2014: Not “a great year”
12.27.2014 17:35
NEWS
Facebook might have bid farewell to 2014 with its message “It’s been a
great year. Thanks for being a part of it!”, but it was a year with a
lot of negatives, and very few positives for Turkey.
Ankara published a condolence message to Armenians on the 100th
anniversary of the Genocide, but the emphasis was on “shared pain”, it
did not use the word Genocide. The truck drivers and consulate workers
of Turkey who were kidnapped by ISIS returned, but the organization
also known as Islamic State destroyed the Genocide Monument in
Deir-ez-Zor, invaded the Sinjar region home to Ezidis, and attacked
Kobane. There were actions on the streets again, and in the Kobane
protests more than 40 people died. Burak Can Karamanoðlu died in
clashes that followed the funeral of Berkin Elvan, who was murdered by
police with a gas canister, and the former Prime Minister Erdoðan
provoked the booing of Elvan’s mourning mother at one of his political
rallies. There were a few releases from prison that induced hope,
however the release of some perpetrators created fear, and some cases
remained shrouded in mystery. The meeting of the Pope and the
Ecumenical Patriarch produced messages of unity and love, yet Turkey
suffered one pain after the other, as many stood by as mining
disasters, workplace murders, and the enforced placement of Syrians in
camps took place, anti-Semitism spilled out into the streets, and men
continued to murder women as authorities looked on. In other words,
2014 wasn’t “a great year” at all.
Historical discovery in Ãznik, where the church was first converted
into a museum, then to a mosque
The Church of Hagia Sophia in Nicaea, or modern-day Ãznik, once
hosted, in the year 787, the Second Council of Nicaea, or the seventh
of the first seven ecumenical councils, and was a museum since 1935,
however, on 6 November 2011, it was converted into a mosque. It was in
the same city that one of the “Top 10 Discoveries of 2014” named by
the Archaeological Institute of America was made. This sunken
Byzantine basilica that lays 20 metres from the coastline at a depth
of 1,5-2 metres was built 1600 years ago, in honour of Saint
Neophytos.
Some released, some imprisoned because of their ‘eyes and eye-brows’
The first important case of the year in terms of judicial decisions
was the “rights’ infringement” rulings of the Constitutional Court
regarding BDP [the Peace and Democracy Party] members of parliament
detained as charged in the KCK [Kurdistan Group of Communities] case.
First Gülser Yýldýrým and Ãbrahim Ayhan, and later Selma Irmak, Faysal
Sarýyýldýz and independent Van member of parliament Kemal Aktaþ were
released. The final person to be released in this context was, on June
28, the former DEP Member of Parliament Hatip Dicle, whose membership
of parliament had been cancelled and whose certificate of election had
instead been handed to Oya Eronat from the ruling AKP.
However, imprisonments featured at least as widely as releases on the
agenda of 2014. One incident that sparked particular debate was the
verdict for Rezan Zuðurli, who was elected mayor of Diyarbakýr’s Lice
district from the BDP at the March 30 local elections. Zuðurli was
given a sentence of 4 years and 2 months on the basis of an expert’s
report that stated that “her eye-brows, eyes, and upper parts of her
eyes, her nose, the part between her nose and upper lip, and the
structure of her lips and cheekbones resembled those of a protestor”.
In 2014, the balance did not change in the case of Pýnar Selek, the
sociologist and feminist who had so far been acquitted three times in
the Spice Bazaar explosion case that began in 1998, where she had been
sentenced to life imprisonment. On December 19, 2014, Pýnar Selek was
acquitted for the fourth time. However, the prosecutor, in an
unprecedented move, once again appealed the decision.
Aðar gives statement in ‘enforced disappearance’ case
The former Interior Minister Mehmet Aðar who is accused in two
separate cases regarding enforced disappearances and murders committed
in the 1990s, gave statements in the cases regarding the murder in
1993 of Abdulmecit Baskýn, the Altýndað Registry Office Head in
Ankara, and 18 enforced disappearance and murder cases committed in
the 1990s. The Ankara 1. Heavy Penal Court ruled for the release of
former Special Force Officer Ayhan Çarkýn, who was the only suspect
held for trial in the case where there are 19 suspects, and for all
suspects including Aðar to be held exempt from hearings.
