EFD Rights Watch: “Anatolia news agency to start broadcasting in Kurdish in September

Anatolia news agency to start broadcasting in Kurdish in September

from Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey’s leading public news agency will begin broadcasting in Kurdish from Sept. 1.

Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya’s widow still at odds with Turkey

from Hurriyet Daily News

Iconic Kurdish singer Ahmet Kaya’s widow rejects the recent apologies for the harsh protests when Kaya has said he would sing in Kurdish in 1999

 

Inmate University Student Allegedly Commits Suicide

from Bianet :: English

Harun Torgay, an inmate university student, allegedly committed suicide at Sincan high security prison after his first hearing yesterday. An Ankara court ordered to transfer him to Forensics Institute for judicial competence due to psychological instability.

Male Violence December 2012 Full Report

from Bianet :: English

According to data compiled by bianet, male violence left 12 women dead, and 14 raped in December 2012. The most male violence cases were reported in Istanbul.

 

Attacks on Elderly Armenian Women in Turkey Awaken Fears

from NYT > Turkey by By TIM ARANGO

The violence recalls a tortured past and, perhaps, hints at future tensions as Turkey prepares to face the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.

 

Military prosecutor given 9 years in prison for ‘abuse of power’

from Hurriyet Daily News

An Istanbul court has sentenced former Air Forces Judicial Undersecretary Col. Ahmet Zeki Üçok to nine years..

Agos head Koptaş and writer Kıvanç investigated for insulting ‘Turkishness’

from Hurriyet Daily News

The editor-in-chief of Agos, Robert Koptaş, and writer Ümit Kıvanç are being investigated for allegedly insulting Turkishness over comments on Hrant Dink trial.

Turkey’s “wise people” chosen by the government… A politics roundup..

 

Government selects prominent figures for ‘wise people’ list to help on peace process

from Hurriyet Daily News

Artists, a musician, a large group of journalists, academics, intellectuals and representatives from NGO’s were included..

Wise Men” List Announced

from Bianet :: English

Turkey’s “wise men” list – a group of 63 prominent journalists, authors, artists and NGO representatives – has been announced this morning. The list only included 12 women compared to 41 men.

Turkish government reveals 63 names as ‘wise people’ to help Kurdish peace process

from Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey’s group of “wise people,” which will take an active role in the country’s recent efforts…

AKP offers change in ‘irrevocable’ articles of current Constitution

from Hurriyet Daily News

The Justice and Development Party has formed its draft proposal for the new charter, which suggests changes in the irrevocable sections of the current Constitution.

 

Charter commission aim to agree by April 8

from Hurriyet Daily News

The Constitution Conciliation Commission, which gathered in an extraordinary session has determined to search for a consensus until April 8.

Turkish President Gül warns of failure in new charter effort

from Hurriyet Daily News

Turkish political parties have failed to improve their performance in ongoing efforts to write the country’s new charter…

Black, white forces exists, Turkish military says

from Hurriyet Daily News

The Turkish General Staff confirmed for the first time yesterday the existence of a special operational team.

S&P raise not fair, nor scientific: Turkish PM

from Hurriyet Daily News

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Standard & Poor’s move to raise Turkey’s sovereign credit rating…

 

Turkish nationalism vs. Turkey nationalism

from Hurriyet Daily News

Since the beginning of this year, Turkish politics has been in a very interesting state of mind.

Kurds, Turkey Face Impasse Over Withdrawal

from Yahoo news

Turkey ‘s peace process with Kurdish militants faces a hurdle as the rebels demand legal protection to prevent any military attack on them during their planned withdrawal after decades of fighting, a call rejected by the government. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) declared a cease-fire with Turkey last month in response to an order from its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan after months of talks

 

Nationalist party leader accuses ruling AKP of having ‘church in heart’

from Hurriyet Daily News

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has harshly criticized the government.

Turkey Estimates 2,000 PKK Fighters

from Yahoo News Photos

ANKARA — The Turkish intelligence community has determined that up to 2,000 Kurdish rebels were operating in the country. Copyrights 2008, Middle East Newsline.

 

Who Goes…Who Stays | PKK Camps

from Mavi Boncuk by M.A.M

 

According to intelligence reports, there are an estimated 600 PJAK terrorists and nearly 4,000 PKK members in northern Iraq.

