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ERDOGAN TURNS TURKEY INTO A COMBAT ZONE
Today's Zaman, Turkey
April 15 2015
YAVUZ BAYDAR
April 15, 2015, Wednesday
The elections on June 7 are all about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
It is about his future, position, legitimacy and survival.
This bitter fact, which diminishes further hopes for Turkey ever
coming closer to a "democratic order," has turned all parties, but
especially the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of which he is the
de facto chairman, to mere players that follow. All the four major
parties position themselves in relation to him, rather than each
other.
Having managed with this strategy so far, Erdogan sees Turkey as a
combat zone, keen to maintain the political stage as a minefield;
identifying and handpicking enemies -- most of them imaginary, a few
of them only determined rivals -- and attacking them with full force.
As the elections approach, the scope of warfare is being broadened.
Erdogan is fully aware that the only ways to succeed with the combat
strategy are a) remaining defiant of the clauses of the Constitution
by being "partial" and active in politics, b) defending himself with
constant, fierce attacks on those who his followers do not have any
sympathy for and c) further fear-mongering injected into the judiciary
and media, both of which will be very "useful" until and after the
elections.
For long enough Erdogan had entrenched himself in denial of the
Armenian genocide, and now the Pope declaring it as such comes in very
handy for domestic use. If the European Parliament issues a similar
resolution, it will also add to the ammunition to assemble the
conservative votes around the AKP on the basis of Muslim-Christian
divisions and the "us and them" divide.
At home, his pattern in the "combat zone" is multi-faceted. It comes
either in the form of direct moves to further clip the wings of the
judiciary or intensifying attacks on institutions and individuals.
The most dramatic move in the latest phase of attacks is visible in
the investigation launched into the prosecutors and a judge in the
Dec. 17-25 graft probes: Celal Kara, Muammer AkkaÅ~_ and Suleyman
Karacöl. They are accused of "abuse and oversight of power," charges
associated with a sentence of three years of prison, by the Supreme
Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK). Needless to say, this confirms
the gloomy predictions by law circles that foundations are being laid
for a) deterrent actions against the judiciary to encourage it to
become subordinate to power and b) establishing impunity for all the
allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
The move makes it clear that the battle for executive power now
engulfs both the police and judiciary and is bound to cause turbulence
within those segments. If the AKP has another sweeping victory on June
7, it is most likely that the judiciary will be forced to give up on
the remnants of its independence.
Turgut Kazan, a veteran lawyer who staunchly fought against what he
saw as wrongdoings in cases such as Ergenekon, pointed out this
dramatic turn in an interview yesterday for Hurriyet daily with a
focus on the HSYK.
"It has been problematic before," he said, referring to the state of
the body before the critical referendum on Sept. 12, 2010. "Now the
judiciary is a battlefield for different political groups. In the near
future, the government will gain full control over it. There is no
more hope for the judiciary or justice in Turkey anymore. I see no way
to struggle for these."
There is more.
As pressure on the bulk of the state-run or private media for biased
election coverage in favor of the AKP increases, Erdogan has once more
targeted Turkey's influential business organization, the Turkish
Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TUSÄ°AD). Not so long
ago, its new chairwoman, Cansen BaÅ~_aran-Symes, had spoken out using
carefully chosen words to say that the worsening economic situation
could be explained by a loss of credibility in international arena.
She found herself personally attacked by the president, who did not
respond to the content of her critical views and instead chose to take
a jab at her. "We know what sort of damage she caused before to this
country," he said, adding in vague terms that she be exposed for what
she has done.
This is deliberate. Erdogan clearly aims at facing the big business
community down, to clear the path for a victory without strong,
critical voices.
The result is further polarization and increased fears of a path now
opening to fascism.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/yavuz-baydar/erdogan-turns-turkey-into-a-combat-zone_378061.html
Today's Zaman, Turkey
April 15 2015
YAVUZ BAYDAR
April 15, 2015, Wednesday
The elections on June 7 are all about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
It is about his future, position, legitimacy and survival.
This bitter fact, which diminishes further hopes for Turkey ever
coming closer to a "democratic order," has turned all parties, but
especially the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of which he is the
de facto chairman, to mere players that follow. All the four major
parties position themselves in relation to him, rather than each
other.
Having managed with this strategy so far, Erdogan sees Turkey as a
combat zone, keen to maintain the political stage as a minefield;
identifying and handpicking enemies -- most of them imaginary, a few
of them only determined rivals -- and attacking them with full force.
As the elections approach, the scope of warfare is being broadened.
Erdogan is fully aware that the only ways to succeed with the combat
strategy are a) remaining defiant of the clauses of the Constitution
by being "partial" and active in politics, b) defending himself with
constant, fierce attacks on those who his followers do not have any
sympathy for and c) further fear-mongering injected into the judiciary
and media, both of which will be very "useful" until and after the
elections.
For long enough Erdogan had entrenched himself in denial of the
Armenian genocide, and now the Pope declaring it as such comes in very
handy for domestic use. If the European Parliament issues a similar
resolution, it will also add to the ammunition to assemble the
conservative votes around the AKP on the basis of Muslim-Christian
divisions and the "us and them" divide.
At home, his pattern in the "combat zone" is multi-faceted. It comes
either in the form of direct moves to further clip the wings of the
judiciary or intensifying attacks on institutions and individuals.
The most dramatic move in the latest phase of attacks is visible in
the investigation launched into the prosecutors and a judge in the
Dec. 17-25 graft probes: Celal Kara, Muammer AkkaÅ~_ and Suleyman
Karacöl. They are accused of "abuse and oversight of power," charges
associated with a sentence of three years of prison, by the Supreme
Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK). Needless to say, this confirms
the gloomy predictions by law circles that foundations are being laid
for a) deterrent actions against the judiciary to encourage it to
become subordinate to power and b) establishing impunity for all the
allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
The move makes it clear that the battle for executive power now
engulfs both the police and judiciary and is bound to cause turbulence
within those segments. If the AKP has another sweeping victory on June
7, it is most likely that the judiciary will be forced to give up on
the remnants of its independence.
Turgut Kazan, a veteran lawyer who staunchly fought against what he
saw as wrongdoings in cases such as Ergenekon, pointed out this
dramatic turn in an interview yesterday for Hurriyet daily with a
focus on the HSYK.
"It has been problematic before," he said, referring to the state of
the body before the critical referendum on Sept. 12, 2010. "Now the
judiciary is a battlefield for different political groups. In the near
future, the government will gain full control over it. There is no
more hope for the judiciary or justice in Turkey anymore. I see no way
to struggle for these."
There is more.
As pressure on the bulk of the state-run or private media for biased
election coverage in favor of the AKP increases, Erdogan has once more
targeted Turkey's influential business organization, the Turkish
Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TUSÄ°AD). Not so long
ago, its new chairwoman, Cansen BaÅ~_aran-Symes, had spoken out using
carefully chosen words to say that the worsening economic situation
could be explained by a loss of credibility in international arena.
She found herself personally attacked by the president, who did not
respond to the content of her critical views and instead chose to take
a jab at her. "We know what sort of damage she caused before to this
country," he said, adding in vague terms that she be exposed for what
she has done.
This is deliberate. Erdogan clearly aims at facing the big business
community down, to clear the path for a victory without strong,
critical voices.
The result is further polarization and increased fears of a path now
opening to fascism.
http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/yavuz-baydar/erdogan-turns-turkey-into-a-combat-zone_378061.html