As far as I can observe, curiosity and confusion about Turkey in Washington, D.C., has just been increasing with every passing day. The “Arab spring” is of course a factor in this intense curiosity but also conflicting images and echoes coming from Turkey have heightened this confusion. Gerald Knaus of the European Stability Initiative, Henri J. Barkey from the Carnegie Middle East Center and myself, as president of Human Rights Agenda Association, were speakers on a panel titled “Trials, Tribulations, and Crises: The Road to Turkey’s June 12 Elections.”
Our arguments and analysis were summarized by the Carnegie Center after the event. I want to use some highlights from this summary, which I believe, reflects quite a balanced picture of the situation in Turkey.
“Economic growth: Under Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey opened its economy, and the resulting increase in trade has propelled strong economic growth. Increased engagement with the world has led to a loss of fear about selling out to outsiders, Knaus noted. He added that socioeconomic changes have also led to greater urbanization and more educational opportunities for women.”
“European Union: Through the accession process, the European Union has pushed for domestic political reforms and played a key role as a democratic opposition to the government, argued Cengiz. In doing so, the EU has filled a void, as the domestic political opposition is not always democratic. The EU accession process has stalled in recent years, yet neither the EU nor Turkey has any incentive to give up on talks, Knaus pointed out.”
“Human rights: Human rights have improved significantly in the past decade. Turkey continues to have problems with freedom of the press and police violence, but the number of journalists in jail has decreased and torture is no longer systematic, Knaus said. There is still some violence in Kurdish regions, but the situation is dramatically better than 10 or 15 years ago, added Cengiz. Yet Turkey’s judiciary continues to suffer from significant shortcomings because it is understaffed and underfunded. Forty percent of people in Turkish jail[s] are awaiting trial, and half of those are probably innocent, noted Knaus.”
“Tackling taboos: It has become possible to talk about the Armenian genocide and the Kurdish issue much more openly than even five years ago, said Knaus. At a recent demonstration commemorating the Armenian massacres, the police were ordered to protect rather than attack demonstrators. This would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, Cengiz said. But he added that progress remains to be made; even as police were protecting demonstrators, Erdoğan denigrated a statue symbolizing peace between Turkey and Armenia.
“The military’s worldview: Many sectors of the security forces are still trained to believe that Turkey is surrounded by enemies, both external and internal, and that pro-European Turks, as well as religious and ethnic minorities, are potential threats to the state, said Knaus.”
“Shifting the balance of power: The EU accession process provided the AKP [Justice and Development Party] with an opportunity to begin to diminish the prerogatives of the military. Yet the AKP has gone further and the past five years have been particularly crucial in increasing civilian oversight of the military, which previously had the right to independently gather intelligence throughout Turkey and used torture with impunity, Knaus explained.”
“Dealing with past abuses: The Turkish judiciary is ill-equipped to deal with the large number of complex human rights cases that could be brought against officials, said Knaus. While trying everyone involved in coup-plotting or rights abuses would require indicting every general and many politicians, Knaus said, there should still be some way to find justice.”
“Ergenekon trial: In 2007, Turkey began a case against a large number of prominent military officers, nationalists, and intellectuals accused of forming part of a shadowy network within the Turkish government responsible for political assassinations, coups, and other offenses. This case has been very polarizing, Cengiz explained, and there have been a number of problems in its prosecution. Despite the controversy, the case has marked a real turning point for the country, Cengiz argued. Minorities and intellectuals in Turkey have felt a measurable improvement in the atmosphere since the case began.”
On this occasion I would like to thank the Carnegie Middle East Center for both inviting me and organizing such an informative event for an American audience.