 

Guest post: Turkey’s peace dividend

Financial Times (blog)

For the last three decades Turkey’s eastern and south-eastern regions have struggled to attract investment because of the annual violence and terror attacks on oil and gas pipeline infrastructure that also disrupted the country’s energy supplies

Erdoğan to meet with the “wise people” , whom citizens do not know yet, on Apr 4. …Politics roundup…

Turkish government to meet with ‘wise people’ April 4

from Hurriyet Daily News

The government will meet with the “wise people” April 4 for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue..

 

Deadline fever grips opposition parties

from Hurriyet Daily News

Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek triggered heated discussion in Parliament’s Constitution Conciliation Commission..

New charter works inch toward impass

from Hurriyet Daily News

Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek has painted a gloomy picture for the ultimate success of

 

 

AKP ‘to leave liberals out’

from Hurriyet Daily News

Some groups like “liberals” that were the government’s partners over the last 10 years of the Justice and Development Party’s.

 

Parties to submit own drafts as charter panel keeps working

from Hurriyet Daily News

The Constitution commission working on Turkey’s new charter decides to collect the four parties’ own drafts as a deadline issue remains unclear.

 

Öcalan would not leave prison ‘even if released’

from Hurriyet Daily News

The outlawed PKK leader would prefer staying in jail currently, the BDP’s co-chair says.

 

Ocalan Says Peace Talks With Turkey Progressing

from Yahoo News Photos

Jailed rebel chief says peace talks with Turkey progressing; expected to announce cease-fire

Turkey posts sharp fall in growth rate for 2012

from Hurriyet Daily News

The Turkish economy grew by only 2.2 percent last year, far behind the government’s initial.

Walkout by 800 PKK militants enough, sources say

from Hurriyet Daily News

Of the 1,500 militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) inside

Turkish intelligence to oversee PKK retreat

from Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey’s intelligence service will oversee the withdrawal of outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

From Turkey to EU: Turkey’s EU minister- Islam Europe’s reality; Turkish Deputy PM slams judge on trial ban…

Turkey and Israel: reviving strategic ties?

from Yahoo News Photos

An apology by Israel’s prime minister may ease tensions between Turkey and Israel. But despite pledges from the two country’s leaders to normalize relations, experts caution against high expectations.

Islam Europe’s reality: Turkey’s EU minister

from Hurriyet Daily News

Islam is a reality for the European Union and Europeans won’t get anywhere by burying their heads.

Turkish Deputy PM slams judge on trial ban

from Hurriyet Daily News

As long as the German Chief Judge resists allowing the Turkish media access to cover a neo-Nazi murder.

 

Turkey ‘s foreign minister wades into court trial spat

from Yahoo News Photos

Turkey ‘s foreign minister has called his counterpart in Germany, after a spat erupted over media access to a trial of suspected neo-Nazis – who were

 

Turkish Foreign Ministry slams Aznavour’s comments on Erdoğan

from Hurriyet Daily News

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has strongly refuted the comments on Turkish PM Erdoğan made by famous French singer of Armenian origin, Charles Aznavour.

After Israel’s Apology

from Project Syndicate by Ibrahim Kalin

After almost three years of political tension, diplomatic maneuvering, and back-channel negotiations, Israel has formally apologized for the killing of nine Turkish citizens onboard the ship Mavi Marmara in 2010. The move opens a new chapter in bilateral relations, and will create new opportunities for Middle East peace-building.

After Israeli apology, Turkey dreams of new tourism boom

from Hurriyet Daily News

The air-clearing apologies were both made and accepted. Now, Turkey’s tourism industry is holding.

‘Extra mile’ Israeli apology for Turkey

from Yahoo News Photos

JERUSALEM, March 28 (UPI) — Even if Jerusalem’s apology doesn’t lead to better relations with Turkey , “everyone” will know Israel exerted extra effort, says a senior government official.

U.N. rebukes Turkey over return of Syrian refugees

from Yahoo News Photos

GENEVA (Reuters) – The U.N. refugee agency criticised Turkey on Friday for sending home at least 130 Syrians without its scrutiny and urged it to investigate the riot which sparked the departures that some witnesses said were forced. Turkey denied on Thursday it had rounded up and deported hundreds of Syrian refugees following unrest at the Suleymansah border camp, highlighting the strain the

Israel, Turkey to discuss flotilla raid compensation

from Yahoo News Photos

Officials from Turkey and Israel will meet next week for talks on compensation for the families of victims of a deadly 2010 flotilla raid for which the Jewish state apologised last week, the deputy prime minister said Friday.

