Turkey: Kurds Reconsider Resignations
December 18th, 2009 by Jason
Reuters reports that the Turkish government announced it will continue as planned with reforms expanding Kurdish rights despite a court ruling that banned (see previous post) the Democratic Society Party (DTP). According to Interior Minister Besir Atalay, “the Kurdish initiative will continue with determination, the necessary regulations will be accelerated.”
Nonetheless, Christian Science Monitor wonders whether the ban on the DTP and subsequent violent protests will undermine reform efforts. According to Dilek Kurban of the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV), the ban “has made it increasingly difficult for Kurds to see a space for themselves in legitimate political life in Turkey.”
Meanwhile, according to al-Jazeera, a group of DTP politicians have reconsidered their resignation from parliament. According to DTP leader Ahmet Turk, “this decision is a clear demonstration that we have faith in democracy […] and that we advocate peace and not violence.” It is reported that their decision came after PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, currently imprisoned, sent a message through his lawyers urging them to not abandon the political process. The DTP members will now join the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) instead of serving as independents.
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Judiciary, Kurds, NGOs, PKK, Protests, Reform, Turkey | Comment »
Turkey: Protests Turn Deadly
December 16th, 2009 by Zack
AFP reports that two people were shot dead during a Kurdish demonstration in Southeast Turkey on the fifth day of protests since the the largest Kurdish party, the Democratic Society Party (DTP), was banned by the constitutional court. The protesters were shot by a shopkeeper who fired into the crowd after his shop windows were broken and his vehicle torched. The article notes, “Closing shops is a traditional Kurdish protest method against the state and shopkeepers who resist are said to come under pressure from militant Kurds.” DTP has said its lawmakers will resign in protest, but it is unlikely that the ruling AKP will support such a design, thereby blocking the absolute majority needed for parliament to approve a resignation.
At the same time, the NY Times reports on warming ties between Syria and Turkey that extends beyond an economic relationship into cultural and political dimensions. The new ties have emboldened Syria to “hedge its bets” by spurning previous commitments to the West as the country’s regional stature grows. Joshua Landis comments that many of Turkey’s neighbors are taking a page from the country’s “Zero Crescents, Zero Axises, and Zero problems with neighbors” foreign policy handbook, which Landis describes as the “perfect anti-Bush foreign policy.”
Foreign Policy notes that Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy was fired after Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s U.S. visit because the ambassador refused to ask that the Turkish foreign minister be included in Erdogan’s meeting with President Obama on account that the minister’s counterpart Secretary Clinton would not be in attendance.
Posted in Diplomacy, Kurds, Political Parties, Protests, Turkey | 1 Comment »
Senate: Concern Over Turkey
December 14th, 2009 by Zack
Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Susan Collins (R-ME), along with eight other senators, sent a letter for Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy praising Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his work to strengthen the U.S.-Turkish partnership and acknowledging Turkey’s vital role in advancing regional security objectives. However, the senators express concern about the “downward trend of relations between Turkey and Israel this past year” highlighted by Israel’s exclusion from the recent military exercise Anatolian Eagle. They hope the two countries can overcome any political obstacles and ask Erdogan to keep them apprised of further developments on this issue.
Click here to view a .pdf version of the letter
Posted in Diplomacy, Israel, Military, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Turkey: Subtle Shifts and Kurdish Tension
December 14th, 2009 by Zack
Claude Salhani comments that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent condemnation of Israeli action in Gaza and the AKP’s shift away from Euro-centric foreign policies “come as no surprise” in light of Europe’s continued position of stringing along E.U. accession. For Salhani, this shift is eroding Turkey’s viability as a partner to negotiate a Middle East peace plan.
David Kenner at Foreign Policy reiterates Erdogan’s resentment towards the E.U. in a speech he gave at SAIS. At the same time, the article sees a genuine admiration for President Obama by Erdogan for his ability to adapt quickly to Turkish dynamics.
Michael Allen writes about Erdogan’s assertion that Turkish policy is not undergoing a “reorientation from the democratic West to Eurasian and Middle East states.” At a meeting in Washington, Erdogan downplayed reports of attacks on press freedom. However, Allen goes on to cite recent commentary that illustrate Erdogan’s inability to tolerate criticism, his support for the Iranian elections as democratic, and the sense that Turkey has lost much of its democratic momentum.
