Is Turkey Really a ‘Vibrant Democracy’?
It’s easy and tempting to think that a 99% Muslim country is going to turn toward Islamism. Yet this may be happening in Turkey despite the fact that less than 10% of Turks describe themselves as “fully devout” (KONDA’s “Religion, Secularism and the Veil in Daily Life” Survey). For tens of millions of Turks, religiosity is a private matter, an attitude parallel to that in the United States.
The problem is that there is a minority of pro-Islamists who have been allowed to take control of Turkey’s ruling party, the AKP, although at the ballot box, the party represents nearly half of the Turkish people due to a combination of the ineptitude of the opposition, the AKP’s far superior organization, and its exploitation of state power.
Despite its claims to be a moderate centrist party ”on the pattern of Europe’s Christian Democrats” and a good manager of the economy and foreign relations, there is much evidence that the AKP has increasingly been fundamentally transforming Turkey while tolerating rampant cronyism, which has effectively lead to a redistribution of wealth and power. Consequently, a small percentage of Turkey’s population — also only a segment of the AKP voters — have been politically and financially empowered at the expense of the rest of the Turkish people.
As a result of a highly centralized, top-down system, the party leader, in this case Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan, practically chooses every parliamentary candidate. The parliamentary system allows him as prime minister to control both the executive and the legislative branches of the government. The current regime has advanced steadily to add control over the courts and media, and now even the military is under severe pressure.
In Turkey, the president is supposed to be above political parties once elected and has traditionally played such a role. However, that tradition appears to have ended with the 2007 election of Erdoğan sidekick Abdullah Gül by the Turkish parliament.
Before 2010, the judicial branch was rather independent. Corruption existed but the courts did balance the prime minister and the executive-legislative branch controlled by him.
In September 2010m the regime conducted a referendum that clearly violated the EU Venice Commission’s own Code of Good Practice on Referendums, which states: “There must be an intrinsic connection between the various parts of each question put to the vote, in order to guarantee the free suffrage of the voter.” Instead, however, popular provisions to increase freedom and democracy were used to gain a vote in favor of a text that included anti-democratic changes to the judiciary.
As a result, now the judiciary is all but controlled by the prime minister. It may appear that the system has become more democratic, but members of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Board of Judges & Prosecutors are now chosen, for all practical purposes, by one man. With the prime minister controlling all three branches of the government, Turkey has taken a critical step toward a possible dictatorship.
“…there is much evidence that the AKP has increasingly been fundamentally transforming Turkey while tolerating rampant cronyism, which has effectively lead to a redistribution of wealth and power. Consequently, a small percentage of Turkey’s population — also only a segment of the AKP voters — have been politically and financially empowered at the expense of the rest of the Turkish people.”
Why does this sound VERY familiar?
JJSefton: you beat me to it. The blueprint for would-be tyrants.
Turkey a democracy? Vibrant? Really?? Uh-huh, Okayyyyy….. pass me the nargile…
I know that Erdoğan has purged the military’s top officers, getting rid of anybody with pro-western loyalties. Unfortunately, if real change is going to come now in Turkey, it will have to come from the military in the form of another coup. But I’m not sure there are enough pro-western military men left in Turkey’s armed forces that can make this happen. The current battle of words that Erdoğan is having with Israel (a country that has normally had good relations with Turkey), and the military’s willingness to go along with it, may show how attitudes are changing within the Turkish military. But the Turks have to know that if they push this issue too far, they run the risk of being thrown out of NATO. I just hope there are enough pro-Western military men left in Turkey to get rid of Erdoğan, before it’s too late and Turkey joins the long list of hostile Islamic states.
Despite Turkey’s “secular” pretensions in the twentieth century, it’s still a Muslim country. Any predominantly Muslim country will inevitably become “officially” Muslim at some point, because under Islam, the faith IS the state.
Democracy, or more properly, a republican form of government, is not compatible with Islam.
Arguably, we never had any business being in an alliance with Turkey, not even during the Cold War as a counterbalance against the Soviet Union.
The Council of Europe’s Secret 1976 Report on the Turkish Atrocities in Cyprus
“The enemy of My Enemy, is My Friend!”