US and Turkey discuss Iraq, Syria over the weekend

from Hurriyet Daily News

The fragile situations in Iraq and Syria were discussed on March 30 during a telephone call.

 

Israeli Security Concerns and the Balkans

Balkanalysis.com

Nevertheless analysts will still want to follow how the revived Israel-Turkey relationship plays out, and also how both states’ approaches to the Balkans on the bilateral and regional levels will be affected by it. ….. intended to organize a group on

 

Turkey -PKK Peace Deal Gains Momentum With Regional Implications

from Yahoo news

Peace talks between Turkey ‘s government and the PKK continue to gain momentum. With large minority Kurdish populations also in neighboring Iraq and Syria, analysts say those countries could benefit from the peace process economically and politically. But such an alliance could at the same time threaten the integrity of Iraq and Syria by fueling a Kurdish push for autonomy or even independence

 

Turkey ’s unsustainable politics in Middle East

from Yahoo news

Confused may be an appropriate term to describe Turkey ’s current foreign policy in the Middle East and Israel in particular. The source of that confusion — aside from the appalling violence in Syria and earlier in Libya — is Turkey ’s own mistakes.

Third oil pipeline in line between Turkey and Iraq

from Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey is keen on keeping its energy ties with Baghdad strong despite recently cozying up.

 

Turkish-Israeli peace to change energy balances

from Hurriyet Daily News

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız said over the weekend that Turkey was ready to work on Iraq’s offer..

American Jewish body visits Istanbul

from Hurriyet Daily News

Amid the recent efforts to restore the strained ties between Turkey and Israel, the board members.

Editorial Board: Israel and Turkey let bygones be bygones

from Yahoo News Photos

THE DARKENING situation in the Middle East has produced a silver lining. With Syria’s civil war intensifying and Iran showing no sign of slowing its nuclear program, Israel and Turkey have patched a nearly three-year-old rift. In a March 22 phone call stage-managed by President Obama , Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the deaths

 

Article | Turkey’s Triumphs

from Mavi Boncuk by M.A.M

A sandstorm was kicking up at Ben Gurion International midday last Friday, winds bad enough to cancel the departure ceremony for President Obama’s winning trip to Israel. But in a sheet metal trailer on the tarmac, Obama was calming another storm, three years along and finally running out of bluster. In the box with him was his host, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Nentayahu. In Netanyahu’s hand was a cell phone. And on the other end of the line was the prime minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

 

What Would The Turkish-Kurdish Peace Deal Mean For The Region?

from Kamil Pasha by Jenny White

In YaleGlobal,  Mohammed Ayoob writes that the new deal for peace between Turkey’s government and PKK rebels to end more than thirty years of hostilities also has implications for the wider region, especially Iraq, Syria, and Iran. If Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan can convince the various political factions in Turkey to go along with the plan, Ayoob argues, Syria’s threat to harbor the PKK would be neutralized and a successful social and political integration of Turkey’s Kurdish population would provide a model for Kurds in Syria and Iran as well. An end to discrimination against Kurds would strengthen democracy in Turkey.

A Turkey-Israel Opening

from NYT > Turkey by By SOLI OZEL and CHARLES A. KUPCHAN

Turning back the clock is impossible. Instead, a new partnership must be built on pillars of cooperation.

Cengiz Aktar: AK Parti’nin müzakere vakti

AK Parti’nin müzakere vakti
 

AK Partinin on küsur yıllık siyaseti, geçmişin adaletsizliklerini izale etme ve iktisadiyatın verdiği olanaklar sayesinde kalkınmadan en geniş kitleyi faydalandırmak üzerine kuruluydu.   Cumhuriyet tarihinde adıyla müsemma başka bir partiden söz etmek herhalde mümkün değil:  Adalet ve Kalkınma!

