TURKEY LIVE ABOUT turkish-Turchia

  Eight Turkish soldiers kidnapped during a PKK ambush on Oct. 21, who were in the northern Iraqi town of Arbil, were flown back to Turkey on Sunday, a statement from the Turkish General Staff said.
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Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an will meet with US President George W. Bush in Washington today for critical talks on a crisis over the presence of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq after Iraqi pledges to deal with the threat at a high-profile international conference on Saturday failed to impress the Turkish side.
 
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Turkish Chief of General Staff Gen. Ya?ar Büyükan?t has reportedly pledged to the US that Ankara will inform the US in the event of a Turkish military incursion into northern Iraq in an attempt to render outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorists ineffective. (more…)

[MONDAY TALK]
Altan says neither optimism nor despair prevails in Turkey
An intellectual, academic and writer, Mehmet Altan says Turkey has been rapidly sliding toward militarization although the government swept almost 47 percent of the vote but finds itself on the brisk of a cross-border operation only 90 days after its landslide victory in the July 22 elections.

MEHMET ALTAN
Analyzing the first three months of the government in power in his most recent book “The AK Party with Its Rights and Wrongs,” Altan argues that since the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) did not take the initiative to produce a civilian constitution quickly and expedite the negotiating process with the European Union, the country is facing a climate of terror.

“Perhaps because we don’t ask the most important questions, Turkey is being carried away toward a climate of terror instead of democracy. We have fallen into this trap where the killers of our soldiers control the agenda and become a country steering toward the direction desired by terrorism,” says Altan, a professor at the ?stanbul University Faculty of Economics and chief columnist at Star newspaper.

For Monday Talk, Altan explained what the most important questions are, why the government has fallen into the trap of choosing military options and why the Turkish nation has been unable to question its institutions.

Evaluating the government’s first three months, you don’t think the AK Party is as strong now as it was following the election. Why?

As one out of two people voted for the AK Party, the election result was also perceived as people claiming democracy against the army’s e-memorandum of April 27. So we were expecting an AK Party government that would be far more reformist, revolutionary and ready to connect the world with Turkey. However, we don’t currently have a scene in which people’s hopes are being met, and they’re given the strength to look to the future with greater confidence, although it has already been three months since they came to power.

What could the government do to meet expectations?

The AK Party had two main instruments to meet these hopes and to respond to the people’s desire for more democracy. One was the promise to expedite the EU process and the other was to improve the reformist side of Turkey while drafting a new and civilian constitution that would transform the military and civilian bureaucracy into the people’s sovereignty. It was brought to public attention but since then has been forgotten. What’s more, the constitution of a country which has become so intimate with the EU should not be so hard to draft. Not only has the civilian constitution been forgotten, but also there is no trace of the ninth harmonization package. As a result of a faulty analysis that political nationalism was on the rise, the AK Party did not bring the package to notice deliberately, even though it was obvious that Turkey’s progress report would be negative; more importantly, the package contained elements that would better serve the Turkish nation’s interests.

So what is the situation now?

The AK Party’s decision not to take these steps has given rise to a bigger wave of militarization and nationalism and caused terrorism to occupy the entire agenda while the government has begun to lose its grip on the situation. If the AK Party had taken this initiative in the first 90 days of its government, we would not be at this point. The political power has slipped out of the government’s hands. The country is burning under the scorching sun of political nationalism and rapidly sliding toward militarization. Perhaps because we don’t ask the most important questions, Turkey is being carried away toward a climate of terror instead of democracy. We have fallen into this trap where the killers of our soldiers control the agenda and we become a country steering toward the direction desired by terrorism.

What are the most important questions which should be asked?

It’s as simple as questioning the reason for a water cut. For example, the US Army suffered from battle casualties to such a great extent during the Vietnam War that army officials developed a strategy called “zero casualties.” Their objective in this strategy was to protect the soldiers at all costs and not condone any further losses in the army. Yet the Turkish nation loses its tongue when the subject is its military. As we all consider the military to be the boss of the country, we abstain from discussing its flaws. Some 90,000 Turkish soldiers froze to death during the Sar?kam?? campaign in World War I because of Enver Pasha’s incapable commandership; he ordered his desperately weakened soldiers to attack. In the wake of the tragedy, some other commanders questioned Enver Pasha, who defended himself by saying, “They would have died anyway.” No one questioned him again, perhaps because of the reservation within the population to discuss weaknesses and flaws of the army.

