[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Turkey and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Turkey Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to turkey@jadaliyya.com by Sunday night of every week.]
English
Democratization Package
The Reform Package and the State of Turkish Democracy Bülent Keneş analyzes the AKP’s democratization package recalling the government’s depiction of Turkey as an "advanced democracy."
Erdoğan’s Democracy Package Gets Cool Reception Yavuz Baydar examines the reactions to the democratization package, and calls it: Low Intensity Democratization
The Democratization Package that Missed the Point Tulin Daloğlu explores the criticisms raised by the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) about the package.
A Review of the Package by Way of its Shortcomings According to Sedat Ergin, “Prime Minister Erdoğan tried to target many birds to kill with one stone in the new democratization package.”
Erdoğan Democratization Package: What Does it Offer Minorities? Orhan Kemal Cengiz analyses the package, dividing it under the two subtitles: “the Kurdish issue” and “minorities.”
The Royal Edict of Reform Evoking the Ottomans’ famous Gülhane royal edict of reform, Yusuf Kanlı says “now we have Erdoğan’s royal edict of reform.”
Half Full or Half Empty? Nicole Pope answers the question: “Is the glass half full or half empty after Prime Minister Erdoğan unveiled his long awaited democratization package?”
Clever Maneuver or Sincere Reform? According to Joost Lagendijk, “the democratization package and the reactions have confirmed the deep polarization in Turkish society.”
Erdoğan’s "Democratization Package" Semih İdiz says “the package appears to continue the paternalistic and piecemeal approach to ‘controlled democratization,’” and it seeks to protect the interest of the ruling party.
Ankara Fails to Deliver on Democracy Elif Şafak contends that the package is not enough, since Turkish society has changed faster than its politicians.
Electoral System Debate Is Opened Seyfettin Gürel compares Turkey’s actual electoral system with the alternatives Prime Minister Erdoğan suggested in his package.
Glass Just Half-Full in Erdoğan’s Reform Plan Murat Yetkin says that “the package has elements of improvement in the name of democratic life, but it fell short of meeting some of the demands.”
Normalization Package Etyen Mahçupyan labels the democratization package as a “normalization package.”
The Glass Doğu Ergil approves of the goals of the reform package, and asserts that “the cautious steps that are taken point in the right direction.”
Erdoğan`s Democratization Package: A "Silent Revolution" Introducing details of the package, Rasim Ozan Kütahyalı suggests that it is a silent revolution.
President Calls for Participatory Democracy, Hints at Return to Politics Addressing the Parliament during the ceremony of the new legislative year, President Gül welcomes the package.
Erdoğan`s Timing Mümtazer Türköne draws attention to the timing of the package.
Reform Challenges for Turkish Government Abdullah Bozkurt says that “quizzing the government on its belated move does not change the truth that the AK Party is still the sole agent for change in Turkey.”
We Like Packages Not Democracy, We Like Processes Not Reforms “This package is neither a revolution nor a betrayal,” says Serkan Demirtaş.
Erdoğan’s "Democratization Package" Is the package a revolution for Turkish democracy? For Mustafa Akyol, “not exactly. But it still is a helpful step forward.”
The New Democratization Package According to İhsan Yılmaz, “the opposition parties` reactions to the new package have proven once more that we have to suffer the AKP`s spoiled attitudes because of the lack of any credible opposition.”
The Effect of the Democracy Package on the Economy Contrary to Erdoğan, who claims that “the economy will be affected positively,” Erdal Sağlam does not expect this to happen.
Backward-Looking Democracy In his analysis about the package, Markar Esayan claims that “The Gezi crisis was deplorable and harmed this country greatly. However, it served a good purpose.“
Gezi Uprising
Gezi Park Protest: Brutal Denial of the Right to Peaceful Assembly in Turkey An extensive report on the Gezi uprising prepared by Amnesty International.
The Gezi Effect “While the package improves legislation and regulations in a very limited way, the Amnesty report is a reminder that laws are not a sufficient safeguard as long as democratic reforms are not accompanied by a fundamental shift in mentality,” emphasizes Nicole Pope.
Why Is Everyone Asking About the Gezi Protests? İhsan Dağ explains why everyone asked President Abdullah Gül about the Gezi uprising at the UN General Assembly.
Is This Terrace Engineering? Tanıl Bora comments on allegations that “the government is determined to fine tune football fans since the Gezi protests, and to redesign the football terraces.”
Turkish
Democratization Package
Demokrasi paketi ve müşteri memnuniyeti The democracy package—including its name, content, and presentation—was marketed by a transnational company-wide advertising campaign, and presented by the company`s CEO, Erdoğan, Nazan Üstündağ writes.
Bir sirket CEO`su olarak Erdoğan Elaborating on Üstündağ`s above-mentioned piece, Pınar Oğünç analyzes similarities between the AKP and a company.
"Gezi Raporu" üstte "Reform Paketi" altta… Comparing Amnesty International`s recently published Gezi Report, Cengiz Candar says that the AKP cannot succeed in democratizing unless it changes its approach to Gezi.
Paket öncelikle Kürtler için değil miydi? Pointing the gaps in the democratization package, Aydın Engin argues that the resolution of the Kurdish question seems to have to wait.
Paketle ilgili ilk izlenimler ya da güven meselesi Umut Özkırımlı argues that, despite the symbolic changes it brought, the package is marked by its lacks and absences.
3 harfe var, 15 milyon Kürt`e yok Koray Çalışkan criticizes the package by suggesting that it did not make any change in the situations of those who are exposed to inequality and injustice.
Türkiye daha fazlası ve iyisine layıktı ve hazırdı Ruşen Çakır criticizes the package by indicating the points left untouched by the package, and speculates on the future of the peace process.