BitterLemons-International has released its latest edition discussing the relationship between Turkey and the Kurds. Saad Jawad traces the strained relationship between Turkey and the Kurds in northern Iraq, arguing that Turkey will not support an independent Kurdish region, perhaps to point of attacking the region and bringing Turkey into conflict with the U.S. Ibrahim Kalin, however, notes an accelerating rapprochement between the two parties initiated by the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Kalin believes the success of the newly burgeoning diplomatic ties will be determined by four principles that Turkey outlines with all of its neighbors: security for all, territorial integrity, economic integration, and deepening social relations among the people. Lastly, Khaled Salih writes that the Erdogan government is serious about dialogue with the Kurds as part of a movement to build a strong, new vision for Turkey. Currently, it appears the country will “likely adopt a combination of democratization and decentralization” that will recognize group identities and Salih argues that Erdogan could adapt elements from the British, Spanish, and Belgian systems in this pursuit.
In Turkey, AFP reports that Kurdish parliamentarians are debating a decision to withdraw from Parliament as the The Democratic Society Party (DTP), the largest Kurdish party, has been outlawed by the constitutional court on grounds it is linked to the PKK.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Freedom, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Kurds, Middle Eastern Media, Mideast Peace Plan, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
POMED Notes: “Future of US-Egypt Relations: A View from the Next Generation”
December 13th, 2009 by Zack
The Hollings Center, in coordination with the Woodrow Wilson Center, hosted a panel to present findings from a conference hosted over the summer by the Hollings Center and Egypt’s International Economic Forum in Istanbul that convened a select group of 25 Egyptians and Americans from their late 20s to early 40s for a unique dialogue on how each country perceives the other and how to strengthen the relationship in the coming decade. The panel featured Amy Hawthorne, Executive Director, Hollings Center for International Dialogue, Ashraf Swelam, Acting Director General, Egypt’s International Economic Forum, Lara Friedman, Director of Policy and Government Relations, Americans for Peace Now, and Norann Zaghloul, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and former Vice President, Egyptian American Cultural Association. The event was moderated by former ambassador Nicholas Veliotes, Chair of the Hollings Center Board of Directors.
Follow the break to read POMED’s Notes
Or click here to download a .pdf version
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in DC Event Notes, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Islamist movements, Israel, Mideast Peace Plan, Muslim Brotherhood, NGOs, Political Parties, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy, US politics, Women | 2 Comments »
Turkey: Erdogan in DC
December 9th, 2009 by Jason
Ben Katcher at the Washington Note provides an overview of Prime Minister Erdogan’s visit to Washington. Among other developments, Erdogan implied Turkey will continue to reform regardless of European “obstacles” to E.U. accession.
However, Michael Rubin at NRO criticizes President Obama for praising Erdogan despite Turkey’s recent backtracking on human rights, especially in its “war on the free press.” He cites a recent resolution passed by the World Association of Newspapers that “calls on the Turkish authorities to cease the campaign of intimidation of journalists and media.” Babylon and Beyond delves into greater detail about the clash between the Turkish government and the media mogul Dogan Yayin Holding, who has criticized the ruling AKP party. Jennifer Rubin at Commentary echoes Michael Rubin’s concerns, arguing “Obama doesn’t really have anything to say in support of human rights and democracy advocates.”
Marc Lynch observes that the Islamist government of Erdogan is a “model of workable political Islam,” but one that is “dual-edged” as Turkish secularists “continue to sound the alarm bells of creeping Islamism.” Lynch finds concerns over Turkey’s newly assertive foreign policy “overblown,” arguing it was as much a result of “the effective closing of the door to European Union membership as it was by Erdogan’s Islamism.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Journalism, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political Parties, Reform, Secularism, Turkey, US foreign policy, US politics | Comment »
Turkey: Erdogan Visit
December 8th, 2009 by Zack
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan met with President Obama yesterday. While the statements regarding the meeting “were typically brief and laudatory” (see C-SPAN video of the press conference) Steve Clemons writes that the most consequential statement was Erdogan’s announcement of his desire to increase societal cooperation between the two countries: “Of course, there are many sides to the development of this relationship — be it in the economic area, in the areas of science, art, technology, political areas and military areas. We have also appointed two people from our side to act as counterparts in order to liaise with their American counterparts to continue on this process. Those two people are the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Ali Babacan; and the Minister of State responsible for economic affairs, Mr. Zafer Caglayan.” Clemons sees the build up of civil society ties as an important way to build a more pro-American posture in Ankara.
The White House released a statement explaining that Obama and Erdogan discussed Turkey’s continued role in Afghanistan, the Iranian nuclear crisis, strengthening Turkey’s role in NATO, and normalizing Turkish/Armenian relations. However, The LA Times reports that Obama failed to win any immediate pledges of support for Afghanistan or Iran, on which Erdogan urged further diplomacy and rejected sanctions.
