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MESSAGES FROM TAKSIM SQUARE (2)
Today's Zaman, Turkey
June 10 2013
DOÄ~^U ERGÄ°L
[email protected]
The protests against the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government
have not appeared out of the blue. A gradual precipitation of events
led to the final round. As of late, the government made a decision
that restricted the sale and promotion of alcohol as if Turkish
society consumes alcohol in great volumes.
The truth is in the other direction: According to the government's
Household Budget Surveys, only 6 percent of Turkish households spend
enough money on alcohol that it reflects on their budget. The rest
are either social drinkers and non-drinkers. Yet this move on the
part of the government was interpreted by many as an intrusion into
private life.
Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan's occasional remarks on art and artifacts
ended with the demolition of a monumental statue in Kars erected as
a mark of Turkish-Armenian friendship. His insistence on erecting
mosques in critical zones of Ä°stanbul without resorting to the
consent of his citizens and disregarding the architectural texture
of the historical city is conceived as an intrusion of politics into
the realm of culture and is seen as defiance of civic culture.
One of the few policies of the AKP government widely criticized by
the populace was Turkey's close encounter with the Syrian opposition,
which is allowed to organize in Turkey and actively aided throughout
the civil war. Fear of retaliation by the brutal Syrian regime became
a reality with two devastating bomb attacks. Followed by a lethal
car-bomb attack at the Cilvegözu border gate earlier, the bombing
in Reyhanlı on May 11, which killed 51 and injured 140 turned the
tide against the government.
The majority of the Turkish people want their country to remain
disengaged from the fratricide that is going on Syria despite the fact
that they want the country to continue to provide humanitarian aid.
People also see that the sectarian mix of Syria extends to the Turkish
side of the border and intense involvement in Syrian affairs may
have a combustible effect on this side as well. They believe Iran
and Syria are ready to do their best in this regard.
In regards to personal freedoms and human rights, the majority of the
people backed the AKP initiative to change the constitution for a more
liberal democracy. However, a part of them became disenchanted to see
that changes did not go much beyond breaking the bureaucratic tutelage
over the regime with the institutions and practices remaining. Now
these institutions and powers are enjoyed by the incumbent government,
a fact that is shown as evidence that the AKP wants little opposition
or accountability in government. At least this is the opinion of the
more freedom-oriented people who value their individualism more than
being a part of a political or faith based organization.
For many commentators, Turkey's economic boom masked many of these
problems. But with the cumulative effect of all events, economic
improvement is no more enough to assuage the people. Excessive police
measures initially witnessed while repressing peaceful protestors
at Taksim Square and elsewhere were seen as growing arbitrariness on
the part of the government and its defiance of accountability.
The fact that the whole country stood still and waited for the
prime minister to return from his North African visit is shown as an
indication of how the regime has become a one-man show. He is the only
man to decide whether the Taksim affair will end up in reconciliation
or his government (in fact he alone) will decide on the fate of the
square. The first will be interpreted as a gesture of democratic
inflexibility and insistence of destroying the existing park area to
be replaced by commercial housing as authoritarian political intrusion
on civic life and free civic choice. This will mark the difference
between confrontation or moderation.
The tone of the speech Mr. Erdogan gave on Friday (at 3 a.m.), right
after his return to a crowd chanting : "Let us go and smash Taksim"
did not give too much hope for reconciliation with popular demands. He
had earlier labeled protestors as marauders and vagabonds. He did
not change his rhetoric in the public speech.
Confrontational politics may get a party and a leader to win
elections, and there are three pending next year (municipal, general
and presidential), but the country hardly benefits if the feeling of
solidarity is lost. While doing its best to bring peace in order to
solve the "Kurdish problem," why create a "Turkish problem?"
Some people remind us the advice Erdogan gave to Hosni Mubarak during
the height of protests in Tahrir Square: "No government can survive
against the will of its people. We are all passing, and we will be
judged by what we left behind." Indeed this would be Mr. Erdogan's
legacy; a freedom-oriented approach to politics that heeds the voice
of the people as diverse as they are.