Verdict of non-prosecution in the Uludere massacre: The army ‘did its job’
In the criminal investigation into the killing of 34 people, 17 of
them children, from the Gülyazý (Bujeh) and Ortasu (Roboski) villages
of the Uludere (Qileban) district of Þýrnak province, who were
returning from the other side of the Iraq border, by the bombing of
war planes of the Turkish Armed Forces, a military court decided not
to follow charges, issuing a verdict of “nolle prosequi”, or
non-prosecution. The military prosecutor stated that the “army
personnel had performed their duty within orders and the framework of
the decisions of Parliament and Cabinet”.
First ex-Head of General Staff to be imprisoned released
The first military personnel who had served as the Head of the General
Staff to be imprisoned after being tried at a civilian court in the
history of the Republic of Turkey, the retired four-star General Ãlker
Baþbuð, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Ergenekon
case, was released on March 7 from the Silivri Prison where he had
served 2 years and 2 months of his sentence. His release was based on
the ruling of the Constitutional Court that stated, “his rights
regarding personal freedom and security were breached”.
Release for ‘elder brother’ Erhan Tuncel and Zirve murders perpetrators
Law no. 6526, issued on March 6, abolished Specially Authorized Courts
entirely, and also reduced the maximum period of detention in cases of
organized crime to five years. The decision led to a controversial
period of releases. First, Erhan Tuncel, jailed pending trial, within
the scope of the murder case of Agos Editor-in-Chief Hrant Dink, was
released. This was followed two days later by the release of Emre
Günaydýn, Cuma Özdemir, Hamit Çeker, Salih Gürler and Abuzer Yýldýrým,
jailed pending trial as perpetrators in the Zirve Publishing House
murders.
The heartrending march of a father
A photograph taken on February 6 chilled Turkey to the marrow: When
heavy snow fall blocked roads to the Çeli hamlet of Yalýnca village in
the Gürpýnar District of Van Province, help could not reach the 1,5
year old Muharrem Taþ. His father then carried the lifeless body of
his son for 16 kilometres in a sack to the village. The Ministry of
Health stated that disciplinary penalties were given to those
responsible.
Funeral of Berkin Elvan
A child died, PM Erdoðan had the grieving mother booed at a political rally
A month later, the death of another child caused uproar. 15-year old
Berkin Elvan had been injured by a police pepper gas canister during
the Gezi Park protests, and had been in a coma for 269 days when he
passed away. A funeral ceremony was held on March 12 for Elvan at the
Okmeydaný Cemevi, and he was buried in Feriköy Cemetery with the
attendance of a great crowd. In the protests that followed, 22-year
old Burak Can Karamanoðlu was killed in an armed confrontation between
two groups. Karamanoðlu was interred in the Karaaaðaç village of the
Alucra District of Giresun Province on March 14. The same day, the
former Prime Minister Erdoðan held a political rally in Gaziantep, and
criticized Berkin Elvan’s mother Gülsüm Elvan. Erdoðan said, “It is
very interesting, his mother says, ‘The Prime Minister murdered my
child’. I know about love for a child, but I don’t understand why you
lay carnations and metal balls on your child’s grave. Why was she
placing those metal balls on his grave? What is the message you are
trying to give?” which led to the crowd booing Berkin Elvan’s mother.
Twitter ‘eradicated’ for 13 days
On March 20, at a speech in Bursa, Erdoðan now had twitter in his
sights: “Twitter and what not, we will eradicate them all”, he said,
and the next day, access to twitter was blocked by the
Telecommunication Directorate. While Prime Minister Erdoðan supported
the decision, President Abdullah Gül disagreed, and stated via
twitter, “It is unacceptable to completely block social media
platforms”. On April 2, the Constitutional Court, responding to
individual appeals, ruled that “freedom of expression had been
breached”. A day later, the Information and Communication Technologies
Authority lifted the block. 13 days later, users accessed twitter via
the usual channels.
When tape recordings end up on YouTube…
Another social media ban targeted YouTube. When tape recordings of a
security meeting on Syria held in Ankara was broadcast on March 27 on
YouTube, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office ruled for a media
blackout on related news. This was followed by the blocking of YouTube
by the Telecommunication Directorate.
Condolence message of ‘shared pain’ from Ankara
Like every year, Ankara was involved in intense preparations regarding
its policy on the “Armenian Genocide” before April 24. On April 15,
Prime Minister Erdoðan, in his meeting with John Boehner, the Speaker
of the US House of Representatives, stated “1915 should not be allowed
to negatively affect bilateral relations”. The surprising move from
Ankara, however, came a day before the Genocide commemoration, on
April 23, the National Sovereignty day. The statement from the Prime
Minister’s office, published in 9 languages read, “We wish that the
Armenians who lost their lives in the context of the early 20th
century rest in peace, and we convey our condolences to their
grandchildren.” The Patriarchate of Turkey’s Armenians “accepted the
offer of condolence with love”. The USA welcomed the statement and
described Erdoðan’s message as “historical”, and the European
Commission also expressed approval. However, there were also those who
found the emphasis on “shared pain” and the failure to openly mention
the Genocide as a great deficiency. Serzh Sargsyan, President of
Armenia, stated that he did not consider Ankara’s historical
announcement to be satisfactory. French President Hollande also
commented, saying, “They are words that are needed to be heard. But it
is still not enough.”