Posted in Afghanistan, Diplomacy, Iran, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Turkey: Possible Partner?
December 7th, 2009 by Zack
In a Daily Star editorial, Rami Khouri sets Turkey up as the Middle East’s “only real country.” He embraces Turkey’s “mix of lively domestic politics, a dynamic social and cultural life, and a strong and internationally expanding economy.” Furthermore he lauds the country’s commitment to “freedom of speech and association that allow domestic politics to proceed in the direction defined by a majority of the citizenry; civilian authority over the armed forces and security agencies; and, pragmatic, humble realism in coming to terms with the realities of a pluralistic society where minorities demand rights that the majority should acknowledge.” For Khouri, Turkey is a “refreshing” example of a large ruling party accountable to the votes of the citizenry and a leader in sensible foreign policy.
In contrast, Soner Cagapty argues that Turkey is embracing an anti-Western, pro-Islamist foreign policy by pursuing rapprochement with Russia, Iran, and the Sudan. Turkey’s move away from the West, and particularly its historically strong relationship with Israel, is being prompted by increasing Qatari investment and growing trade with Syria, which Cagapty terms “Econo-Islamism.”
Suat Kınıklıoğlu, the AK Party deputy chairman for external affairs, responds to such “superfluous” concerns that Turkey is developing a “neo-Ottoman” imperialist foreign policy by arguing that the country is merely attempting to “reintegrate Turkey into its immediate neighborhoods, including the Balkans, the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean.”
Similarly, Marc Lynch, after giving an introduction to Prime Minister Erdogan’s previous diplomatic record, writes that he does not see any malice in Turkey’s expanding diplomatic role in the Middle East. He argues, “Turkey’s cultivation of good relations across the spectrum makes perfect sense for a player on the periphery without a direct stake in old battle lines which wants to maximize its diplomatic clout.” As such Turkey is an ideal partner for the U.S. because it can “bridge the gap” between players on both sides of the region’s deeply rooted conflicts.
Ahead of Erdogan’s visit to Washington, Joshua Walker argues that Turkey, who is seeking a greater regional role and who already has taken on significant responsibility, is President Obama’s ideal partner to support Afghanistan operations. Morton Abramowitz and Henri Barkey agree that Turkey could become a vital partner in the region. As such they argue that Obama will have to overlook differences, including Turkish policies that favor Islam over previous accords, and push Erdogan to embrace the reforms necessary to join the E.U.
Posted in Diplomacy, EU, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Turkey: Questioning the Future
December 2nd, 2009 by Zack
Soner Cagaptay examines the seven years of AKP rule in Turkey for the Washington Institute. He writes that the AKP started out as a moderate Islamist movement indifferent to Turkey’s E.U. hopes, but with European Court of Human Rights decision to uphold the Turkish ban on headscarves and the military’s failed attempt to unseat the party, the AKP has eroded its E.U. aspirations and moved towards an authoritarian regime based on orthopraxy. The AKP has also worked to undermine liberal principles, including free speech, and continues to align itself with anti-Western and Islamist regimes, resulting in an “a la carte moralistic foreign policy.” Cagaptay believes the AKP “demonstrates that Islamists distort Islam, re-imagining it as inherently illiberal at home” and proves that “Islamism may not be compatible with the West, after all.”
David Schenker argues that Turkey has moved away from the West and towards Syria for two reasons: first, Turkey is no longer dependent on Israel to pressure Syria into not providing a safe haven for Kurdish extremists and, second, the Islamist shift in Turkish politics has shifted the country’s foreign policy paradigm. Damascus has naturally embraced rapprochement because the new face of Turkey is more amenable and Turkey can provide an avenue to facilitate diplomatic relations with Europe.
Michael Rubin writes that PM Erdogan is the new Vladimir Putin in his disdain for the free press and Rubin laments President Obama’s decision to turn a blind eye towards journalist abuses. Rubin, then, advertises a meeting of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Thursday morning at 10:30 on Turkey.
The Daily Star reports that Negar Azizmoradi, the head of the Iranian branch of the Rael sect, a group that rejects the “existence of any god and believe extraterrestrials created the earth,” faces deportation from Turkey to Iran, where she faces execution.