 

Geçmişin adaletsizlikleri, ulusun yoktan var edildiği döneme kadar uzanan bir gayrimeşrulaştırma sürecinin sonuçları. Bu toprakta yaşayan neredeyse herkesi bir şekilde olduğundan farklı bir yere yerleştirmeye çalışan toplum mühendisliğinin yarattığı toplumsal ve bireysel travmalar AK Parti’nin iktidarında, herşeyden önce, ortaya çıktılar. Tabuya dönüşmüş, insanların içine attığı travmalar artık sadece konuşulmuyor, yavaş da olsa iyileşiyorlar. Bu toplumsal şifa süreci özünde tek taraflı yürüyor. AK Parti bahşediyor toplum şükrediyor.

 

Adaletsizliklerin boyutu öyle ki AK Parti’ye kimsenin hesap sormasına yer bırakmıyor. Muhalefetsizlik CHP’nin sadece politikasızlığından değil. CHP adaletsizliklerin timsali olduğu ölçüde bir bakıma anti-politikayı temsil ediyor. AK Parti’nin politikalarının yıllardır CHP’nin ilerisinde, hatta “solunda” olduğu tesbiti yersiz değil.

 

CHP’nin siyasette bugünkü konumunun, parti içindeki yenilikçileri tenzih ederek, başka türlü olması mümkün değil, ta ki yeni bir parti kurulana kadar. Rahmetli Erdal İnönü’nün HP-SODEP-SHP’den yeniden CHP’ye giden yolda yeni partinin adının, ağır mirastan ötürü CHP olmamasında fayda olacağını temenni ettiğini söylerler. Rivayet ne kadar doğrudur bilmem ama CHP’nin hakikaten eski Türkiye’yi temsil ettiğini söylemek zor değil.

 

AK Parti icraatlarına muhalefet edebilecekler arasında MHP’nin kavruk milliyetçiliğinin istikbali ancak akut krizlerle beslenebilecek şekilde bir yerlerde bekliyor. Küreselleşen ve normalleşen Türkiye’de marjinalleşmesi mukadder. BDP ise yakın zamana kadar, geçmişten gelen ve AK Parti’nin de tepe tepe kullandığı meşruiyet sorunu dolayısıyla Kürt meselesinde ancak AK Parti’nin bahşettiği kadar siyaset alanı ile yetinmek zorunda idi.

 

Muhalefetten, hep bir tek hatta birçok adım önde olma hâli veyahut BDP için olduğu gibi, onu kontrol altında tutma siyaseti AK Parti icraatlarını büyük ölçüde kolaylaştırdı. Partinin dillere destan işbitiriciliği ve pragmatizmini bu tabloya dâhil ettiğimizde ortaya tamamen rakipsiz bir icraat alanı çıkmaktaydı.

 

Ne var ki bu dikensiz gül bahçesi miadını doldurdu. İç politikadan dış politikaya herşey olabildiğince tatminkârken gül bahçesinin dikeni Kürt çatışmasının, bugüne dek izlenen yöntemlerle çözülemeyeceği anlaşıldı. Kürtlerle barış demek, muhalefetsiz ve müzakeresiz siyasetin, bahşetme âdetlerinin sonu da demek. Bugün bu noktadayız.

 

Her ne kadar Öcalan alttan alsa da kendisinin dışında kalan Kürt siyasetçilerden giderek belirginleşen farklı sesler çıkıyor. İtiraz ve talepler çekilmenin hukukî altyapısı konusundaki belirsizlikle sınırlı değil. Demokrasi talebi iyice görünür, duyulur hâle gelmiş durumda. Öcalan’la başlatılan müzakere, müzakereden ziyade eski usul ve eşit olmayan bir siyasî yaklaşımla belirleniyor. Farkındaysanız hükümet şu aralar mütemadiyen “olmaz” diyor. Bu siyaset yapma biçiminin sınırına barışla birlikte hızla varmış bulunuyoruz.

 

Tesadüfe bakınız ki aynı müzakere ihtiyacı sadece “adalet” faslında değil “kalkınma” faslında da giderek kendini hissettiriyor.  Hükümetin orta gelir grubundan yüksek gelir grubuna geçme hedefi için tek elden tek karar alma mekanizması artık yetersiz. Kalkınmayı, adaletli gelir dağılımının bundan böyle çok ötesinde, siyasî nüfuzun temel payandası olarak ele alma hedefinin ise toplumsal bedeli var. Ve üçüncüsü bugüne kadar danışsız, denetsiz, düzensiz yöntemlerle yürümüş olan konut, yol ve enerji ağırlıklı kalkınmaya karşı giderek daha fazla itiraz olacak.

