The three German hostages being held by the PKK were released yesterday and have been flown back to Germany. There is some question in both the German and Turkish press as to whether the German government paid off the PKK in order to secure their release. Angela Merkel declined to comment, but said that the German government did everything possible to secure their release. The hostage-taking is thought to be the result of PKK infighting.
For coverage from Today's Zaman, click here.
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Turkish politics
An Introduction
Turkey is in a state of flux. Founded in 1923 amidst the ruins of the Ottoman Empire and very much a product of modern nation-state ideology, the emergence of Turkey is one of the great stories of the last century.
Although the Turkish state is still quite strong, an increasingly globalized, albeit incipient, civil society has come to challenge its hegemony and singular notions of "Turkishness." Growing numbers of Turks are demanding human rights reform and a more democratic society. At the same time, politics remains a largely elite affair, minority and cultural rights go largely unrecognized, nationalism remains a potently virulent force, and political stability is still a matter of concern. Unrest in the Kurdish southeast, anti-democratic maneuverings to curb civil liberties and close political parties, repression of political dissent, and a questionable human rights regime raise real concerns for the future of Turkish democracy.
A candidate for accession into the European Union, Turkey stands at a crossroads—will it move toward the postmodernity of Europe, or will it forge an ultimately separate path? Will Turkey provide one of the amazing political stories of the twenty-first century, and what does its political development and changing geopolitics have to say about the future of world politics?
Although the Turkish state is still quite strong, an increasingly globalized, albeit incipient, civil society has come to challenge its hegemony and singular notions of "Turkishness." Growing numbers of Turks are demanding human rights reform and a more democratic society. At the same time, politics remains a largely elite affair, minority and cultural rights go largely unrecognized, nationalism remains a potently virulent force, and political stability is still a matter of concern. Unrest in the Kurdish southeast, anti-democratic maneuverings to curb civil liberties and close political parties, repression of political dissent, and a questionable human rights regime raise real concerns for the future of Turkish democracy.
A candidate for accession into the European Union, Turkey stands at a crossroads—will it move toward the postmodernity of Europe, or will it forge an ultimately separate path? Will Turkey provide one of the amazing political stories of the twenty-first century, and what does its political development and changing geopolitics have to say about the future of world politics?
About Me
- Ragan Updegraff
- Washington, DC, United States
- Ragan Updegraff has closely followed Turkish politics for over six years, working as a political consultant, journalist, and analyst along the way. His work has appeared in the Journal of Democracy and the Jerusalem Post, among various other publications, and he has been interviewed by Voice of America, The Guardian, and The Telegraph. In 2009-2010, he was a United States Fulbright Research Fellow and studied the impact that Turkish legal reforms undertaken as part of Turkey's European accession process were having in transforming Turkey's relations with minority groups, in particular its nationalist Kurdish population. He also studied EU assistance to Turkish NGOs working on minority right issues. He continues to closely monitor events in Turkey from Washington, D.C. Email Me
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Blog Archive
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2008
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July
(39)
- AKP Saved by One Vote
- More on Objectivity and the Turkish Press
- Designs on Iraqi Oil
- Trying to Piece It Altogether
- İstanbul Shook by Deadly Bomb Attacks
- Why Are the Neocons Attacking Turkey?
- Ergenekon and the Left
- What Will the EU Do In Case of Closure? Will Prag...
- Getting Serious About Sexual Harassment (Hopefully)
- Islamic Calvinists and the Anatolian Tiger
- AKP-Alevi Standoff on Religious Education
- DTP Reaches Consensus at Party Convention
- Court to Deliberate on July 28
- German Hostages Released by PKK
- Importance of İncirlik Might Wane
- Turkey's First Gay Honor Killing?
- BIA-Net Quarterly Human Rights Report: Mostly Bad ...
- Oran and Kaboğlu Acquitted
- Rapporteur Recommends Against Closure
- The Beginning of a Hopsitable Friendship . . .
- Ergenekon Investigation Still Anything But Clear
- Germans Caught in the Middle of PKK Infighting
- Turkey Provides Plenty to Think About
- Ergenekon: Making Sense of the Soup
- Ergenekon: Difficult Ground Indeed
- Al-Qa'ida in Turkey?