In other news, The Daily Star reports that Turkey has signed a free-trade agreement with Jordan that “is key to enhancing bilateral economic cooperation and boosting trade as well as investments between Jordan and Turkey.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Islamist movements, Kurds, Middle Eastern Media, Political Parties, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
Libya: Legalizing NGO’s
November 25th, 2009 by Zack
While Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi played host to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, he announced that he will personally intercede to bridge the rift between Egypt and Algeria. Middle East Online is reporting that legislation has been proposed that will allow citizens to create civil associations “on condition that they are apolitical.” To further the prospect that such a law will be adopted, Abdelrahman Boutouta, the head of a legal committee tasked with amending Libya’s penal code, confirms that he intends to decriminalize the creation and membership of NGOs, which previously carried the death penalty. However, the report notes that Boutouta gave no time-frame for these changes.
Posted in Freedom, Judiciary, Legislation, Libya, NGOs, Reform, Turkey | Comment »
Turkey: Democracy and the Kurds
November 24th, 2009 by Zack
The Washington Post has written an editorial criticizing Turkish PM Recep Erdogan for backsliding on his commitment to democratic principles. Despite the fact that Erdogan is pushing through Kurdish reforms, the dimming prospects of Turkey joining the E.U. has led Turkey to adopt an unwanted stance on Israel and a coziness with Iran, Syria and Sudan, as well as cracking down on Turkish media. The editorial concludes that Erdogan must stop “coddling Muslim dictators — and stop following their practice of silencing domestic opposition.”
The New York Times on the other hand has published an editorial focusing on the courage of Erdogan’s Turkish reforms. While the editorial notes the same worrying trends, it argues Turkey is responding to U.S. efforts to push democracy and that Europe “must finally make clear that if Turkey bolsters its democracy and respects the rights of its minorities, it will be welcome in the European Union.”
Posted in Diplomacy, EU, Elections, Foreign Aid, Kurds, PKK, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »
World’s Most Influential Muslims
November 19th, 2009 by Jason
The Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University has released a detailed list of the “The 500 Most Influential Muslims.” While the report (PDF) admits defining influence is “tricky,” it seeks to identify “people whose influence is derived from their practice of Islam or from the fact that they are Muslim.” The report provides profiles for the top 50 individuals, as well as a detailed overview of Islam.
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia edges out Grand Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran for the most influential Muslim in the world. They are followed by Morocco’s King Hassan, Jordan’s King Abdullah, and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan.
In The Guardian, Riazat Butt identifies several anomalies in the list, such as comedian Dave Chapelle. She also expresses her discontent that so few women are identified, and those that do make the list are given a separate category. Furthermore, she observes that many of the top 50 Muslims are heads of state who inherited their position, citing the report’s distinct category of Muslims who are influential because of their lineage.
Posted in Egypt, Gulf, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Kuwait, Morocco, Political Islam, Publications, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Women | Comment »
Turkish Reforms for Kurdish Minority
November 16th, 2009 by Zack
Reuters is reporting that Turkey has laid out a reform plan to expand Kurdish rights, including the creation of an independent body to investigate cases of torture and allowing Kurds to campaign and broadcast in Kurdish. The main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), walked out of parliament in response to the legislation, which aims to disarm the Kurdish PKK. According to the New York Times this new plan comes a year after “Parliament approved private Kurdish language courses and a public television channel in Kurdish, as part of what it called a democracy package.”
Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Legislation, PKK, Reform, Turkey | Comment »
The Struggle over Democracy in the Middle East
November 16th, 2009 by Zack
Nathan Brown and Emad Shahin have edited a new book, The Struggle over Democracy in the Middle East, which examines “democracy and democratization in the light of regional realities rather than the wishful thinking of outsiders.” Addressing themes such as sectarianism, culture, religion, and security “specialists from the region analyze democratic prospects in the region, while accomplished scholars from the United States and the United Kingdom analyze Western policy, providing a wide-ranging survey of the efforts of individual countries and the effect of external influences.”
Some of the chapters include:
The Myth of the Democratizing Monarchy by Shadi Hamid; New Wine in Old Bottles? American Efforts to Promote Democracy in the Arab World by Nathan Brown and Amy Hawthorne; and Democracy, Islam and Secularism in Turkey by Ersin Kalaycioglu.
The book also investigates the prospects for a democratic constituency in the Middle East, the lessons of Eastern Europe, sectarianism in Lebanon, and the relationships between democracy, security and religion in the region.
Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Lebanon, Political Islam, Reform, Turkey, US foreign policy, US politics | Comment »
Middle East International Refounded
November 9th, 2009 by Jason
The Middle East International has restarted its printing press after a six-year hiatus, releasing a free PDF issue online in commemoration. According to the Arabist, MEI offers “long articles and analysis from writers based in-country who [know] what they [are] talking about.”
