Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
The headline in the Hürriyet Daily News--a newspaper threatened with elimination via punitive taxation--sums it up: "Sweep of arrests erases any doubt over who's the boss in Turkey."
The ongoing arrests of more than 100 active officers as part of the “Balyoz” (Sledgehammer) case have demonstrated the increasing confidence of the government in confronting a military that once held sway over Turkish political life.
"This means," reports Zaman--closely linked to the government--"that we are closer to democracy."
That's what's being reported in the English-language press in Turkey. Unreported in English was this item: The opposition website OdaTV and the home of its owner, Soner Yalçın (photo), were raided early this morning, along with the homes of its editors. Yalçın lives a few blocks from me, by the way. Word is that they too are "members of the Ergenekon terrorist organization" who have been "inciting hatred and enmity." The Oda TV website appears to be down. Now, I suppose, we're hurtling toward democracy.
I caution readers to be careful about interpreting this as "encroaching Islamism" in Turkey. The AKP is a party with Islamist elements and Islamist roots, to be sure, but this is above all about authoritarianism, power and payback. If the opposition manages to wrest power back from the AKP, they will do this to them, in turn. They did it in the past.
The main story here is weak institutions, the politicization of the judiciary, a culture of political paranoia, a tradition of political vengeance, and the world's unwillingness to call any of this what it is and say that Turkey deserves better. The point that must be understood--and simply isn't in the West, as far as I can see--is that the AKP is not about "democratization," as it says, or about "Islamofascism," as its enemies say, but about politics as usual in Turkey--authoritarian politics.
What should the West do? It should say something. It should stand up for the values of a free press and an independent judiciary. It should stand against endless pretrial detentions on political grounds. It should make its case for this confidently. It should argue that free, robust and independent institutions ultimately serve ordinary people, as opposed to whichever elite happens that day to be in power. It should say, "We know what is happening here and it is not in the interests of the people of Turkey."
I am certain the State Department is well aware what's going on here. They know that this is very bad. They say in private that they don't know what to do about it.
But it's so simple: Say what you really think. Say it, Madame Secretary, just say it! It's not as if you're going to be arrested in a pre-dawn raid.
- Comment (13)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (1)
Comments :
Oct '10
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
The turkish opposition should say something about the arrest too. They should seek help from the US gov't.
and if the secular opposition manages to regain power, they should give these officers amnesty.
Edited on Feb 14, 2011 at 2:55amRe: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
By the way, for those of you wondering whether this took place this morning or yesterday morning--I've edited this twice now, switching it--it was this morning. I'm just a little jetlagged still, and used to calculating the time difference in the other direction.
Jul '10
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
True, the raid was early Monday morning. The website seems to be on, albeit access to it very slow at times.
Moreover, the raid appears to be due to yesterday's odatv report titled "These videos will change the fate of the Ergenekon case" with regard to the police excavation in Zir Valley, which includes three videos that were taped during the excavations.
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
For what it is worth, this seems to me to be far worse than what happened in the past. When I lived in Turkey in the mid-1980s, there was a vigorous, multiparty democracy. I do not remember the government moving against the opposition press, and I do not remember kangaroo courts. What there was -- and on a grand scale -- was corruption, patronage, and favoritism.
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
Paul, the current prime minister of Turkey was imprisoned for four months in 1998 for reading a poem--a poem often casually described as "Islamist," but in fact written by Ziya Gökalp, a staunch Kemalist, and recommended by the Ministry of Education. Whatever one may think of Erdoğan, no one intellectually honest could argue that the law and judiciary were not rampantly abused for political purposes before. This report on Turkish press freedom in the 90s, for example, is surely not a description of a society in the full blossom of vigorous, multiparty democracy as we understand the words.
May '10
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
Doesn't a good bit of the problem lie with the Turkish people? These injustices are being reported, afterall, yet there's apparently no significant political price to be paid by the AKP.
A powerful check on a democratic government's brazenness is the fear of its people's outrage. But fear of an outraged electorate doesn't seem to humble Turkish politicians as much as it should, and I wonder why not.
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
Scott Reusser: Doesn't a good bit of the problem lie with the Turkish people? These injustices are being reported, afterall, yet there's apparently no significant political price to be paid by the AKP.
