[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

Domestic Politics

2015 Election Analysis Mahmut Övür suggests that the AKP will win the 2015 general election in spite of major political unrest over the last two years.

Incentives against Aging Population Seyfettin Gürsel analyzes the efficacy of new laws aimed at providing incentives for women to have more children.

Turkey Faces Demining Delays Sibel Utku Bila explores how Turkey’s moderate approach to removing mines along the Syrian border is compounded by the influx of refugees into the region.

Turkish Cartoonists Threatened after Charlie Hebdo Attacks Pınar Tremblay writes about the varied public and political responses in Turkey to the attacks at the French magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

Turkey Probes for ISIL Link in Istanbul Attack Serkan Demirtaş examines the Turkish response to the bombing in Istanbul in relation to the attack on Charlie Hebdo and the possible role ISIS may have played in both attacks.

What Is the Strong Will Hesitant About? Orhan Oğuz Gürbüz claims that the AKP has shied away from its discourse about “national will” because of how much it has alienated the Turkish public.

“Parallel Structure” Debates

Being Crushed under Baggage: Shortness of Breath Ekrem Dumanlı argues that the restrictions on freedom of expression in the name of national security have isolated Turkey from the rest of the world.

A Very Short Story of Turkey`s Parallel State Merve Şebnem Oruç attempts to place the “parallel state” of the Gülen movement in a larger genealogy of the phenomenon of the “deep state” in Turkey.

When Some Intellectuals Are Subordinated to Others Etyen Mahçupyan suggests that an open letter from ninety intellectuals to the AKP government was unable to attract many signatories because the Turkish public does not believe that there are not significant restrictions on journalistic freedom.

What Is a Coup? Suat Kınıklıoğlu examines how the government has attempted to transform the meaning of the word “coup” over the last few years in order to expand its ability to quash dissent.

Oppositions Can`t Be Bothered with Politics Melih Altınok claims that opposition parties are working in coordination with the Gülen movement in order to take down the AKP government using extralegal means.

The Community`s Unparalleled Journalistic Activity Kemal Öztürk argues that journalists, newspapers, and media affiliated with the Gülen movement are working to destroy the legitimacy of the AKP domestically as well as internationally.

“New Turkey,” AKP, Authoritarianism

The AKP`s Embarrassing Success Cafer Solgun examines a recent poll that suggests the AKP government’s campaign to positively spin restrictions on freedom of expression has been successful.

Turkey`s New Legal Definitions Lead to Increase in Arrests Fehim Taştekin explores how the government’s use of “reasonable suspicion” for police action has led to a crackdown on public dissent.

Turkish Women Receive Mixed Messages on Work-Life Balance Pınar Tremblay demonstrates that there is a cognitive dissonance between the AKP government’s encouragement of women’s domesticity and the political and professional lives of its officials and their family members.

Turkey Allows Building of First New Church in a Century Mustafa Akyol suggests that the government’s decision to allow the building of a Syriac church in Istanbul is an element of the AKP’s neo-Ottomanism.

Minorities, Turkey, and the Quality of Its Democracy Markar Esayan argues that the AKP’s efforts to engage with its minorities prove that it is committed to democratic values even as countries in Europe struggle with racism.

Engineering Defeated by Politics Hatem Ete asserts that the international and domestic engineering that went into generating challenges to the AKP were nonetheless not enough to overcome the AKP’s commitment to democratic politics.

Liberal Repentance According to Ömer Taşpınar, the “liberals” who supported the promise of change in the AKP’s early years are no longer supporting the AKP.

Acquittal in the Corruption Investigation

The Tests Turkey Faced in 2014 According to Nagehan Alçı, the exoneration of the four ex-ministers in the corruption investigation will allow Turkey to work toward achieving a state of law.

Foiling a Plot Versus Putting Public Concerns to Rest İlnur Çevik claims that the decision not to indict the four ex-ministers accused of corruption will not appease the Turkish public.

What Would Have Happened to the Corruption Investigations if the Coup d`État Were Successful? Markar Esayan speculates about possible outcomes had the corruption scandal in December 2013 succeeded in toppling Erdoğan and the AKP.

December 17 Underlines Need for Judicial Reform Taha Özhan argues that the corruption investigation was legally illegitimate from the beginning, and therefore it was logical for the commission to dismiss the allegations.

Is This the Way to Fight Corruption? Murat Yetkin asserts that the AKP undermined the corruption investigation at every possible moment, leading to the exoneration of the ministers who were being investigated.

The Princes Are Above the Law According to Mustafa Akyol, the acquittals of the four ex-ministers in the corruption investigation portend a continuing departure of the rule of law.