 

2002-2012 arası konforun hem adalet hem kalkınma faslında sonuna geldik. Hegemon da olsa AK Parti ilk kez gerçekten müzakere edecek yani muhatap alacak, en geniş toplumsal meşruiyeti arayacak. Müzakere ederken siyasî ittifak arayışlarına girecek. Taviz verecek, yani karşılığında taviz alacak. Memleket açısından siyasî olgunluk demek bu.

 

Siyasî ve toplumsal barış sadece AK Partinin değil. BDP’nin de değil, CHP dâhil herkesin, Türkiye’nin barışı.

 

Bu yazı ilk olarak Taraf’ta yayınlandı, yazarın izniyle burada da yayınlanıyor.

Scientific solution to the tension in Turkish Parliament – sort of- “Color of seats makes Turkish MPs see red: Report

Color of seats makes Turkish MPs see red: Report

from Hurriyet Daily News

The main culprit for the explosive atmosphere at the assembly is the color of the chairs, according CHP’s report

 A politics roundup:

Wise men and not-so-wise men

from Hurriyet Daily News

Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek was the guest yesterday of the traditional Diplomatic Correspondents’ Association.

Justice reform won’t trigger Öcalan retrial: Minister

from Hurriyet Daily News

A provisional clause in the fourth judicial package being debated in the Parliament will not lead to a retrial of the convicted leader of the PKK, Justice Minister said.

.

 

Parliament Commission only ‘revising’ and not ‘rewriting’ charter

from Hurriyet Daily News

Parliament’s Constitution Conciliation Commission is not writing a new charter, but rather revising the charter formed in 1982 after the military coup.

Turkish government seeks leap forward with Kurdish solution bid

from Hurriyet Daily News

A solution to the Kurdish issue will help Turkey boost its democracy, national income and technology..

Turkey’s Negotiations with the PKK: Contents, Dynamics, Risks, and Possible Outcomes

by Acturca

German Marshall Fund of the United States, March 28, 2013 By Gökhan Bacik * The government’s recent direct talks with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the call by Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the PKK, for the PKK’s withdrawal from Turkey are a turning point in the history of Turkey’s Kurdish problem. How did it

 

Federalism ‘may be’ on 2023 agenda: Turkish PM

from Hurriyet Daily News

Recalling that the Ottoman Empire was a state founded on a federal system, PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Gov’t expects PKK retreat to finish before the end of summer

from Hurriyet Daily News

Members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) should complete.

Why Erdogan Wants Peace With the PKK

from RAND: Commentary by RAND Staff

Conflicting Reports of PKK Withdrawal from Turkey

from Yahoo News Photos

Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Turkish military yesterday denied reports that a first batch of PKK fighters had withdrawn from Turkish territory, thereby implementing part of the peace initiative that was launched last week by jailed party leader Abdullah Ocalan.According to the Turkish newspaper Akşam, the PKK leadership in Mount Qandil, Iraqi Kurdistan, initiated the withdrawal of a first batch of

The PKK’s military capacity and the withdrawal process

from Hurriyet Daily News

Öcalan declared the first step of the negotiations a ceasefire to be followed by the withdrawal of armed.

When nationalism trumps reason

from Hurriyet Daily News

Greek Cypriots have a long and arduous road ahead as they try to recover from their economic meltdown.

Turkish PM Erdoğan a chance for peace: Leading PKK figure

from Hurriyet Daily News

PM Erdoğan’s decision to take a risk is a chance for peace since he also has power stemming from public support, says Zübeyir Aydar, one of the most influential names in the outlawed PKK

Turkish government should take fresh steps for PKK withdrawal, BDP says

from Hurriyet Daily News

BDP co-chair Demirtaş says the government should take new steps for the PKK withrawal.

Well, in the mean time, Turkey whitewashes Uludere massacre and Sevag’s murder; Amnesty Int. starts a freedom of expression campaign against Turkey … EFD Rights Watch

Panel approves Uludere report despite opposition’s objection

from Hurriyet Daily News

Parliament’s Human Rights Examination Commission has approved a report drafted by a subcommission.