Syrians faced discrimination, driven into camps
Social violence frequently erupted across Turkey in 2014, and Syrians
were often the target. The events that featured most widely in the
media were the neighbourhood brawl in Hacýlar, Ankara, on May 8, and
the tension in Antep on August 11. Syrians were targeted, attacked,
and their homes and workplaces were stoned, and were often forced to
leave cities and driven into camps. In fact, on December 23, the
Antalya Governor’s Office officially notified 1500 Syrians “to leave
the city” without any prior tension.
A group that assembled in July in Kahramanmaraþ, held an action titled
“We do not want Syrians” and then damaged workplaces and vehicles
belonging to Syrians.
Mining disasters ‘commonplace’ according to Ankara
Turkey suffered its worst mining disaster ever on May 13. In the Eymez
area of the Soma District of Manisa Province, at a coalmine that
belongs to the Soma Coal Enterprise, a fire broke out at 15:10,
trapping hundreds of miners. 301 miners lost their lives, 485 miners
were evacuated. Speaking to the press a day after the disaster, Prime
Minister Erdoðan said, “These are commonplace events. They are known
as workplace accidents” and went on to compare the disaster to mining
disasters that happened across the world in the late 19th and early
20thcentury.
‘Workplace murders’ continued
Workers lost their lives in other incidents as well. On September 8,
at the Torunlar construction site in Þiþli, Istanbul, a faulty
elevator collapsed, leading to the death of 10 workers. 4 of the 6
suspects referred to the court were arrested. On October 31, the
traffic accident of a bus carrying workers to an apple harvest in the
Yalvaç District of Isparta Province led to the death of 17 workers,
and 28 workers were injured.
Emergency State declared in Istanbul for May Day
Taksim Square in Istanbul was again closed off for May Day
celebrations. The police attacked groups that wanted to march to the
square, and 142 people were detained, while 90 people were injured.
The police also attacked the demonstration in Kýzýlay, Ankara, and
detained 141 people. On the first anniversary of the Gezi Resistance,
the police again blocked access to Taksim Square and attacked
protestors.
Pope meets Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul
On the 50th anniversary of the meeting in 1964 in Jerusalem of Pope
Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, the first of its kind
since the split between the Catholic and Orthodox worlds in 1054, a
message of unity was conveyed. Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomeos met in Jerusalem in May, and at the Vatican in June. The
Pope then visited Istanbul on 29-30 November and met with the
Ecumenical Patriarch. Their solidarity sent out a significant message
for the unity of the churches.
Turkey’s silent policy on ISIS
ISIS emerged as a significant threat on Ankara’s agenda in June. ISIS
took Mosul, kidnapped 32 truck drivers, and on June 11, raided the
Consulate of Turkey. The organization declared itself a caliphate on
June 30, and named itself “Islamic State”. Although the truck drivers
were released 23 days later on July 3, it was not until September 20
until the consulate staff was released. Although Ankara had initially
pointed to the hostages as its reason to not implement a hard-line
policy against ISIS, not much changed after the hostage crisis was
resolved. News reports on Turkey’s frequent support to ISIS, and of
oil trade, continue to appear in the domestic and international press.
“Who gave ISIS the idea to demolish the Genocide monument?”
As claims of intimacy between Ankara and ISIS continued to surface,
ISIS demolished the Genocide Monument in Deir ez-Zor on September 21.
This attack led many to think: Who gave ISIS the idea to demolish the
Genocide Monument?
Sinjar and Kobane
As Turkey observed developments along its border, ISIS continued to
expand both in Syria and Iraq. On August 3, ISIS invaded Sinjar, an
area in the Mosul province mainly inhabited by Ezidis. Thousands of
Ezidis took to the mountains to save their lives. Their men were
murdered, and their women were kidnapped to be sold as slaves in
Mosul. The majority of Ezidis took shelter with their relatives in the
eastern parts of Iraqi Kurdistan and in Turkey.
