Turkey’s Democratic Struggle under AKP Government: 2002-2010

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Turkey’s Democratic Struggle under AKP Government: 2002-2010

This featured Paper is compiled from the notes of Mr. Sedat Ergin, a notable journalist and columnist in Turkey, from the speeches he gave at various conferences and seminars abroad before September 2010. Mr. Ergin is currently working as a columnist at daily Hürriyet and he is the former Editor-in-chief of the daily Milliyet. He has edited and approved this Paper in person, and opened it up to discussion. No new content or interpretation has been added to it with regard to the developments that took place in Turkey after the Turkey’s Constitutional referendum on 12 September 2010. In this sense, it can be read as a general assessment of Turkey from 2002-2010.

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Mr. Sedat Ergin
Mr. Sedat Ergin
Former Editor-in-Chief of daily Milliyet and Columnist at daily Hürriyet | Ergin, Hürriyet Gazetesi Köşe Yazarı ve Milliyet Gazetesi Eski Genel Yayın Yönetmeni

6 COMMENTS

  1. Yazarın geniş değerlendirmeleri için teşekkürler.
    Fakat bu güzel yazının birkaç önemli eksiği var.
    En başta, 2011-2012 dönemini dışarıda tutmuş olması eksiktir. Yaşadığımız şu son iki yıl yazarın değerlendirmelerini yanlışladığı için değil, (tersine kuvvetlendirmiştir); ama bu iki yıl içinde yazarın pek üstünde durmadığı başka olumsuzluklar yeşerdiği için.
    Kürt sorununun çözümü çabaları, Habur deneyimini bile aratacak kadar çapaçulluk içinde götürülmekte. Böylesi bir meselede kesinlikle söz hakkı olan muhalif kesimlerin fikirlerine “değersiz hezeyanlar” olarak bakarak aşağılamaya çalışan bir anlayış hakim. Toplum kesimlerini ikna çabaları, aynı toplum kesimlerini açıkça “fikirsiz kalabalıklar” olarak gören bir düzlemde yürütülüyor.
    Yeni anayasa yapım çalışmaları da aynı kalitede. Son iki yılda ortaya iyice çıktı ki yeni anayasa yapımı bir “demokratikleşme” değil, tam tersine “otoriterleşme” projesidir. Burada “silahların susturulması” bir “nihai amaç” olmayıp, “başkanlığa giden yolda bir ihtiyaç” olarak görünüyor.
    Yazının ikinci önemli eksiği, değerlendirmelerdeki “orta yolcu” dildir. Böyle bir dil sosyolojik tezlerde uygun olabilir; ama günümüz Türkiye’sinde mevcut tehdit ve tehlikeleri bu dille anlatmak onları hafifletmektir. Daha net, kararlı, gördüğünü açıkça anlatan bir dil kullanılmalıdır. Olan biteni olumlular-olumsuzlar diyerek teraziye koymak, tehlikeleri hafife almak olacaktır. Örneğin, “yargı süreçlerinde bazı olumsuzluklar olmasına rağmen” diye başlayan bir cümle, bütün hukuk dışılıklara meşruiyet kazandırır. Net biçimde söylenmesi gereken şudur:
    1. TÜRKİYE HIZLA BİR ORTADOĞU DİKTATÖRLÜĞÜ OLMAYA SÜRÜKLENMEKTEDİR.
    2. TÜRKİYE İÇİN TEHLİKE “BÖLÜNME” DEĞİLDİR, ASIL BÜYÜK TEHLİKE ÇÖZÜLMEDİR!

  2. This is an excellent commentary and brief by Mr. Ergin! I enjoyed reading it and followed the step by step journey of AKP government. The past reminds and restores itself. It gives a roundup of the news in Turkey, and indicates how things might get out of control under an absolute power. Remember the famous British saying; power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely! Hope Mr. Erdogan will take a lesson from his mistakes and such warnings and do the best for Turkey. Turkey is at the edge of making a great contribution to the region and becoming a new credible power as well as ruining everything including herself’s prosperity and future. Critical issue is others, including the opposition and media bosses should help him, NOT by absolute obedicence, but by providing a free media with independent commentaries! Thanks for sharing this!

  3. Mr. Sedat Ergin’s article is very instructive to understand the recovery process of Turkey following the coalition governments of the past, and the economic crisis in 2001. However, single party government turned into one man government, and this article humbly clarifies the inconsitent policies of the Ak Parti in the last decade. Erdogan’s Turkey is like a jigsaw puzzle, good jobs and bad jobs seem to travel hand in hand! But, it is obvious Turkey is heading toward worse policies in recent years. Another assessment of the AK Parti after 2011 election should be written asap!

  4. Why do the opposition parties have their own ‘shadow cabinets’? This article can be read as a summary of what the opposition has done in Turkey, too. AKP struggled, made several policy trials, evaluations, pressures, but where is the opposition? Why did not they attack on the ruling party through the channels and mechanisms it used!!! Anyway, it is a good analysis on Turkey’s last decade, thanks indeed!

  5. I do not know if it’s just me or if perhaps everybody else experiencing problems with your blog. It seems like some of the written text on your posts are running off the screen. Can somebody else please comment and let me know if this is happening to them as well? This might be a issue with my internet browser because I’ve had this happen previously.
    Kudos

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