And today, the society doesn’t question how it was possible for an outstanding Turkish brigade to be attacked by the PKK?

The Bolu Commando Brigade is one of the most outstanding brigades in the Turkish army. I just don’t understand how one of its squads was entrapped, another group of brigades was attacked, a bridge was blown up and eight soldiers taken captive. We’ve even forgotten the captives. We all know how Israel defied the whole world for one of its soldiers; Turkey wants to launch a cross-border operation. But we don’t ask ourselves whether we will suffer further losses if we embark on such an operation without analyzing the attacks waged within our borders, re-examining the flaws of the military and scrutinizing the reason why the terrorist organization martyred so many soldiers. The ones who prevent us from pondering all of these are busy with sparking a wave of nationalism within society. The Turkish state will undoubtedly grow stronger if the army revises its structure and discovers out its weaknesses. If we don’t ask these questions, we will go and keep looking for the answers outside. Let us first deal with the elements within our borders. How did they dare to attack the battalion? There has to be an answer.

You were in Europe recently. How do they perceive Turkey’s problems there?

In addition to the AK Party’s loss of initiative, efforts to make a civilian constituton got a hit, and an inward-looking atmosphere prevailed so Turkey’s image in the international arena is going down. The world doesn’t regard the terror activities of the PKK as we do, as how it has caused us to suffer. It considers this matter a regional Turkish-Kurdish question. Looking at foreign news, Turkey has the image of a country which has been continuously developing for five years, getting more global in terms of economics and which began the negotiation process with the EU and took some steps; but it also has another image: the image of a country that is militarized, going into a war, dealing with the deaths and distressed by ethnic conflict.

You always argue that Turkey’s biggest opposition is the European Union.

The EU is Turkey’s historical fault line. Here we could never be abreast with the times, because the Ottoman land system was against the accumulation of capital. This prevented the development of a bourgeoisie, a proletariat or an industrial movement. The Ottoman land system was very different from feudalism. Unless the accumulation of capital is allowed, it is unavoidable to remain backward. This country has understood since the 1600s that it has to keep abreast of the times. It has been trying to make reforms since 1622, under the reign of Osman II, but the line of the reforms has always been wrong. It was thought that imitating the consumption model of the West would bring us modernism. Kemalism made the same mistake as well. The mistake at the core of all reformist movements from Osman II to Kemalism was assuming that imitating that model would take us further. However, the component that has brought the West the success is production, not consumption.

Did the EU process introduce the value of production in Turkey, where the individual is so weak?

The European Union process helped Turkey’s production system to transform. The number of villagers was reduced to 27 million from 33 million. This process, which brought about the formation of democratic legislation and implementation of the Copenhagen criteria, was not welcomed by those favoring the status quo. Therefore, those who oppose Turkey’s accession to the EU will, unfortunately, be a component of the status quo. The individual is strong in the West. The freedom, life and prosperity of the governed have value there. They are human-centered societies, whereas here, those who govern are important. The regime of the sultanate hasn’t undergone a major change in Turkey. The real boss of the state is still bureaucracy, and people continue being the subjects of the system. As people still try to lean on the state as much as possible and expect benefits, we’ll be unable to form a human-centered structure as in the West.

Are you hopeful about the future?

In the first three years of AK Party rule I witnessed changes and developments that I wouldn’t have imagined I’d witness until the end of my life. This party assumed a significant role in introducing striking reforms in various fields thanks to the EU project. Taking this into consideration, there is no need for despair — or too much optimism. Turkey is a country full of surprises. It is a multi-faceted, labile and interesting country; it is always difficult to analyze. The government, which swept almost 47 percent of the vote, currently finds itself on the brink of a cross-border operation, only 90 days after its landslide election victory. It’s like they pushed a button to disrupt the country’s stability.

Who did?

We lost 97 of our citizens to traffic accidents during the Ramadan holiday, and nobody moved a muscle. It is like there is a secret hand trying to use the PKK problem to its own benefit, rather than concern over whether our people live or not. And this hand might be devising a plan to detach Turkey from the West — to force it to retire into itself, drag it into greater trouble and finally, cause the civilian government to lose all its power

Isn’t the government aware of it, if there is such a plan?