On September 18, the new target of ISIS was Kobane, referred to as
“Ayn al-Arab”. When Turkey closed its border to Kurds in the area,
tensions rose. Two days later, the people of Kobane were permitted
entry.
The progress of the ISIS siege of Kobane in early October caused
uproar across Turkey. The October 6-7 actions that began with the call
of the HDP [The People’s Democracy Party] spread across the country,
and at least 40 people died. One of the most controversial statements
made during the events was that of the newly elected President
Erdoðan, made in Gaziantep: “Ayn el-Arab, also known as Kobane, has
fallen, or is about to fall.”
Israel’s military operation on Palestine, Jews become target of
anti-Semitism in Turkey
Another war in the Middle East had repercussions in Turkey. On July 7
Israel initiated an air operation, and on July 17 a ground operation
on Palestine, leading to the deaths of 2,145 people on the Palestinian
side, and 67 people on the Israeli side. Actions were organized in
Turkey in front of Israeli consulates and synagogues. On July 18, the
Foreign Ministry of Israel asked its consulate staff and their
families to leave Turkey.
Netherlands ‘partially’ liable for Srebrenica Genocide
A Hague court ruled that the Netherlands was partly liable for the
deaths of residents in the Srebrenica Genocide, where Serbian and
Bosnian Serb forces killed more than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys.
Srebrenica had been invaded on 11 July 1995 by Serbian forces led by
General Ratko Mladic while the city was under UN protection, and 300
residents were forced off UN property into the arms of their Serbian
assassins.
‘Women should not laugh out loud”
Controversial statements made by high-ranking AKP officials had until
now included those on “abortion” and “the number of children each
family should have”, and “laughter” was added to the list in 2014. On
July 28, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arýnç, speaking at a religious
holiday ceremony in Bursa, presented his views on morality: “Chastity
is of supreme importance. It is not merely a woman’s name, it is also
her adornment, and for men, too. A woman should know the difference
between what is private and what is not. A woman should not laugh out
loud in public, and should not seek to seduce with her actions.”
Supporter group Çarþý charged with attempt to carry out coup
Court cases related to the Gezi Park Protests, described by Erdoðan as
“an attempt to carry out a coup” continued. On September 11, the
indictment demanding aggravated life imprisonment for 35 members of
the Çarþý supporter group of the football club Beþiktaþ for
“attempting to overthrow the Government of the Republic of Turkey by
force and violence, or to partially or wholly prevent the Government
from fulfilling its duties” was accepted. At the first hearing held on
December 16, the judge asked suspect Cem Yakýþkan, “Did you attempt to
carry out a coup?” to which he replied, “If we had such powers, we
would ensure Beþiktaþ wins the championship”.
Erdoðan’s outburst of ‘confidence’: Muslims discovered Cuba
President Erdoðan, had already stated “self-confidence had to receive
a boost during education” when on November 14, at the Summit of Latin
American Muslim Religious Leaders, he said: “300 years before
Christopher Columbus, in 1178, Muslim mariners discovered America”.
Erdoðan also had a request: “In his memoirs, Christopher Columbus
mentions a mosque on a hill in Cuba. Today, I would like my Cuban
friends to assist in us building such a mosque that would suit that
hill.”
Public officials finally questioned as “suspects” in Dink investigation
On July 17, the Constitutional Court ruled on the individual appeal of
the Dink family, issuing a verdict of “violation” stating that “an
effective investigation had not been carried out”. The verdict of
non-prosecution regarding 9 public officials claimed to be involved in
the Hrant Dink murder was lifted. Within the scope of the
investigation, the prosecutor questioned Sabri Uzun, former Police
Headquarters Intelligence Department Director, Ramazan Akyürek, former
Intelligence Department Director, Ali Fuat Yýlmazer, former
Intelligence Department Directorate Branch C Director, Ahmet Ãlhan
Güler, former Istanbul Intelligence Branch Director, Ergun Güngör,
former Istanbul Deputy Governor, Celalettin Cerrah, former Istanbul
Police Chief, Reþat Altay, former Trabzon Police Chief and Faruk Sarý,
former Trabzon Intelligence Branch Director, as “suspects” in the
case.
All that money returned with interest
The investigations into the events of 17-25 December were on the
agenda throughout the year. Barýþ Güler, the son of Interior Minister
Muammer Güler, and businessman Rýza Sarraf, among the 14 who were
arrested on December 21, 2013, were released on February 28. On
October 17, a verdict of non-prosecution was declared for the December
17 investigation. And on December 23, all the money that was seized
during the initial investigation was returned with interest.
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