If the AKP government really adopts a freedom-oriented perspective
rather than the current security-first approach empowering the state
rather than the people, then there is no reason why Turkey will not
be an exemplary country in the volatile conflict-ridden Middle East
and a likely candidate to the EU.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=317920
Today's Zaman, Turkey
June 10 2013
DOÄ~^U ERGÄ°L
[email protected]
The protests against the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government
have not appeared out of the blue. A gradual precipitation of events
led to the final round. As of late, the government made a decision
that restricted the sale and promotion of alcohol as if Turkish
society consumes alcohol in great volumes.
The truth is in the other direction: According to the government's
Household Budget Surveys, only 6 percent of Turkish households spend
enough money on alcohol that it reflects on their budget. The rest
are either social drinkers and non-drinkers. Yet this move on the
part of the government was interpreted by many as an intrusion into
private life.
Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan's occasional remarks on art and artifacts
ended with the demolition of a monumental statue in Kars erected as
a mark of Turkish-Armenian friendship. His insistence on erecting
mosques in critical zones of Ä°stanbul without resorting to the
consent of his citizens and disregarding the architectural texture
of the historical city is conceived as an intrusion of politics into
the realm of culture and is seen as defiance of civic culture.
One of the few policies of the AKP government widely criticized by
the populace was Turkey's close encounter with the Syrian opposition,
which is allowed to organize in Turkey and actively aided throughout
the civil war. Fear of retaliation by the brutal Syrian regime became
a reality with two devastating bomb attacks. Followed by a lethal
car-bomb attack at the Cilvegözu border gate earlier, the bombing
in Reyhanlı on May 11, which killed 51 and injured 140 turned the
tide against the government.
The majority of the Turkish people want their country to remain
disengaged from the fratricide that is going on Syria despite the fact
that they want the country to continue to provide humanitarian aid.
People also see that the sectarian mix of Syria extends to the Turkish
side of the border and intense involvement in Syrian affairs may
have a combustible effect on this side as well. They believe Iran
and Syria are ready to do their best in this regard.
In regards to personal freedoms and human rights, the majority of the
people backed the AKP initiative to change the constitution for a more
liberal democracy. However, a part of them became disenchanted to see
that changes did not go much beyond breaking the bureaucratic tutelage
over the regime with the institutions and practices remaining. Now
these institutions and powers are enjoyed by the incumbent government,
a fact that is shown as evidence that the AKP wants little opposition
or accountability in government. At least this is the opinion of the
more freedom-oriented people who value their individualism more than
being a part of a political or faith based organization.
For many commentators, Turkey's economic boom masked many of these
problems. But with the cumulative effect of all events, economic
improvement is no more enough to assuage the people. Excessive police
measures initially witnessed while repressing peaceful protestors
at Taksim Square and elsewhere were seen as growing arbitrariness on
the part of the government and its defiance of accountability.
The fact that the whole country stood still and waited for the
prime minister to return from his North African visit is shown as an
indication of how the regime has become a one-man show. He is the only
man to decide whether the Taksim affair will end up in reconciliation
or his government (in fact he alone) will decide on the fate of the
square. The first will be interpreted as a gesture of democratic
inflexibility and insistence of destroying the existing park area to
be replaced by commercial housing as authoritarian political intrusion
on civic life and free civic choice. This will mark the difference
between confrontation or moderation.
The tone of the speech Mr. Erdogan gave on Friday (at 3 a.m.), right
after his return to a crowd chanting : "Let us go and smash Taksim"
did not give too much hope for reconciliation with popular demands. He
had earlier labeled protestors as marauders and vagabonds. He did
not change his rhetoric in the public speech.
Confrontational politics may get a party and a leader to win
elections, and there are three pending next year (municipal, general
and presidential), but the country hardly benefits if the feeling of
solidarity is lost. While doing its best to bring peace in order to
solve the "Kurdish problem," why create a "Turkish problem?"
Some people remind us the advice Erdogan gave to Hosni Mubarak during
the height of protests in Tahrir Square: "No government can survive
against the will of its people. We are all passing, and we will be
judged by what we left behind." Indeed this would be Mr. Erdogan's
legacy; a freedom-oriented approach to politics that heeds the voice
of the people as diverse as they are.
If the AKP government really adopts a freedom-oriented perspective
rather than the current security-first approach empowering the state
rather than the people, then there is no reason why Turkey will not
be an exemplary country in the volatile conflict-ridden Middle East
and a likely candidate to the EU.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=317920