 

Another list, again with journalists

from Hurriyet Daily News

For a long time, it has been the case of “journalists under arrest” that has been used as a reference.

Armenian origin soldier killed accidentally: Court

from Hurriyet Daily News

A Diyarbakır military judge sentenced a private to four years and five months in prison for killing Armenian-Turkish soldier Sevag Balıkçı.

MAZLUMDER: “Roboski Report Must Be Contested”

from Bianet :: English

MAZLUMDER Association Chair Ünsal and Özgür-Der Association Diyarbakır Chief Representative Yılmaz criticized the parliamentary report on Roboski Massacre which concluded that the Turkish military’s air strike was not on purpose.

Freedom of expression in Turkey ‘under attack’: Amnesty

from Yahoo News Photos

Amnesty International criticizes European Union hopeful Turkey ‘s dismal record on freedom of expression and calls for legislative reforms to bring “abuses to an end.”

Turkey: Decriminalize dissent: Time to deliver on the right to freedom of expression

by Acturca

Amnesty International Report, EUR 44/001/2013                            Türkçe 27 March 2013 The right to freedom of expression is under attack in Turkey. Criminal prosecutions targeting dissenting opinions represent one of Turkey’s most entrenched human rights problems. Despite a series of legislative reform packages, unfair laws remain on

Free speech in Turkey crucial for peace: Amnesty International

from Hurriyet Daily News

Amnesty International has launched a global campaign urging Turkey to amend 11 articles in the 4th judicial package.

Politics roundup. After ceasefire, who will be the Wise People?

Two problems: Who can be the Wise People? And Who will choose them?

Turkish PKK Peace Plan Trajectory

from Kamil Pasha by Jenny White

In information leaked by Ankara sources to the press, the peace plan announced March 21 between the Turkish AKP government and Abdullah Ocalan, imprisoned leader of the Kurdish PKK, is to proceed in three stages with implementation expected to be complete by local elections in March 2014. Stage 1: disarming of PKK militants (about 1500) and withdrawal from Turkey; Stage 2: Legal and political management of this process; Stage 3: Normalization, including the reintegration of former PKK rebels into society.

 

Kurdish New Year’s Resolutions

from NYT > Turkey by By ANDREW FINKEL

Turkey’s prime minister is making good progress negotiating with Kurdish militants. Now he needs to convince his own constituents that compromising means peace, not defeat.

Atatürk’s aphorism on Turkishness replaced with one promoting peace

from Hurriyet Daily News

The removal of “How happy is the one who says ‘I am a Turk,’” a proverb..

 

PKK should leave unarmed, says Turkish president

from Hurriyet Daily News

Turkish President Abdullah Gül says that the disarmament of the outlawed PKK militants is the essence of the ongoing peace process.

 

Kurdish peace scenarios in Ankara

from Hurriyet Daily News

The Turkish government has started to draft its scenarios in order to take further steps to realize.

 

A Kurdish Spring on Many Fronts

from NYT > Turkey by By HARVEY MORRIS

An anticipated truce between Turkey and Kurdish rebels could mark the latest advance for the largest nation in the world without a state of its own.

 

The Ultimate concurrence: Obama, Öcalan, Barzani

from Hurriyet Daily News

“The only way to truly protect the Israeli people is through the absence of war. Put yourself in their shoes..

Words enough for safe PKK retreat, AKP says

from Hurriyet Daily News

PM Erdoğan’s word is enough to guarantee a safe PKK walkout from the country..

 

Nationalist leader firm on ‘threatening’ words

from Hurriyet Daily News

A quarrel between the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the ruling Justice and Development Party

Turkey mulls ‘wise people’ group for Kurd peace process

from Yahoo News Photos

Turkey ‘s government is planning to establish a consultative body to oversee the ongoing peace negotiations with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, the prime minister says.

Three or four ‘wise men’ commissions to be formed: Turkish PM Erdoğan

from Hurriyet Daily News

Three or four “wise men” commissions, each comprised of seven representatives of civil society, could be formed to guide the ongoing peace process.

 

Turkey : PKK peace process raises constitutional change questions

The people of Turkey are digesting the historic statement from jailed rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, who called for a PKK ceasefire on March 21. The…

 

Analysis: Turkey and PKK on the road to peace

from AL JAZEERA ENGLISH (IN DEPTH)

Peace talks between Turkey’s government and Kurdish fighters are progressing quickly, but major hurdles remain.