The AK Party has two faces; the former is stuck in the status quo while the latter strives to take steps to change the country’s traditional ways. One conveys the demands of the status quo seekers to the state and one endeavors to represent the state. It will not be possible to smooth this process of transition unless the AK Party clarifies its stance and identity. It has followed a zigzag course in the past, as well.

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[PROFILE]

MEHMET ALTAN

An intellectual, academic and writer, he is the author of numerous books on Turkey’s socio-political and economic systems and Turkey’s position in relation to the world. His most recent book is “The AK Party with Its Rights and Wrongs” (E?risiyle Do?rusuyla AK Parti).

Having completed his graduate studies at Paris I. Pantheon Sorbonne University, he became a specialist in 1980 with his study of Turkey-IMF relations and earned a Ph.D. in economics with his study on Turkey’s relations with the United States and the Soviet Union. While in Paris, he was a correspondent for Turkish daily Cumhuriyet.

Upon his return to Turkey in 1984, he continued his academic career at ?stanbul University starting in 1986. He is currently a professor at the ?stanbul University’s Faculty of Economics, and the chief columnist at Star newspaper.

05.11.2007

YONCA POYRAZ DO?AN

 Iran has urged Iraq to postpone a divisive referendum to decide the fate of Kirkuk, an ethnically mixed city that sits on giant oil fields, as part of a series of measures to stabilize the country. (more…)

Fenerbahçe-Besiktas derbies are usually dull and dreary affairs, but their Turkcell Super League clash on Saturday evening was not. Quite the contrary, it was a feast of fast flowing soccer which host Fenerbahçe won at 2-1 at its ?ükrü Saraço?lu Stadium.
 
 
Fenerbahçe and Besiktas players argue amongst themselves during their tense iSTANBUL derby at ?ükrü Saraço?lu Stadium.
Despite taking the lead through Brazilian striker Deivson Rogerio Da Silva (Bobo) in the third minute, the Besiktas Black Eagles went down 2-1 to the Fener Yellow Canaries. Goals from strikers Deivid De Souza of Brazil in the 29th and Semih ?entürk of Turkey in the 60th brought joy for Brazilian coach Arthur Zico and his Yellow Canaries.
And this was the Canaries’ first victory over the Black Eagles in more than six years or since Feb. 24, 2001, to be more precise.

But on the downside, the game had all the characteristics of a bad-tempered iSTANBUL derby — there was hair-pulling, pushing, shoving, rough tackling and provocation by both sides, and above all, terrible refereeing decisions. Since the good usually overshadows the bad, it is the downside of the derby that is now making headlines.

In regards to the bad refereeing, Mr. ?smet Arzuman was at the center of it all. Maybe, just maybe, this match will go into the record books as one of the worst officiated iSTANBUL derbies in the Turkish soccer league since its inception in 1959. There were so many obvious errors, so many wrong calls and so many non-calls that it would be impossible to enumerate all of them.

But two of them clearly stand out. Deivid had already been booked in the 29th minute and in the 78th the Brazilian viciously kicked a Besiktas player from behind. In this sport such an infringement warrants a yellow card, in fact the “mother of all yellow cards,” and Deivid ought to have been sent off for a second bookable offense; but the referee only awarded a free-kick.

Then came the 95th minute, the fifth minute of added time. The referee blew his whistle for an infringement against Besiktas when a Fenerbahçe and Besiktas player were involved in an aerial battle. Yet play continued and the assistant referee in the right flank also was also running down the touchline, which in this sport means play has not been halted. Besiktas scored from a header by substitute Argentine striker Federico Higuain, but the referee disallowed the goal.

Former soccer player and FIFA-ranked referee turned soccer analyst Erman Toro?lu said on Lig TV on Saturday night, “If you call that position a foul, then this means the end of the world.”

But young Besiktas coach Ertu?rul Sa?lam was more diplomatic and philosophical at the post-match press conference. “You cannot win if you don’t score, or put another way, if you don’t score you cannot win,” he said. Sa?lam was ruing his team’s missed chances, especially those by Bobo and teenager Batuhan Karadeniz — who on several different occasions could not direct the ball into the back of a wide open net.