Demokratikleşme ve Ceylan ve tahribat ve nazar Bekir Ağırdır suggests analyzing the democracy package by looking at people`s daily lives.
Bu pakatte kadının da barışın da adı yok In their press release, Women`s Initiative for Peace states that “this package is far away from bringing equality, freedom, and democracy to women, Kurds, Alevis, LGBTs, and those who support the peace process.”
Nefretlik bir cümle: yetmez ama evet Ahmet Hakan criticizes intellectuals and journalists who praise the package by making comments such as, “Yes, but not enough.”
Yetmez ama evet`e son! Criticizing the positive approaches to the package, Cengiz Çandar says the “`Yes, but not enough` argument is not valid anymore. It`s time for `enough is enough.”
Temel haklarda azla kifayet meziyet midir? Commenting on the package, Ahmet İnsel points out that "being content with less" in terms of basic human rights is not a democratic merit.
Kemalistleri yendiler, Kemalizm`e yenildiler Analyzing President Gul`s speech about the package, Kerem Altan argues that the AKP is becoming "Kemalist" in terms of the oppression it instigates.
Demokratikleşme paketinde anadil sıkıntısı Ümit Kardaş questions the constitutional status and the implementation of education in the mother tongue proposed by the democracy package.
Paket Can Dundar criticizes the democracy package and suggests the changes it promises to bring are discriminatory, hypocritical, and antidemocratic.
Paket, Aleviler, Kürtler, azınlıklar, Gezi Rober Koptaş analyzes possible conflicts in light of the package, and argues that possible resolutions reside in a new form of opposition politics seen in the Gezi uprisings.
Demokrasi kime gerek? İhsan Dağ draws attention to Amnesty International`s recently published Gezi report, and argues that true democratization cannot be possible without it being taken seriously.
Daha fazlasına layıkız Hakan Tahmaz finds the package incapable of solving the Kurdish question, and offers suggestions to the AKP and the opposition parties.
Dar bölge kurnazlığına yakından bakmak Burak Cop criticizes the package by analyzing three alternative electoral systems suggested by Erdoğan.
Seçim sistemine dair öneriler ne anlama geliyor? (1) - (2) Bekir Agirdir explains three alternative electoral systems proposed by Erdoğan in two parts.
Seçim sistemi önerileri ne anlama geliyor? Tarhan Erdem comments on the three alternative electoral systems proposed in the democracy package.
Paket ışığında çözüm süreci Sedat Yurtdaş speculates on the future of the peace process following the announcement of the democracy package.
Demokratikleşme paketini nasıl okumalı? Ali Bayramoğlu argues that despite its flaws, the democratization package must be supported and given credit.
Demokrasi varsa doğruya doğru, eğriye eğri İhsan Dağ argues that despite its flaws, the package reveals that the democratization demands were well-received by Erdoğan.
Demokratik reformlara devam Ekrem Dumanli claims that Turkey must focus on the continuation of reforms instead of criticizing the democracy package.
Emin adımlarla ilerliyoruz Gülay Göktürk praises the package, arguing that the AKP is taking firm steps towards democracy.
Paketin kodları Yalçın Akdoğan, Erdoğan’s chief political advisor, argues that the package foreshadows further reforms.
Paket diyor ki: "refah" ve "kardeşlik" yetmiyor! Alper Görmüş argues that package is the manifestation of the AKP`s embrace of "equity and justice" alongside "welfare and fraternity" in order to deal with social unrest surrounding the Kurdish question and the Gezi uprisings.
Demokratikleşme paketi: beklentiler, tepkiler Hur Bakış, an independent news website, conducted seventeen interviews about the package with authors, journalists, and scholars from different ideologies and perspectives.
Ne kabaq ne devrim; kazanımlarin kerhen tescili Oya Baydar stresses that the AKP had to respond to people`s demands and struggles for democracy, and the package—though it is inadequate—is the manifestation of people`s victory.
Paketin dışa yansımaları Sami Kohen argues that the package “served as a PR (public relation) creating a reputable international image.”
Demokratikleşme paketi siyaset denklemini değiştirecek Fuat Keyman claims that the package will change the political equation in Turkey.
Demokratikleşme paketi: hayır, dağ fare doğurmadı ama… Analyzing both positive and negative sides of the package, Hasan Cemal focuses on its implementation.
Bir tarz-i siyaset olarak demokratiklesme paketi Yasin Aktay criticizes opposition groups, especially the BDP, for criticizing the package without considering its contribution to democracy and the peace process.
"Paket" konusu “Can we talk seriously about a regime called patriarchal democracy?” asks Murat Belge.
Neden demokratikleşemiyoruz? Historicizing the democratization question of Turkey, Şükrü Hanioğlu answers the question, "Why can’t we become democratic?"
Other Pertinent Pieces
For Urban Rights The current issue of the historical journal Social History (Toplumsal Tarih) focuses on “Urban Rights,” referring to Gezi Park experiences.
Malatya Mebusu Bayan Mihri Pektaş As one of first eighteen woman deputies in the Turkish Parliamentary, Mihri Pektaş`s interview in 1937 opens up a conversation about state feminism and women`s representation and rights.
Faili Meshur Cinayetler Analyzing the recent lynching attempts against the Roma people, Dilşah Özdinç says “lynching is the collective phenomenon of fascist mind...Roma is receiving its share of lynching attempts, as well.”
Published on Jadaliyya
Gezi Resistance, Police Violence, and Turkey’s Accession to the European Union
Baris surecinde gerekli olan ciddi bir hakikat ve telafi politikasi