 

Turkey’s voting for censors

from World news: Turkey | guardian.co.uk by Peter Preston

A leading columnist has been frozen out of his newspaper for revealing details of secret government talks with the PKK

Ocalan Newruz Text in English

from Mavi Boncuk by M.A.M

 

Mavi Boncuk |

 

Let all the oppressed have a free and happy Newroz!

 

Greetings to all peoples of Middle East and Central Asia who celebrate newroz, the day of revival and rejoice, with the greatest participation in the world…

 

Greetings to all other peoples of the world who celebrate newroz, the landmark of a new era and sunshine, with enthusiasm and a democratic tolerance.

 

Turkey’s growing constitutional conundrum

from open Democracy News Analysis – by Aslan Amani

Why does Turkey need a new constitution and what makes it so difficult to draft one?

OIC Secretary General commends Turkish government’s ‘determination for peace’

from Hurriyet Daily News

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, has welcomed the call for a cease-fire..

Singing in Kurdish And Other Good Tidings

from Kamil Pasha by Jenny White

There’s so much good news in a row that it’s giving me vertigo. First, the Turkish government and the PKK call for an end to their long, vicious war. Then Israel makes up with Turkey by apologizing for the Mavi Marmara incident. And now, oh the irony, the Turkish government has kindly offered the financially ruined Greek Cypriots the opportunity to join the Turkish Lira Zone, should they be booted out of the Euro Zone.

A critical take on Turkey’s peace process

from Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey’s fledgling efforts to give peace a chance has taken a crucial turn on Nevruz day with a tremendous crowd..

KCK, PKK, HPG Declare Ceasefire

from Bianet :: English

KCK Executive Council Chair Murat Karayılan declared an official ceasefire with Turkey yesterday, adding that they were ready to withdraw from Turkey depending on Turkish administration’s response to the ongoing peace efforts.

 

Is a ‘Wise Men Commission’ being formed?

from Hurriyet Daily News

While Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was answering the questions of journalists during his Netherlands..

Barzani welcomes Öcalan’s call, ready for role in process

from Hurriyet Daily News

The president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Masoud Barzani…

 

Sabotage : Pas de drapeau turc au Newroz de Diyarbakir !

from YOL (routes de Turquie et d’ailleurs) by anne

L’annonce de la fin du conflit armé, la  ”fraternité turco kurde” et même l’éloge de “la bannière  musulmane” sous laquelle elle se serait épanouie avant la naissance de la  République (ça c’est plus nouveau) proclamé  par le message d’Öcalan  devant une immense foule en liesse lors du Newroz à Diyarbakir,  n’ont pas suffit. Certes, tout le monde ou presque  se réjouit.

……………….

Drapeau turc que le président du CHP Kemal Kiliçdaroglu affichait sur son compte Twitter, assorti d’un court extrait  de l’hymne national turc :

EFD Exclusive- Ayşe Ezgi Yıldırım and Elsa Tulin Sen on the ceasefire: “Why are we closer to peace?” @_AEY_

Why are we closer to peace?

 

After 29 years of armed conflict between the Turkish military and the guerillas of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (the PKK), and all those Newroz “celebrations” passed under the shadow of mutual fear and distrust, now in the aftermath of Newroz 2013 a new beginning seems to be fast approaching for the peoples of Anatolia.

 

On March 21, jailed chief leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan addressed a letter* that marked the second step of the peace negotiations, known as the “Imrali Process” between himself, Turkish government officials and the PKK. There could perhaps be no better timing than the Newroz, which literally means “the New Day / Light” for the Persians, Azeris and the Kurds among other peoples, to deliver such a promising message that indeed could bring a new day; ending the armed conflict in Turkey opening the path to normalization for all those involved. While the timing of Ocalan’s call for a cease-fire is thoughtfully coordinated, the philosophical content of his declaration for peace goes beyond a singular point in time and space. In fact, it should be read as a multilayered and a post-nationalist text, hinted as “democratic modernity”, proposing to deconstruct the suppressing and marginalizing pillars of the political regime that has been strictly held in place since the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire. Interestingly, this theoretical framework resonates within the discourse of the new wave of Turkish foreign policy, which in the wake of the regional transformations in the Middle East and North Africa has inspired a fresh breeze encapsulating steps towards democratization, domestically.