What Made the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission Behave Like This? Etyen Mahçupyan argues that the presence of AKP members of parliament on the investigative commission worked to cast the corruption investigation itself as legally and politically illegitimate.

Tight Floodgates According to Yusuf Kanlı, the government’s handling of the corruption allegations against four ex-ministers shows the discrepancies between Turkish democracy and democracy in general.

Peace and Reconciliation Process

A Move or a Skid? (1) - (2) Ali Bayramoğlu questions whether the increasing political influence of Kurdish politics outside of Turkey is helping or hindering the peace process within Turkey.

Turkey`s AKP Pits Kurd against Kurd Fehim Taştekin argues that the Turkish government stands to benefit from fomenting rivalries between competing Kurdish political groups like the secular-Marxist PKK and the religious-nationalist Hüda-Par.

Does the Organization Want Resolution? According to Hatem Ete, the PKK has been insincere and inconsistent in meeting its obligations and responsibilities while the Turkish government has “managed to keep the Resolution Process on track.”

Why the HDP Must Remain in Parliament Semih İdiz claims that the presence of the HDP in Parliament offers a political platform for Kurds who might otherwise radicalize and join the PKK.

Decentralization in the Region; Centralization in Turkey Cengiz Aktar examines prospects for a federal restructuring across the Kurdistan region and its potential impact on domestic Turkish politics.

Foreign Relations

Political Missteps in Libya Cause Turkey`s Economy to Stumble Zülfikar Doğan argues that the AKP government’s support for the Islamic Brotherhood in the Arab world has generated political controversies that are damaging Turkish economic prospects in the region.

Let the Person without Sin Cast the First Stone Güven Sak claims that Turkey’s close economic ties with the West offer some stability in light of ongoing political upheavals.

Has Turkey Lost Libya? According to Amanda Paul, Turkey’s impartiality in Libya has caused resentment and distrust from the Libyan leadership.

Economy

Young and Jobless İbrahim Türkmen argues that the government’s efforts to build a younger population are useless without stronger guarantees of employment and financial security.

Other Pertinent Pieces

"UNESCO and Turkey in Solid Dialogue over Istanbul`s Historic Areas" Barçın Yinanç interviews UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova regarding the Turkish government’s restoration projects.

Turkish

Domestic Politics

Mahçupyan, ulusal güvenliğe tehdit mi? Joost Lagendijk speculates on how the one hundredth anniversary of 1915 will impact politicians’ framing of the issue.

CHP, sağdan oy almak zorunda Mehmet Çetingüleç argues that in order to come to power, the CHP needs to recruit votes from the right-wing electorate.  

ÖDP lideri Alper Taş: AKP’yi yenmenin yolu CHP, HDP ve sosyalistlerin seçim ittifakı An interview with Alper Taş, the leader of the socialist Freedom and Democracy Party, who purports that an alliance between the HDK, the CHP, and socialists would counteract the AKP’s influence.

Sınırsız sorumsuzluk diyarı: ‘Ceylankê parçe parçe’ ama annesi duygusal zarar görmemiş! Hürrem Sönmez criticizes the social fabric in the country—“the land of unlimited irresponsibility”—that legitimizes the murdering of children by the state.

HDK ve BHH... neden olmasın? Fatih Polat claims that an electoral alliance between the HDP and BHH, the United June Movement, is possible and necessary.

HDK ve BHH birlikteliğine evet ama nasıl? According to Özgür Müftüoğlu, the HDK and BHH’s potential electoral alliance would not be adequate unless their politics address the needs and wants of the society.

Cemaat eylem yapınca Emrah Çelik discusses what protesting means for Gülenists, who have recently started taking collective action against the government’s treatment of their movement.

Reddedildi Kerem Altan talks about the contradictions in the reports of one of the biggest mainstream newspapers in Turkey, which currently supports the government’s policies.

Arap gençleri Türkiye`yi ne sebepten artık pek tutmuyor? (1) - (2) Güven Sak discusses the impact of Turkey’s decreased popularity in Arab countries on business, and the financial sources of the construction sector in the country.

“New Turkey,” AKP, Authoritarianism

Torbada guvenlik devleti var Ahmet İnsel claims that the new security bill targeting the Gülenist organization within the police department will create a police force subject to the government.  

28 Şubat`larda isyan edenler, `Savuşturma Komisyonu` kararına, Erdoğan fetvalarına ne diyorsunuz? Hasan Cemal asks those who opposed restrictions on a religious way of life in the past the reason they do not oppose other lifestyles being targeted now.