The Besiktas club, from top to bottom, is crying foul. In my opinion they are right because there can be no logical explanation for such horrific refereeing.

The derby is over but the reverberations continue. However, the result remains unchanged and Fenerbahçe moves to third place with 22 points; Besiktas has 21. The result also means that the Black Eagles, having already been beaten 2-1 by Galatasaray, have lost all the league matches among the iSTANBUL “Big Three” so far this season.

In the other match played on Saturday, Gençlerbirli?i Ofta?spor lost 1-0 at home to Konyaspor. On Friday night, the Trabzon Black Sea Storm beat cellar-dweller Ankaraspor 2-1 for its first victory under new coach Ersun Yanal.
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Black Eagles threaten league pullout
The Besiktas club, whose team was on the wrong end of some horrific refereeing decisions by ?smet Arzuman on Saturday, has threatened to pull its senior team from the Turkcell Super League and field the junior (PAF) side starting with the home match against Sivasspor this weekend.
A visibly angry Besiktas manager, Sinan Engin, told Lig TV live after Saturday’s match that he talked to club Chairman Y?ld?r?m Demirören and they had reached that decision because they have been victims of appalling refereeing decisions this (2007-08) season.
“For several matches in a row we have been let down by bad refereeing decisions, even though our team played great soccer,” he said, adding, “And we have dropped vital points, even maximum points in matches we should have won.”
Chairman Demirören was even more straightforward, saying heads must roll. “There can’t be an end to the row unless referee Arzuman hangs up his whistle immediately and Turkish Soccer Federation (TFF) Vice President Affan Keçeci is given his marching orders,” he stated unequivocally.
Engin pointed to the Besiktas-Ankaraspor match at the capital in the season’s opener in which a neat and clean Besiktas goal was disallowed; that match ended 1-1. He also alluded to the controversial penalty that was awarded to Galatasaray during their recent iSTANBUL derby at Ali Sami Yen, which Galatasaray won 2-1, and dwelled at length upon some of the controversial decisions during Saturday’s derby at ?ükrü Saraco?lu.
“Things cannot continue the way they are. This is tantamount to exploiting our efforts and those of our players. We are accountable to millions of fans and so we must do something urgently about this refereeing menace. A while ago I talked again to our chairman and he again reiterated that we will be fielding our PAF team against Sivas,” Sinan added.
And if we may add — who can blame Mr. Engin and his chairman?
 
05.11.2007
 
OKAN UDO BASSEY   iSTANBUL

Launching a cross-border operation into northern Iraq for tackling the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) bases there remains on the table for Ankara as a convenient tool in addition to diplomatic means, as bilateral talks with Iraq and trilateral talks involving both the US and Iraqi side have yielded no “tangible” results for the Turkish side, which says it will undertake only “substantial action” against the PKK. (more…)

Fast-food consumption is increasing rapidly in Turkey despite all efforts exerted to prevent it. Many US-based firms have contributed to this increase. What is strange is that while fast-food culture addresses the wealthy in Turkey, it is generally preferred by the lower income brackets in the US and Europe.

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Turkey bade farewell to Erdal ?nönü, a former deputy prime minister, with a funeral held in ?stanbul on Sunday.
 
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, second left, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, third left, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, fourth right, pose with foreign ministers in a family photo session during the Iraqi neighboring countries foreign ministers meeting in ?stanbul on Saturday. (more…)

The years 1808, 1908 and 2008 are the turning points of their centuries. The Charter of Alliance signed in 1808 signifies a culmination for the classical order of the Ottoman Empire. (more…)

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) does not pay any heed to the Kurds. It does not even care one snap about the problems, hardships and demands of our Kurdish brothers. (more…)

The Kurdish problem has always been a fundamental problem for Turkey. We should all realize that the PKK is an extension of this problem. Neither the Kurdish issue nor the PKK problem can be resolved overnight. (more…)

Turkish media and politicians follow what has been uttered by the others and adopt a stance in accordance with current statements. (more…)

Eight Turkish soldiers, kidnapped last month in an ambush by outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists, were released in northern Iraq on Sunday. (more…)

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice listened to Turkish officials on Friday as they pressed for action against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq and responded by giving assurances that Washington will deal with the matter by “effective action” and by redoubling its efforts. (more…)

UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon met President Abdullah Gül at a working lunch in Ankara yesterday as Turkish officials attending an international conference on Iraq in istanbul pushed for more of a UN role in war-torn Iraq. (more…)

Hot topics on Turkey’s political agenda are seen to be dominating sales at the ongoing ?stanbul Book Fair, which this year marks its 26th edition amid debates on how to curb the long-running terrorist activity hitting soldiers and civilians alike in Turkey’s southeastern border cities. (more…)

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki held talks with Turkish leaders in a surprise visit to Ankara as Tehran seeks to have an influence in efforts to resolve a crisis over the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) presence in Iraq, but Ankara remains cool toward a possible mediation by Iran.
 