As an individual who lived trough the 1960 coup d’etat Turkey is reliving the days leading to may 27 1960. Edoğan is repeating the mistakes of Menderes -the prime minister of the time- Once soo called economic boom is over, which be sooner rather than latter Erdoğan is finish. No PM in the history of modern Turkey has ever finished a third term in office. I don’t believe Erdoğan will be the first who would it. He may be putting all the generals in jail but he can’t put all low raking officers in jail. As 1960 the ramblings didn’t start with the generals started with colonels and lieutenant colonels, and Erdoğan knows it.
@Attila: I agree with you and am surprised that the military hasn’t stepped in before now. However, when they did so back in the 60s, and your referenced event was but the first of I recall perhaps 3-such interventions, the Turkish military always expressed the view that it’s the protector of Turkey and especially Ataturk’s legacy.
I don’t recall the military stepping in after the riots of 1958 but certainly after that event in 1960. I seem to recall that they hung one deposed PM and kept others on that little prison island in the Sea of Marmara.
Lastly, back then the villages were the source of much Turkish conservatism, very much non-European, with Istanbul and Ankara more European. But I don’t recall that Islam was very big in day to day life.
#1 Sefton & #2 oMan – same thing crossed my mind. Can’t really point fingers when we have a dictatorship ourselves.
We should as well be asking whether presumed dictatorships are really that. The media has been lying about some rather big names in the world for well over 40 years.
Don’t underestimate the power of wishful thinking. Turkey will remain ‘a vibrant democracy and trusted ally’ until it cannot be denied anymore. And even then political correct media and politicians will do everything they can to deny it.
The alternative would not only mean admitting they were wrong. The alternative would mean admitting they deceived the public.
The short and quick answer to the question asked by this articles is: “YES! of course Turkey is a ‘vibrant democracy’ that exists in harmony with it’s identity as a Muslim nation, while incorporating many liberal ‘western’ values.”
Now, I’m well traveled. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Istanbul (as my partner told me, it was once called “Constantinople”, but I have to google that). Totally vibrant, I’d vouch. Great restaurants, wonderful, first-rate hotels. Gorgeous beaches. Just from the feel of it, you understand that it is vibrant and free. I suggest that if anyone visits that they stay at The Continental Hotel….first rate. Wonderful restaurant.
“(as my partner told me, it was once called “Constantinople”, but I have to google that)”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vankaSlfSr0
I’ve said it before…Erdogan is turning Turkey into an Islamic Republic. I give it 10 yrs., max, till he completely succeeds. Heck, the Turkish Gov’t even blocks youtube on the internet! Sadly, Turkey has come to be a nation w/ little freedom of religion or press. Just open your mouth & say something against the administration & it is “go to jail…go directly to jail & do not collect $200.” It is sad that such a warm people & beautiful country is being dragged into the dirt, ignorance & filth of the medieval ages with Erdo. Not only will millions of Turks loose their freedom, but they will sink into the same kind of brutal gov’t that Iran currently has. It is a sad story.
Turkey is America’s only ally in the Middle East, and a member of NATO.
Turkey is not the only American ally in the Middle East. Israel is an ally of the United States, and, unlike Turkey, is a democracy.
NYT touting Turkey’s Islamists….
is history repeating itself.
http://conservapedia.com/Walter_Duranty
Since it was your position that Erdoğan would do no such thing I wonder when we can expect your mea culpa?
Oops. Sorry. I followed a link to this from instapundit who labeled it from Claire Berlinski. She was the one who declared Erdoğan was no Islamist
Just for a little bit of education as far as Germans viewed the whole issue.
Turkey has been trying to get into the EU for decades. This is nothing new and it has been as long as since the early to mid 80s. So we’re talking almost 30 years now. As Germans most of us didn’t look at it favorably. Turks, by and large never really assimilated into the culture. We, as Germans, may patronize their restaurants but on the other hand they never frequented with many of the German establishments other than department stores. They even have their own grocery stores where they would do most of their shopping, of course Turkish cuisine. Often there would be clashes going on between the youth where a German would show interest into a Turkish girl. This was usually looked down upon by the Turks and the most vehement protectors of them would be the girl’s brothers. But it is entirely exactable for a Turkish young man to date and even marry a German woman. There’s also the perception among the Turks, and I do not want to generalize, that German women are slots, pardon my language.