Hükümete darbenin inanılmaz sonsuz listesi Ezgi Başaran observes how the word “coup” is strategically used by the government to delegitimize dissent.

Devrim mi yaşıyoruz? Herkül Milas underlies the contradictions of the “revolution” discourse that AKP supporters frequently use to explain allegedly illegal judiciary practices.

Paralel yapı, kamu barışı ve hırsızlar Mümtaz’er Türköne questions how a structure currently deemed as non-existent by a court decision would find its way into the state’s terror list.

Kullanışlı yalanlar ve acı gerçekler! (1) - (2) Abdülhamit Bilici argues that there is a big discrepancy between what the public knows about the state of the country and the real figures.

Organize arsızlık Erkan Aydoğanoğlu criticizes the criminalization of public questioning of the alleged corruption cases.

Acquittal in the Corruption Investigation

Partiye güvenmek veya güvenmemek According to Tarhan Erdem, AKP members will decide to show loyalty either to their electorates or to the ministers allegedly involved in the corruption scandal.  

Aklandılar şimdi, öyle değil mi? Murat Yetkin discusses the implications of the acquittal in the corruption investigation in terms judicial independence.

Mahkeme beğenmemekIn response to the AKP Prime Minister’s suspicion of the judicial competence of the Supreme Court, Yüksel Taşkın argues for a necessity of trust in the judiciary in democratic societies.

Darbe başarılı olsaydı yolsuzluk soruşturmalarına ne olurdu? Markar Esayan discusses the role of Gülen movement members in the preparation of corruption allegations.

Tayyip Erdoğan’ın AKP’ye darbesi Oya Baydar argues that Erdoğan’s actions incriminate his party and force AKP deputies to rationalize corruption.

Peace and Reconciliation Process

Haziran seçimleri ve çözüm süreci... Ali Bayramoğlu claims that the AKP will continue using a language of security and and of politics simultaneously before the 2015 elections.  

AKP’nin yeni tasfiye planı: Hüda-Par! Beşê Hozat talks about Cizre events and the involvement of Hüda-Par, former Turkish Hizbullah, in the events as a government-implemented plan.

Ya asıl sorun ‘Kürtlerin iktidarla ittifakı’ değilse? Ya kavgaya tutuşurlarsa? According to Nuray Mert, the Kurdish movement’s confidence in itself in counteracting a backlash from the government might be hurting the possibilities of peace politics.

Paris`te üç Kürt kadın ve Charlie Hebdo Müjde Tozbey Erden bridges the assassination of three PKK militants in Paris to Charlie Hebdo on the grounds of the fight against reactionism.

Rekabet olsun ama Fehim Işık underlines the need for a monitoring authority over the peace process to balance the two parties’ antagonistic strategic moves.

Şiddet ve özgürlük Hüsnü Ondul argues that the decision to pursue a democratic peace process has been a progressive move on the AKP’s part and should be supported with the appropriate critique.

BHH’nin Kürt sorunuyla imtihanı! Yusuf Karataş problematizes the positioning of some of the constituents of the BHH, a recently formed leftist united front, for their perspectives regarding the Kurdish movement and the peace process.

HDP Eş Genel Başkanı Selahattin Demirtaş`la söyleşi: "İddiamız seçime parti olarak girmeyi gerektiriyor" An interview with Selahattin Demirtaş in which he discusses the risk of entering the elections with the current ten percent threshold and criticizes the AKP’s corruption.

Foreign Relations

‘Afrika açılımı’nda yeni adım Aydın Çubukçu draws the attention to a possible shift in the government’s African relations policy after the parting of ways with the Gülen movement.

Other Pertinent Pieces

İşçi Sınıfının Ayağa Kalktığı Yıllar (1) - (2) Bianet’s 1990’s series continue with workers’ movement and the birth of the Laz identity movement.

“Utanç yılı” 2014’te neler olmadı? As an alternative to year reviews, Akdoğan Özkan lists what did not happen in Turkey in 2014.

Geerdink`in başına gelen, bizim içimizden dökülen Ümit Kıvanç discusses the public reactions given to Frederike Geerdink’s arrest.

“Devlet dersinde oldürülmüş” cocuklar listesi [güncelleniyor] Fraksiyon “updates” the list of children killed by the state security forces, with Ümit Kürt killed in Cizre at the age of fourteen.

İşte 2014`te AİHM`in Türkiye`ye karşı verdiği kararlar ve özetleri A list of the ECHR’s decisions on Turkey cases during 2014.

Cizre’de cocuklar bir seyler diyor, dinleyen var mı? Ezgi Koman’s plea for paying attention to the children’s voices coming from Cizre to understand the meaning of building peace.

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