It is of great interest to us to look further for any potential analogies that could be drawn between two entities, whose political perspectives cease to clash considerably. Some of the most noticeable overlapping elements could be found through a comparative analysis made between the meticulous lecture** of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoglu at the London School of Economics and Political Science, on 7 March 2013 and the chief of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan’s “historic” letter. These are i) reassessing the impact of Eurocentric history on Anatolia and the Middle East, ii) reimagining the distinctive fabric of the peoples in this given geography, iii) reaching a consensus on peaceful and stable common future-building.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoglu in his lecture posited that, ‘e have to be aware that the Eurocentric culture reached to limits. Now, there is a rise of authentic cultures, of old traditions. We have to admit them, we have to embrace them, we have to create a cultural inclusiveness.’ This highlights how the existing political regimes in the region have undermined and marginalized cultural diversities of the places and the people they have dominated, proclaiming the necessity for unitary, single-voiced, and nationalist governance. Similarly, in the Newroz letter, the message stated: ‘The creation of geographies based on ethnicity and a single nation is an inhuman fabrication of modernity that denies our roots and our origins.’ In both perspectives, there is a critique of the artificiality of the arbitrary regional divisions born out of Eurocentrism, which has paradoxically torn people apart from their distinctive identities.

With regard to the reimagination of the wider region, the vision is to create such a space where people are able and willing to embrace alternative articulations of, what might be termed as a supra-nationalistic ethnic identity. This inclusive identity is shaped in flesh and bones within the context of Davutoglu’s suggested ‘ new Middle East run by the people of the Middle East, not imposed by outsiders’, where ‘e will respect borders, we will respect all nations. But like Europe, European Union, we have to make these borders meaningless.’ Under the protection of a such encompassing identity, the new model also proposed by Ocalan prioritizes an integrated sphere, where artificial boundaries no longer sweep over the people on either side.

How is this integrated sphere to be reconfigured? We have now arrived at a new discourse, which is determined to allow ‘ no room for conquest, denial, rejection, forced assimilation or annihilation,’ to borrow Ocalan’s words. Furthermore, ‘ the new regional order in the Middle East should base on high level political dialogue, a common security zone, an economic interdependency and a cultural inclusivity of city life’ Davutoglu recommends. It is important to bear in mind that this new vocabulary has indeed been shaping the foreign policy and practices of Turkey for the last decade. It may be indicating a shift away from paranoid and strict nationalist policies towards harmonious, peaceful and mutually respectful co-existence of, in this case, the peoples of Anatolia. This co-existence is to be achieved out of the authentic value systems and inner dynamics, which do not take the Western model as the only horizon for emulation.

As Newroz 2013 demonstrated there is a strong will of all parties involved to perpetuate on the common grounds of suffering, as a foundation for lasting peace; almost calling to mind Ernest Renan’s famous lecture in 1882 What is a Nation?* According to Renan, the presence of a historical collective memory is as much important as the current consent of the people to live together as a whole to build a honorable future, which transcends real differences in language, religion, race, interests and geography. That acknowledged, transformation of the institutionalized and static mindset in Turkey is certainly not an easy process. However, in Davutoglu’s words, it appears certain that ‘ow we are living in such an accelerated flow of history, we cannot be static. We cannot have prejudices in our minds; we cannot have stereotypes ’ Likewise, Ocalan insists that ‘those who cannot understand the spirit of the age will end up in the dustbin of history. Those who resist the current, will fall into the abyss.’

Considering the aforementioned, hopes for an ultimate ceasefire and stable peace in Anatolia have never been as strong.

 

Ayşe Ezgi Yıldırım and Elsa Tulin Sen are PhD candidates in the Middle East and Mediterranean Studies Program at King’s College London.

 

Sources:

* Abdullah Öcalan. “Öcalan’s Newroz Statement – Full Text.” Bianet. N.p., 21 Mar. 2013. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://www.bianet.org&gt;

 

** H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu. “Transformation in World Politics.” Lecture. London School of Economics (LSE), London. 7 Mar. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <<http://www.mfa.gov.tr>&gt;

 

*** Ernest, Renan. What is a Nation? (Qu’est-ce qu’une nation?)

 

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