TURKISH POLITICS 101
Cihan News Agency, Turkey
June 9 2014
ISTANBUL – 09.06.2014 09:55:16
Many Westerners find some aspects of Turkish culture rather
mind-boggling.
Who, in their early days as an expat, did not become confused by
Turks’ body language, such as the simple “tsk” sound or raising their
eyebrows, or both at the same time, or both while nodding their head
upwards? Over time, you gradually learn that each is more emphatic
than the last.
And don’t forget that a casual nod of the head means, “yes,” and
a shake of the head means, “I am not sure” — if you do that, a
salesperson will keep on with his patter to try to help you reach
a decision.
While gestures may be easy to grasp, this is not the case with
Turkish politics.
In my June 6 article titled “How the Turkish government operates and
election season,” I briefly described how the government operates,
but politics is another subject. Under the direction of Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, the Turkish army assumed the role of special protector of
the republic’s secular ideals. There has been talk of whether or not
Turkey has reached a coup period, something to which the country is
not foreign. Some fear that if so, the reasons may not be the same
as those in the past.
Turkey has experienced three military coups within three decades. In
the late 1950s, political and economic instability caused anarchy
and violence, leading to a bloodless military coup in 1960, led by Gen.
Cemal Gursel. In 1971, strikes and student unrest led to another coup.
Military rule lasted until elections were held in 1973. Subsequent
years were full of economic and social problems. Tension between
the political left and right increased. The 1970s saw a string of
coalition governments. By the end of the decade, political violence
had reached such a high level that in 1980 another military regime
was imposed by Gen. Kenan Evren.
In 1983, there was a return to civilian rule. Turgut Ozal was elected
as prime minister, and a new constitution restructured the country
to be more in line with the West. Ozal and his Motherland Party
(ANAVATAN) focused on economic growth with the aim of opening up
Turkey more to the West. Ozal’s reforms narrowed the political and
economic gap between Turkey and Europe. He also served as president
between 1989 and 1993.
After Turkey experienced a series of economic shocks in 2002, a major
political power shift occurred, putting the religiously conservative
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in power, a position they
still hold today. One of the key events in the AK Party government’s
rule has been the Ergenekon trial, which involves a large number of
military officers and other public figures who have been accused of
being members of a shadowy “deep-state” organization that has allegedly
committed political assassinations and various other crimes in order
to thwart the democratic process. Opinion is divided in Turkey as to
the veracity of these accusations.
The Ergenekon investigation began after a number of high-profile
murders, including that of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink
and three Christian missionaries in Malatya. The investigation has
also involved the exhumation of Ozal’s body on suspicion that he
was poisoned.
The average American does not have a clue about the implications
of the defeat of Germany in 1918, which caused humiliation for its
Turkish ally. The Ottoman Empire was dissolved by the crushing terms
of the Treaty of Sevres, signed in 1920 with the victorious Allies —
excluding Russia and the United States. In my book “Culture Smart:
Turkey” you can read more on the subject. Let’s just say the regional
map was redrawn. The Treaty of Sevres thus spelled the end of the
Ottoman Empire, by placing its lands in the hands of the Allies;
it sparked the patriotic fire that drove Ataturk to fight for an
independent Turkish nation.
History reveals how Turks have been willing to fight and die for a
cause they believe in. The Turkish struggle for national sovereignty
lasted three years, and by its end, the Turks had driven all foreign
forces from their land.
The West recognizes Turkey’s strong cultural links with Central Asia
and the Islamic world, and there are elements in Turkish society that
would like it to reduce its ties with the West and increase those with
the Middle East and Central Asia. Turkey’s large Muslim population
means it is often feared by the West and wooed at the same time.
Nowhere is this more evident than the responses to Turkey’s application
to join the European Union.
CHARLOTTE MCPHERSON (Cihan/Today’s Zaman)
http://en.cihan.com.tr/news/Turkish-politics-101_8305-CHMTQ1ODMwNS81