My personal experience was with one Turk who was an exceptionally good and faithful employee at the local gas station. When the boss had to retire because of leukemia, the company handed it over to another German. We all bemoaned it because Petrus as he was called which is Saint Peter, was just the best. So there were good experiences but for the most part the opposite prevailed. None of us favored the Turks to become members of the EU because to all of us including the EU, Turks were just too different in their believes and way of life. They were welcomed as guest workers doing minimal jobs. But unlike Switzerland, we never pulled through to send them back home after their work stay expired. Therefore Turks are now part of the society even so many students rather wish that Turks wouldn’t be part of the alumni body because, again, of the differences upheld by the Turkish population just as in many other European countries. Do I have to mention Muslims in England? That’s who they are after all. Muslims. And as more as they see the successes of Islamic advance, the more they will be emboldened. Especially now with Erdogan and the dreams of a renewed Ottoman Empire.
One thing I forgot. Unlike the Jews who were full part of German society and assimilated as much minus their faith and traditions. Therefore making the persecution of the Jews completely insane. Not that there is ever an excuse for the genocide of a people or race, no matter what. But while Jews and Gentiles a Judeo/Christian ethics, Turks and Muslims in general do no such thing. Jews do show loyalty to the country they reside in, but Muslims show loyalty only to Islam. While Jews and Gentiles follow God where man’s law clashes with God’s morality, Muslims live by a total different law, namely sharia. And their end purpose is to make sharia the law of every land where they reside in. Laws that run totally counter with most countries that value Judeo/Christian ethics. As a matter of fact, Jews are our fellow co-fighters in the war of terror while the world insanely treats Israel as THE WORLD’S JEW. To me as a German Gentile Christian, this is very disconcerting.
I think it is unrealistic to hope for a military coup in a time frame that will prevent drastic events happening. Previous regimes that departed from Ataturk’s secular vision did not manage to purge the Turkish military. Right now, the closest thing I can think of to compare the Turkish military to is the Soviet military purges of 1936-1938 where three of five marshals (then equivalent to six-star generals), 13 of 15 army commanders (then equivalent to four- and five-star generals), eight of nine admirals , 50 of 57 army corps commanders,and 154 out of 186 division commanders removed [and frequently executed]. Right now the Turkish military has been decapitated and anyone wearing stars is in danger of arrest and imprisonment in the Turkish military. And I think you are going to see a similar effect on operational effectiveness as happened in the Soviet Union; q.v. Russo-Finnish War of 1939.
Turkey is facing a demographic crisis akin to Europe’s; although in this case it is the Kurds out-reproducing Turks instead of Muslims out-reproducing Europeans. The Turkish economy is starting to feel the inflation caused by the world food crisis. Erdogan needs an outside enemy to justify what he has done and is doing. Thus, Israel is being targeted.
One of the flash points is the joint Israeli-Cypriot development of offshore energy. Turkey is not happy about the prospect of either Israeli energy independence, or Greek Cypriot financial stability [they are broke]. Cyprus is de facto divided into two entities. Northern Cyprus was invaded and conquered by the Turks in 1974. The rest of Cyprus is ethnically Greek, and holds sovereignty over the seabed energy resources; thus the cooperation with Israel.
Cyprus is broke and functionally unarmed. It depends on Greece for protection along with the EU. Greece is broke, its armed forces are short of supplies, and has learned the habit of going on strike recently. The EU, acting through NATO has shown that their conventional forces can be stymied for months by Arab tribesmen. And in any case, since both Greece and Turkey are part of NATO, neither the EU or NATO wants to get involved in Cyprus.
Watch Cyprus. Turkey can’t rationally take on Israel. But it can achieve all of Erdogan’s goals by finishing the conquest of Cyprus. It gives him a safe foreign enemy, will not trigger any international military repercussions, gives Turkey control of the Cypriot seabed, and kills the Israeli energy deal. It will be a win-win situation for Erdogan.
Of course, “Teh Won” will not be able or willing to remove his opposable phalanges from a most unorthodox resting place if such should occur.
This is not going to be pretty.
Subotai Bahadur
Ongoing epidemic of Islamism: 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0…
We need to rejoice today. A drone killed Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan. That helps whittle down al Qaeda which has been mainly a threat to the U.S.
