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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Oct 2 2011
Obstacles before new constitution
by EMRE USLU
Parliament has finally opened after three months that saw many
surprising developments.
At the opening ceremony, from the president to the opposition leaders,
political actors put emphasis on the need for a new constitution.
However, despite the unanimous voice that is calling for the new
constitution, it is going to be an uphill battle to write it because
there are many obstacles to overcome before the new constitution.
First and foremost, the Kemalist opposition might not want to see any
change to the Constitution. One reason is that the new constitution
will be passed when the Justice and Development Party (AKP) is in
power. There are many people who may not accept the new constitution
just because the AKP is in power and they do not want to see the AKP
shape the main frame of the constitution. The main concern of the
Kemalists, however, is for practical reasons. The existing
Constitution has created many institutions, of which the Kemalist
elites are the direct beneficiaries. Just one example is the `Atatürk
High Institution of Culture, Language and History' (TTK), which came
out of Article 134 in the Constitution and has become a place of
economic and ideological refuge for many academics, intellectuals and
journalists.
Article 134: `The `Atatürk High Institution of Culture, Language and
History' shall be established as a public corporate body, under the
moral aegis of Atatürk, under the supervision of and with the support
of the president of the republic, attached to the Prime Minister's
Office, and composed of the Atatürk Center of Research, the Turkish
Language Society, the Turkish Historical Society and the Atatürk
Cultural Center, in order to conduct scientific research, to produce
publications and to disseminate information on the thought, principles
and reforms of Atatürk, Turkish culture, Turkish history and the
Turkish language. The financial income of the Turkish Language Society
and Turkish Historical Society, bequeathed to them by Atatürk in his
will, are reserved and shall be allocated to them accordingly. The
establishment, organs, operating procedures and personnel matters of
the `Atatürk High Institution of Culture, Language and History,' and
its authority over the institutions within it, shall be regulated by
law.'
Over the years the `Atatürk High Institution of Culture, Language and
History' has turned into a place wherein many academics hide under its
banner and receive economic benefits. Just one example is that the
institution has become one of the main institutions that provide
ideological, economic and material support to those who `fight' to
prove the Ottoman Empire did not carry out a genocide against
Armenians. In this respect, there are many academics in Turkey and in
the United States and Europe who benefit from the institution to
`fight' against the Armenian claims.
More importantly, those academics have successfully turned this fight
into an issue that is a matter of Turkish identity. Many Turks think
that it is a duty of the Turkish government to provide funding for
those efforts to `fight' against these claims. Therefore, no
government would even consider abolishing the TTK because it is
something the state must fight for.
More importantly, the Turkish military has been involved in
`disproving' the Armenian claims and provides funding for academics in
the United States in US academia. Just one example is that the Turkish
military has admitted that it created websites to disprove claims that
a genocide was committed against the Armenians. Thus, those who
benefit from the existing Constitution, who receive grants from
so-called `independent foundations,' undercover military institutions,
would want to use their position in American academia to encourage the
military to keep the `academic grants' in the Turkish Constitution.
While many academics and intellectuals are focusing on the greater
debate on the ideological front, there are many smaller matters which
the current Constitution hides that could potentially become the real
battleground before the new constitution. I will continue to focus on
`the little things in the Constitution' that could turn into larger
issues for conflict before the new constitution.
From: A. Papazian
Oct 2 2011
Obstacles before new constitution
by EMRE USLU
Parliament has finally opened after three months that saw many
surprising developments.
At the opening ceremony, from the president to the opposition leaders,
political actors put emphasis on the need for a new constitution.
However, despite the unanimous voice that is calling for the new
constitution, it is going to be an uphill battle to write it because
there are many obstacles to overcome before the new constitution.
First and foremost, the Kemalist opposition might not want to see any
change to the Constitution. One reason is that the new constitution
will be passed when the Justice and Development Party (AKP) is in
power. There are many people who may not accept the new constitution
just because the AKP is in power and they do not want to see the AKP
shape the main frame of the constitution. The main concern of the
Kemalists, however, is for practical reasons. The existing
Constitution has created many institutions, of which the Kemalist
elites are the direct beneficiaries. Just one example is the `Atatürk
High Institution of Culture, Language and History' (TTK), which came
out of Article 134 in the Constitution and has become a place of
economic and ideological refuge for many academics, intellectuals and
journalists.
Article 134: `The `Atatürk High Institution of Culture, Language and
History' shall be established as a public corporate body, under the
moral aegis of Atatürk, under the supervision of and with the support
of the president of the republic, attached to the Prime Minister's
Office, and composed of the Atatürk Center of Research, the Turkish
Language Society, the Turkish Historical Society and the Atatürk
Cultural Center, in order to conduct scientific research, to produce
publications and to disseminate information on the thought, principles
and reforms of Atatürk, Turkish culture, Turkish history and the
Turkish language. The financial income of the Turkish Language Society
and Turkish Historical Society, bequeathed to them by Atatürk in his
will, are reserved and shall be allocated to them accordingly. The
establishment, organs, operating procedures and personnel matters of
the `Atatürk High Institution of Culture, Language and History,' and
its authority over the institutions within it, shall be regulated by
law.'
Over the years the `Atatürk High Institution of Culture, Language and
History' has turned into a place wherein many academics hide under its
banner and receive economic benefits. Just one example is that the
institution has become one of the main institutions that provide
ideological, economic and material support to those who `fight' to
prove the Ottoman Empire did not carry out a genocide against
Armenians. In this respect, there are many academics in Turkey and in
the United States and Europe who benefit from the institution to
`fight' against the Armenian claims.
More importantly, those academics have successfully turned this fight
into an issue that is a matter of Turkish identity. Many Turks think
that it is a duty of the Turkish government to provide funding for
those efforts to `fight' against these claims. Therefore, no
government would even consider abolishing the TTK because it is
something the state must fight for.
More importantly, the Turkish military has been involved in
`disproving' the Armenian claims and provides funding for academics in
the United States in US academia. Just one example is that the Turkish
military has admitted that it created websites to disprove claims that
a genocide was committed against the Armenians. Thus, those who
benefit from the existing Constitution, who receive grants from
so-called `independent foundations,' undercover military institutions,
would want to use their position in American academia to encourage the
military to keep the `academic grants' in the Turkish Constitution.
While many academics and intellectuals are focusing on the greater
debate on the ideological front, there are many smaller matters which
the current Constitution hides that could potentially become the real
battleground before the new constitution. I will continue to focus on
`the little things in the Constitution' that could turn into larger
issues for conflict before the new constitution.
From: A. Papazian