- A Fight for Press Freedom?: Taraf Faces Off with TSK
- Germans Kidnapped by PKK
- Tanktops at Galata: Protesting Patriarchy and Doub...
- Ergenekon Proves New Test for Democracy
- Attack on U.S. Consulate
- Justice for Hrant?
- Başbuğ to Prove a More Apt Political Player
- Just When Will Closure Come?
- Ties Deepen Between Turkey and Iran
- Baydemir Acquitted in Brochure Trial
- The Letter "W"
- Sex, the State, and Discrimination Against Women a...
- What Happened at Dağlıca?
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July
(39)
Turkey in the Media
- AB Haber (English Site)
- Bianet
- Changing Turkey in a Changing World
- EU-Turkey Monitor (from ZEI)
- Erkan's Field Diary (from Erkan Saka)
- Euractiv.com
- Eurasia Daily Monitor
- Eurasianet -- Turkey
- Hürriyet (The Doğan Group)
- Informed Comment (from Juan Cole)
- Insight Turkey
- Istanbul Calling (from Yigal Schleifer)
- Istanbul Notes (from Aengus Collins)
- Jim Meyer's Borderlands
- Journalistinturkey (from Fréderike Geerdink)
- Kamil Pasha (from Jenny White)
- Qantara.de -- Dialogue with the Islamic World
- Southeast Times -- Turkey
- The Balkans Project (from the Institute for Policy Studies)
- The Ebru Project (from Atilla Durak)
- The Global Post -- Turkey
- The Istanbulian (from Emre Kizilkaya)
- The Rumeli Observer (from ESI)
- The TurkEU Blog (from Paul T. Levin)
- The Turko-file -- Eurasianet (from Yigal Schleifer)
- The White Path (from Mustafa Akyol)
- Today's Zaman (The Zaman Group)
- Transnational Middle East Observer (from Wladimir van Wilgenburg)
- Turkey & European Union Relations (European Union Plaform)
- Turkey Etcetera (from Alex Christie-Miller)
- Turkey Watch (from Fadil Aliriza)
Turkish NGOs
- Accessible Life Association
- Amnesty International
- Anatolian Cultural Foundation
- ARI Movement
- Associaion for the Support and Education of Women Candidates (KADER)
- Association for Liberal Thinking
- Association for the Development of Social and Cultural Life (SKYGD)
- Association of Committees for Monitoring Parliamentarians and Elected Officials (TUMIKOM)
- Civil Society Index Project (STEP)
- Community of Turkish Journalists (TGC)
- Community Volunteers Foundation (TOG)
- Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK)
- Diyarbakir Bar Association
- Federation of Caucasian Associations
- Flying Broom
- Foundation for Society and Legal Studies
- Foundation for the Support of Women's Work
- Haci Bektas Veli Anatolian Cultural Foundation
- Helsinki Citizens Assembly
- History Foundation of Turkey
- Human Rights Agenda Association (IHGD)
- Human Rights Association (IHD)
- Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TIHV)
- Human Rights Joint Platform (IHOP)
- Karadeniz Environment Association
- Kurdish Human Rights Project
- Kurdish Human Rights Project
- MAZLUM-DER
- Minority Rights Group International
- Minority Rights Group International
- Social Development and Gender Equality Policies Center (SOGEP)
- Society and Democracy Association (TDD)
- The Koman Foundation
- Third Sector Foundation of Turkey (TUSEV)
- Turkey Human Rights Research Association (IHAD)
- Turkish Indutrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD)
- Van Regional Bar Association
- Women Center Education Production Consultancy and Solidarity Foundation (KAMER)
- Women for Women's Human Rights (KIH)
- Women's Rights Association Against Discrimination (AKDER)
- Young Civilians (Genc Siviller)
- Youth Association for Habitat (HGD)
- Youth for Understanding in Turkey
Research Institutes
- Amnesty International USA--Turkey
- Center for European Integration Studies (ZEI)
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) -- Turkey Project
- Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
- Centre for European Reform (CER)
- Centre for European Security Studies (CESS)
- Chatham House -- Turkey Project
- Diyarbakir Institute for Social and Political Research
- European Centre for Minority Issues
- European Institute (Bilgi University)
- European Stability Initiative (ESI)
- Foundation for Political, Economic, and Social Research (SETA)
- German Marshall Fund -- On Turkey
- Human Rights Watch
- International Crisis Group -- Turkey/Cyprus
- Istanbul Policy Center (Sabanci University)
- Minority Rights Group International (MRGI)
- Project on Middle East Democracy
- Southeast Europe Project, Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars
- The Brookings Institution -- Turkey Project
- The Institute of Turkish Studies (Georgetown University)
- The Journal of Turkish Weekly (from the International Strategic Research Organization)
- The SETA Foundation -- Washington, D.C.