Now another drone to take out Erdogan might bring about even greater benefits. First, it would free the Turkish people and let real Democracy flourish, secondly, it would take the pressure off the Eastern Church which has been suffering under Islamist harassment, third it would remove a potential Muslim Hitler with equally great ambitions in the Middle East and eventually for the world.
We need to rejoice today. A drone killed Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan. That helps whittle down al Qaeda which has been mainly a threat to the U.S. Now another drone to take out Erdogan might bring about even greater benefits. First, it would free the Turkish people and let real Democracy flourish, secondly, it would take the pressure off the Eastern Church which has been suffering under Islamist harassment, third, it would remove a potential Muslim Hitler with equally great ambitions in the Middle East and eventually for the world.
Given what Joel Richardson has written, I would not want the job of trying to prove you wrong.
Given the less than sterling reputation of those who say that Turkey is a vibrant democracy, anyone who is reasonable has considerable cause to conclude that the opposite is the case.
http://www.financialpost.com/news/battle+over+Mediterranean/5487333/story.html
is one that calls a spade a spade.
So, my question is this: who in the US is willing to see Turkey drummed out of NATO?
Turkey is a true democracy by European standards.
TURKISH NATIONAL EXPERTS WILL BE EMPLOYED AT THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
http://egemenbagis.com/en/2563
I spent 2 semesters as a visiting professor in the engineering school at Marmara U. in Istanbul. At the time I was chairman of the Republican Central Committee in my home county, so took an interest in the inner workings of Turkish political parties.
The big problem with “democracy” in Turkey is multi-member districts in Parliament. The individual does not vote for a specific candidate, but for a Party slate. The proportion of that slate getting into Parliament is equal to the Party’s proportion of the total vote. I.e., if the Party gets 20% of the vote, the top fifth of the Party’s slate become Members of Parliament. The MP has no loyalty to the voters, since they didn’t vote specifically for him. The MP’s loyalty is to the Party leader who put him near the top of the slate. This opens the door to all kinds of corruption and favoritism. It also effectively disenfranchises the voters, since they don’t get to pick the candidates, either through a primary, or at the general election.
I recall watching speeches of MPs on TV (English subtitles) with each one getting up and saying “My Pary’s program is blah, blah, blah,” when none of them had any chance of ever getting that program enacted.
Turkey only looked like a democracy. It went through the motions, but they counted for nothing.
Turkey a democracy? Please!!!!!
@Andy: I think you are wrong to judge Turkey by Turkish immigrants. Do not forget that most Turkish immigrants (or any kind of immigrant from a poor country) leave because they cannot find good jobs in their home country. I don’t think things would be any different if there were slews of Germans who left for another country because they could not get jobs. They would try to live in a German bubble. Emigres in general tend to be over-protective of the cultures of their home countries, because they are no longer part of the living, breathing culture of which they were once part. The piece of culture they carry with them anchors their identity. Such things are not important issues for people back at home.
Secondly, most of the Turks who left for Germany are from the Turkish countryside. Anyone from any countryside trying to adapt to any kind of urban environment might have the kinds of problems you mention. I think this is as true for people who stay in the same country. Someone from small-town, Bible-belt America might not feel so hot about New Yorkers. I would not be surprised if someone moves from a Bavarian village to Berlin finds it hard to adapt to the “culture” of the city. All that being said, moving to Istanbul would be a more challenging prospect for anyone from any country when compared to major German cities.
Secondly, assimilation and adaptation is difficult for anyone. Can you make a German out of a Frenchman? I highly doubt it. Do Germans who decide to live in Barcelona become Spaniards?
I’ma UK expat who has lived in Didim in south west Turkey for more than three years. I’m not an expert on anything, but I do have a current on the ground feel for what is happening here. As coastal resort Didim is quite westernized, with many of the locals speaking English and I have many Turkish and Kurdish friends.
Perhaps this place is not typical of Turkey, but it is a large country and I don’t think any one area is typical and I can only comment on what I personally see and hear. The Turks take their politics seriously, so that even the local mayoral elections meant a month long very noisy and highly visible campaign between the competing parties, with large turnouts at the campaign HQ’S every day listening to speakers. To me that is democracy in action.
From my business contacts around the world I frequently find that the view of Turkey is something very different from the reality I see here in my small part of it.