[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.]
English
The Iranian Crisis
What has Erdogan learned from Soleimani's killing? “Political elites are divided in Turkey, with some saying that Soleimani should be mourned even if he was Shiite and Turkey is predominantly Sunni. There is a rift over how to deal with the aftermath of his death,” writes Pınar Tremblay.
Reading today, focusing on tomorrow. “Regardless of the direction of the developments, increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran, and the threats and risks to oil production and shipping in the Persian Gulf are triggering oil and gold prices. We are entering a three-month period that should be carefully followed by energy importing countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, India, and Turkey,” argues Kerem Alkin.
Ankara struggles to adapt to new geopolitical reality after Soleimani’s killing. “Soleimani’s killing has created a new geopolitical reality that requires Ankara to make some critical decisions,” writes Metin Gurcan.
Turkey, Russia, and the Libyan Crisis
Putin-Erdoğan ceasefire call for Libya: a bargain? “No one will be surprised if a deal is reached between Turkey and Russia (and indirectly between Turkey and Syria) on Idlib, once the ceasefire deal holds in Libya. If it’s a bargain, and if it will serve saving lives, it’s a good one,” argues Murat Yetkin, commenting on the possibility of a ceasefire in Libya.
Turkey-Russia bid for Libya truce needs int'l support. “The only way for a political settlement is through an enhanced cease-fire and all responsible governments should work to this end. The opposite is the repetition of the mistakes committed in the Syrian theater at the expense of lives and growing instability,” writes Serkan Demirtaş.
E.U. Sidelined On Libya As Russia And Turkey Take Leading Role. Turkey and Russia are “on opposing sides of the war,” but “both benefit from a sustained, power-sapping stalemate in Libya—one that ensures their continued leverage. Where precisely is the EU in this equation? Good question,” comments Alasdair Lane.
Turkey united against sending troops to Libya. “58% of the population is against sending troops to Libya,” writes Can Selçuki, looking at a recently published opinion poll.
Turkey ready to 'teach a lesson' to Haftar after Libya talks end without resolution. Recep Tayyip Erdogan will not hold back from "teaching a lesson" to Khalifa Haftar if his eastern Libyan forces continue attacks against the country's internationally recognized government, the Turkish president said on Tuesday.
Russia steals Erdoğan’s dreams for Syria and Libya. “After Syria, we are watching the developments in Libya as a lesson. The Russian tsar has put on Ottoman boots, traveling first to Damascus then to Tripoli. Putin is collecting wise victories for himself from the adventures of the NATO-Gulf block in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as from the mistakes of those governing Turkey,” writes Fehim Taştekin.
Turkey, Italy to make Libya truce 'permanent'. Turkey and Italy have ramped up efforts to make the ceasefire in Libya permanent, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
Turkey and Its Minorities
Do Kurdish lives matter? “The colonial-military mentality of security personnel operating under conditions of emergency rule leads to a devaluation of Kurdish lives,” writes Mücahit Bilici.
Our children and our hope will persist. “Once again I tell myself that as they write history, we will write a counter history. We will use the ruins of Sur to build hope. We will revive our home, and doves will fly again in the sky. Our children’s children at least will play alongside the River Tigris. Kurdish children will experience childhood,” writes Nurcan Baysal
Turkey Must Stop Meddling in Armenian Church Affairs. “The Turkish government is imposing its political preferences when it comes to selecting the leaders of the country’s minority groups—and posing a threat to religious freedom,” argue Aykan Erdemir and John A. Lechner.
Kanal Istanbul
The Grandiose Dream and Impending Catastrophe of Canal Istanbul. “Given the plethora of questions arising for a number of countries concerned, it is hardly conceivable that construction could be launched without serious international consultations. But who would bring governments around a table for such talks?” asks Marc Pierini.
Turkish
The Iranian Crisis
Amerikancı mıyım? “After the assassination of general Kasım Süleymani, I was accused of being an Americanist! Honestly, I don’t have the stomach for defending the brutal commander of a theocratic regime just because the U.S. has killed him,” writes Nevşin Mengü.
Caydırmayan caydırıcılık. Hasan Basri Yalçın writes that Iran had two options to choose from, in order to answer to the assassination of Soleimani: militias or missiles. The columnist argues that “Iran made the wrong decision,” and that using militias would have in time created serious disturbances for the United States.
Fırtına dindi mi? Burhanettin Duran wonders if the Iranian response to the killing of Soleimani, especially the targeting of an Iraqi air base, has to be seen as a sign that oil has been poured on troubled waters.
ABD, İran’ı tuzağa mı çekti? “Tension in the Middle East has decreased,” writes Tunca Bengin, arguing that what remains to be seen is if the Iranian attack on military bases will spark a series of new attacks over time.
İran’ın gazabından korkulur! Melih Altınok comments on the Iranian missile that took down a Ukraine flight in Teheran. “I think that this burden will prove heavy even for the Mullahs who, shouting against American imperialism, have kept their seat secure for 40 years and turned the country into an open prison.”
Bizim yaşadıklarımızı ne İranlılar ne de Iraklılar yaşadılar. Mehmet Barlas asks whether “what we lived on July 15 [2016] is not more painful than what Iran or Iraq are living today. Because the perpetrators of the attacks were among us.”
Turkey, Russia, and the Libyan Crisis
Türkiye Libya’da ne yapmalıdır? Commenting on the developments on the Libyan crisis, Zekeriya Kurşun argues that Turkey should learn from history, and from what happened in Syria.
Akşener ve Kılıçdaroğlu ne düşünüyor acaba? Abdulkadir Selvi comments on the hypothesis of a ceasefire in Libya that stemmed from the meeting between Erdoğan and Putin. “Will we have any weight in Libya if, after deciding to send troops, a group of our soldiers won’t set foot in Libyan territory?”
Korsan General Hafter imzadan kaçarak Berlin sürecini de tehlikeye soktu. “The pirate Haftar jeopardized the Berlin process,” writes Mehmet Barlas, commenting on the decision of the Libyan general, who rejected the ceasefire and Turkey’s role as a mediator in the crisis.
Kanal Istanbul
İstanbul engellenemez. Engin Ardıç argues that there is no way to stop the population growth in Istanbul and that the project of the Kanal Istanbul waterway will “shift Istanbul to the west. Those who demonstrate against it should say where they will fit millions of people.”
Neden karşıyım? Fatih Altaylı explains in his column on HaberTürk why he opposes the Kanal Istanbul project. Among the reasons put forward by the columnist, the canal will not solve the Bosporus problems.
Kanal İstanbul kellik de yapar mı? Arguing that it has become impossible to talk about Kanal Istanbul in serious terms because of the accusations leveled against the project, Ersoy Dede asks whether the new waterway “will also make people bald.”
Work and Unemployment
İşsizlik konusunda tık yok! Commenting on the recently released unemployment figures, Emin Çölaşan writes that more and more youngsters are trying to leave Turkey. Criticizing President Erdoğan, who argued that the time for the Turkish youth had come, the columnist writes, “What will happen to our young population? They will all go to Europe and find a job!”
Kriz var, hem de çok ağır bir kriz. “The economy creates less employment. Businesses are closing. Despair is increasing,” writes Selin Sayek Böke, contending that the main reason for the economic crisis in Turkey is to be found in its political leadership.
Published on Jadaliyya
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