A burgeoning literature is emerging and political scientists are attempting to delineate and determine the main characteristics of this field.

Saudi-Iranian Relations since the Fall of Saddam

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:47:00 GMT

This slim volume examines a relationship that is pivotal for the stability of the Gulf and the wider Arab world and has major implications for Lebanon, Iraq, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the position of the US in the region. It was compiled by a team of RAND researchers who conducted a very considerable survey of secondary and newspaper literature and undertook a wide range of interviews in the Arab Gulf, although not in Iran. It is reasonable and balanced and provides a lot of valuable empirical information organized in a coherent framework, similar to the conflict resolution oriented work of the International Crisis Group.

Muslim Laws, Politics and Society in Modern Nation States

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:51:00 GMT

In this book, the author focuses on Muslim people’s social and legal situation and their legal attitudes from various points of view. The book has eight chapters: “Law, Politics and Society in the Post-Modern Condition”; “Dynamic Legal Pluralism, Muslim Legal Pluralisms; Muslim Legal Pluralism in England”; “Muslim Legal Pluralism in Turkey”; “Muslim Legal Pluralism in Pakistan”; “Post-Modern Muslim Legality and its Consequences”; and “Looking to the Future”.

German Orientalism: The Study of the Middle East and Islam from 1800 to 1945

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:53:00 GMT

Ursula Wokoeck’s book is a dissertation written at the School of History, Tel Aviv University. Known by her articles on Ibn Khaldun, Theodor Noeldeke, and Middle Eastern modernity, this historian researched the development of Middle Eastern studies as part of a wider discipline: Oriental studies, then still a minor discipline at the faculty of philosophy within the modern German university system.

The Obama Moment: European and American Perspectives

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:56:00 GMT

When Barack Obama became president of the United States in January 2009, expectations were unprecedented. Although Obama had proven his ability to inspire the world, still at the end of 2009 the President said that “change…takes time.” Since this book was written last year the world has witnessed unexpected global crises and ongoing conflicts: the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti, the BP oil spill, a stalled Middle East peace process hampered by substantial diplomatic rifts between regional powers, and America’s war in Afghanistan becoming its longest in history.

Islam and Liberal Citizenship: The Search for an Overlapping Consensus

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:56:00 GMT

Andrew March, starting from John Rawls’s concept of overlapping consensus, examines whether or not Islamic political ethics provides a legitimate ground for Muslims to come to terms with citizenship in non-Muslim liberal democracies. More specifically, March looks at Islamic religious doctrines to assess the extent of their support for residing in and being loyal to a non-Muslim liberal state, recognizing non-Muslims as equals in political terms, appreciating moral pluralism, contributing to the welfare of a non-Muslim state, cooperating with non-Muslims in a liberal political environment, and participating in liberal political systems. March argues that there exist “very strong and authentically Islamic arguments” (p. 15) in orthodox and modern religious doctrines that accept the core demands of liberal citizenship.

A Common Word, Muslims and Christians on Loving God and Neighbor

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:56:00 GMT

This volume is the first monographsized publication on the most important initiative towards interfaith dialogue between the Abrahamic religions in recent years, edited by two figures intimately involved in the A Common Word project and the Christian reaction to this Muslim gesture. In fact, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan — a scholar of religion with doctorates from both Cambridge and al-Azhar and a close advisor to both former King Abdullah II and King Hussein — was the driving force behind the initiative, while the Croatian-born theologian Miroslav Volf played a leading role in formulating the “Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to ‘A Common Word between Us and You’”.