- Transatlantic Academy
- Turkey Analyst -- Silk Road Studies Program (Central Asia-Caucasus Institute)
- Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
- Turkish Policy Quarterly
- Turkish Studies
- TurkStat (Government of Turkey)
European Union
- Delegation of the European Union to Turkey
- Turkey Secretariat General for EU Affairs
- European Commission Enlargement -- Turkey
- Civil Society Development Center (STGM)
- Central Finance and Contracts Unit (CFCU) (T.R. Prime Ministry)
- EU-Turkey Civic Commission
- Turkey Country Profile, Office of Enlargement, European Commission
- Office of Enlargement, European Commission
- Office of External Relations, European Commission
- Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament
- Council of the European Union
- Promotion of Human Rights and Democratization by the European Commission
- European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), European Commission
- Eurobarometer
- Transatlantic Trends Survey (German Marshall Fund)
- Timeline of Turkey's EU Accession Process (from EurActiv.com)
Other European Institutions
- Council of Europe
- Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
- Commissioner for Human Rights, Council of Europe
- Venice Commission, Council of Europe
- European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
- Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
- The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
- OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
- OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
- Committee of Ministers, Council of Europe
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Key Documents
- 2011 Bianet Media Monitoring Report
- EU Commission Progress Report (2011)
- "He Loves You, He Beats You," Human Rights Watch (2011)
- OSCE Survey of Imprisoned Journalists (April 2011)
- "Protesting as a Terrorist Offense," Human Rights Watch (2010)
- EU Commission Progress Report (2010)
- EU Commission Progress Report (2009)
- EU Commission Progress Report (2008)
- EU Commission Progress Report (2007)
- EU Commission Progress Report (2006)
- EU's Accession Partnership Document for Turkey (2008)
- Turkey's National Program for the Adoption of the Acquis (2008)
- Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Turkey, U.S. Department of State (2010)
- Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Turkey, U.S. Department of State (2009)
- Country Report on Religous Freedom in Turkey, U.S. Department of State (July-Dec. 2010)
- Country Report on International Religious Freedom in Turkey, U.S. Department of State (2010)
- Country Report on International Religious Freedom in Turkey, U.S. Department of State (2009)
- World Report, Human Rights Watch (2011)
- Amnesty International Annual Report (2011)
- Freedom in the World, Freedom House (2011)
- U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Annual Report (2011)
- U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Report (2010)
- "Turkey and Europe: The Decisive Year Ahead," International Crisis Group (2008)
- "Turkey and Europe: The Way Ahead," International Crisis Group (2007)
- "A Roadmap for a Solution to the Kurdish Question: Policy Proposals from the Region for the Government," TESEV (2008)
- "Opinion on the Legal Status of Religious Communities in Turkey and the Right of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Istanbul to use the Adjective 'Ecumenical,'" Venice Commission (2010)
- “Freedom of Religion and Other Human Rights for Mon-Muslim Minorities in Turkey and for the Muslim Minority in Thrace [Eastern Greece]," Resolution 1704, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2010)
- “Freedom of Religion and Other Human Rights for Mon-Muslim Minorities in Turkey and for the Muslim Minority in Thrace [Eastern Greece]," Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2009)
- The Story of Alien(ation) : Real Estate Owenership Problems of Non-Muslim Foundations and Communities in Turkey," TESEV (2009)
- Report of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (2010)
- "Forgotten or Assimilated? Minorities in the Education System of Turkey," Minority Rights Group International (2009)
- "A Quest for Equality: Minorities in Turkey," Minority Rights Group International (2007)
- "Closing Ranks Against Accountability: Barriers to Tackling Police Violence in Turkey," Human Rights Watch (2009)
- "We Need a Law for Liberation," Human Rights Watch (2008)
- Constitution of Turkey (1982)
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