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US oil hit a record high $96.24 a barrel on Nov. 1 after a steeper-than-expected drop in US crude oil stocks and a further cut in US interest rates.

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  The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is readying to demolish the new buildings in the area known as “Old Ankara” to reveal the historical fabric of the Ulus Square and its surroundings.

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The body of Professor Erdal ?nönü, a former deputy prime minister who died in a Houston hospital earlier this week, was brought to Ankara on Friday. (more…)

 Six world powers agreed on Friday to push ahead with a third round of sanctions against Iran unless reports later this month show Tehran has shown greater transparency about its nuclear program. (more…)

 The terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which stepped up violence over the past weeks, was also condemned by citizens in the country’s southeast. Carrying Turkish flags and chanting anti-PKK slogans, citizens in ??rnak and Hakkari took to the streets in protest of the PKK.
 
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Erdal inönü had no political ambition. This is a very significant attribute; however, ambition has always been a characteristic of Turkish politicians. (more…)

In Turkey, income distribution is inequitable; the quality of education is lower than we desire; we have problems in our healthcare system; our cities are beyond the measures of modernism.
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 To be deceived by the PKK 
The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is trying to kill two birds with one stone by letting Turkey attack the northern Iraqi administration. (more…)

The future of the strategic partnership 
Turkish-US relations are at a very difficult and dangerous turning point.

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 Press Roundup 
Drivers wait in front of their trucks at the Habur border gate to Iraq. The cabinet is considering imposing measures against groups backing the terrorists in Iraq. Among the measures under consideration by the cabinet are the cutting off of electricity to northern Iraq and the halting of traffic at Habur. (more…)

[CROSS READER]

News reports from northern Iraq have been making the front page stories of Turkish newspapers since Turkey passed a motion giving permission to the government to send troops into northern Iraq, showing just how serious it is about wanting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and terrorists from this group out of there.

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Some retired generals have recently assumed a significant role in politics.
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Officials of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) who declared PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan the “leader of the people” are acting in a way not approved by the majority of the Kurds.

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Neither political scientists nor sociologists are able to explain how the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) managed a high voter turnout in the Oct. 21 referendum on several constitutional amendments, in particular with regard to the term in office of the president and deputies, in the wake of its landslide victory in July 22 polls in which it swept almost 47 percent of the vote. (more…)

  Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested yesterday that Turkey might impose economic sanctions to force Iraqi Kurds to crack down on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — which has bases in Iraq’s Kurdish-run north — saying Turkey’s developing economy is a part of its political and diplomatic might.
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Turkey will push US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week to follow through on promises to help eradicate the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) based in northern Iraq, but experts say the top US diplomat’s hands are tied.
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[NEWS ANALYSIS]
If PM returns empty handed from US, operation to be in Nov. 
There has been increased speculation that if Iraq, the Iraqi Kurds and the US fail to meet Turkish demands over the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists, Ankara will be left with only one choice: staging an operation into northern Iraq some time in mid-November as the Turkish government has come under increased public pressure, said an Ankara-based Western military analyst. (more…)

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has said it killed 15 terrorists in clashes near the Iraqi border on Wednesday.
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World-famous Hollywood actor Kevin Costner and his band Modern West rocked ?stanbul’s WOW Convention Center Tuesday night at a rare concert in Turkey.

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The ?stanbul Sapphire, currently under construction in ?stanbul’s Levent district, will be Turkey’s second tallest building once it is completed by August 2009, but soon it will have a sister nearby, constructed by the same company.

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Turkey jumped up six spots to 53rd place among 131 countries in the overall ranking of The Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008, released by the World Economic Forum yesterday.
 
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