There are several articles in the first issue related to democracy in the Middle East. David Gardner explores why “the Arab world is mired in despotism” and blames America’s “morbid fear of political Islam” for its failure to promote democracy in the region. While the Bush “freedom agenda” is no more, the realization that “tyranny, connived in by the West, breeds terrorism, instability, and societal stagnation” still holds true. Therefore, “President Obama needs to rescue that insight before it is swept away in a backlash of shallow realism.” Gardner continues, “support for autocracy and indulgence of corruption in this region, far from securing stability, breeds extremism and, in extremis, failed states.” Yet while the U.S. must do more to promote democracy, Gardner reminds us that ultimately Arab citizens must lead the effort to democratize their respective countries.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Arab League, Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Gulf, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Islamist movements, Israel, Lebanon, Legislation, Libya, Muslim Brotherhood, NGOs, Neocons, Oil, Political Islam, Political Parties, Publications, Reform, Sectarianism, Secularism, Turkey, US foreign policy, Uncategorized, United Nations, sanctions | Comment »
Coercing the Western Press
November 2nd, 2009 by Jason
Writing for The Independent, Robert Fisk exposes “the truth about the Middle East […] buried beneath the headlines.” He laments that press bureaus across the region “give in to the bully” and avoid controversial stories about their host governments. Western journalists fear that their bureau may be shut down if the wrong story is pursued. Thus, “the investment in such Western news bureaux has now become more important than the news for which the original investment was made.”
Posted in Egypt, Freedom, Israel, Journalism, Palestine, Turkey | Comment »
October 28th, 2009 by nick.danforth
Civil-Military relations are back on the front page in Turkey following new revelations about the soft coup document that emerged last June purporting to show a military plan to undermine the governing AKP through propaganda and legal action. An anonymous military officer who claims to have worked with the Colonel originally charged with writing the document has published a confession, leading to renewed criticism of Chief of Staff Ilker Basbug who earlier denied the military had any role in the documents creation. For more, see the Eurasia Daily Monitor.
Posted in Note, Turkey | Comment »
Turkish and Israeli Tensions
October 23rd, 2009 by Zack
The Daily Star is running a report that Turkey’s public broadcaster (TRT) has removed scenes of Israeli violence against Palestinians from a television series after it caused a diplomatic row with Israel. While the producer says the series does not incite hatred of Israelis, the first episode of “Separation: Palestine in Love and in War” portrayed Israeli forces shooting innocent Palestinian civilians, insulting and ridiculing them.
At the same time, Turkey has withdrawn from joint military exercises with Israel. Yoav Stern at SyriaComment is arguing that Turkey has shunned Israel in favor of building stronger ties with Syria and Simon Tisdall argues that Israel is underestimating Turkey’s resentment over the Gaza situation and therefore risks losing its strongest regional ally.
Posted in Diplomacy, Israel, Middle Eastern Media, Military, Turkey | Comment »
Turkish Rallies over Detained ‘Peace’ Group
October 20th, 2009 by Zack
Agence France Presse is reporting that thousands of Kurds rallied in Diyarbakir as 34 members, including eight Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rebels, of a “peace group” arrived from Iraq to show support for Ankara’s plans to end the 25-year Kurdish conflict. The group surrendered to police and were taken into custody for questioning immediately after crossing the border. According to the article, ”Turkish officials have said the group’s members were welcome if they were in Turkey to turn themselves in, but senior PKK commander Murat Karayilan told the pro-Kurdish Firat agency on Sunday that the group’s aim was not surrender.” Demonstrations also took place in Batman and Mardin in the southeast and the eastern cities of Tunceli, Van and Mus, as well as Izmir and Istanbul, both of which have sizeable Kurdish communities.
The AP is now reporting that the Turkish government has released the eight PKK members pending future trials for their membership in the PKK. The fate of these men will likely influence further moves towards reconciliation.
Posted in Kurds, PKK, Turkey | Comment »
POMED Notes: Engaging the Muslim World
October 19th, 2009 by Jason
The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted a panel discussion about “Engaging the Muslim World” last week. The panel included Daniel Brumberg of USIP, Dina Shehata of the Al-Ahram Center, Omer Taspinar of the Brookings Institution, Palwasha Hassan of USIP and David Smock of the Center for Mediation and Conflict Resolution. Abiodun Williams moderated the panel. In addition, Congressman Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) delivered a keynote address.
To see POMED’s full notes of the events, please click here.
Posted in Afghanistan, DC Event Notes, Diplomacy, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Legislation, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political Parties, Reform, Secularism, Taliban, Turkey, US foreign policy, US politics, Women | Comment »