A powerful check on a democratic government's brazenness is the fear of its people's outrage. But fear of an outraged electorate doesn't seem to humble Turkish politicians as much as it should, and I wonder why not. · Feb 14 at 5:33am
One might ask that question of our government as well. If a foreigner put that question to you about our current administration, how would you answer it? Think in very similar psychological terms.
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Paul, the current prime minister of Turkey was imprisoned for four months in 1998 for reading a poem--a poem often casually described as "Islamist," but in fact written by Ziya Gökalp, a staunch Kemalist, and recommended by the Ministry of Education. Whatever one may think of Erdoğan, no one intellectually honest could argue that the law and judiciary were not rampantly abused for political purposes before. This report on Turkish press freedom in the 90s, for example, is surely not a description of a society in the full blossom of vigorous, multiparty democracy as we understand the words. · Feb 14 at 5:22am
Fair enough. But was there ever a kangaroo-court trial on the scale of the Sledgehammer trial? Was there ever an assault on the press as such (as opposed to individual reporters)? And did the attacks of this sort ever extend to leading figures within the political class -- apart from Erdoğan? When this is over will anyone dare to resist the AKP? There was a vigorous, multiparty democracy in the 80s and 90s. It was never certain who would win. What now?
May '10
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
Claire, the officers on trial are military officers, correct? If so, isn't the real story that the military which has historically kept all sides in check is under threat of being diminished (and that balance along with it)? If the military could be undermined by Erdogan or anyone else, wouldn't that fundamentally change Turkish politics?
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
Paul A. Rahe
Fair enough. But was there ever a kangaroo-court trial on the scale of the Sledgehammer trial? Was there ever an assault on the press as such (as opposed to individual reporters)? And did the attacks of this sort ever extend to leading figures within the political class -- apart from Erdoğan? When this is over will anyone dare to resist the AKP? There was a vigorous, multiparty democracy in the 80s and 90s. It was never certain who would win. What now? · Feb 14 at 7:17am
On the scale of Ergenekon, no. But there are worse things than a show trial-- like extrajudicial killings. Those were a reality on this scale. Attacks on leading figures in the political class? Well, sure. I mean, they hanged a prime minister. That was some time ago, but until recently no one doubted the military capable of it. In deploring the AKP's abuses of power now, I do not argue that there were none before. There were. Turkey was never a shining human rights beacon. The comparison should not be to the past, but to what the AKP claims to be and what international observers say it is.
May '10
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
Scott Reusser: Doesn't a good bit of the problem lie with the Turkish people? These injustices are being reported, afterall, yet there's apparently no significant political price to be paid by the AKP.
A powerful check on a democratic government's brazenness is the fear of its people's outrage. But fear of an outraged electorate doesn't seem to humble Turkish politicians as much as it should, and I wonder why not. · Feb 14 at 5:33am
One might ask that question of our government as well. If a foreigner put that question to you about our current administration, how would you answer it? Think in very similar psychological terms. · Feb 14 at 6:11am
There's a qualitative difference between A) pushing through unpopular, partisan legislation and hence enduring tea parties and a massive rejection at the polls, and B) imprisoning political opponents on spurious grounds, raiding TV stations and the homes of journalists, threatening to "eliminate" certain newspapers, etc., and hence enduring....what? Shrugs?
This kind of abuse of power should destroy the popularity of whatever political party commits it. It certainly would here. Why not in Turkey?
May '10
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
....Maybe learned helplessness has something to do with it. I don't know.
Re: Turkey: Showing Them Who's the Boss
Claire Berlinski, Ed.
On the scale of Ergenekon, no. But there are worse things than a show trial-- like extrajudicial killings. Those were a reality on this scale. Attacks on leading figures in the political class? Well, sure. I mean, they hanged a prime minister. That was some time ago, but until recently no one doubted the military capable of it. In deploring the AKP's abuses of power now, I do not argue that there were none before. There were. Turkey was never a shining human rights beacon. The comparison should not be to the past, but to what the AKP claims to be and what international observers say it is. · Feb 14 at 8:52am
Yes, Menderes was executed ca. 1960, but since then? To the best of my knowledge, no figures within the political class were targeted. I do not mean to brush aside the extrajudicial killings largely linked with the struggle against the Kurdish insurgency (but not limited to that). But there was not a concerted attempt to cow the political class. If the Sledgehammer trial succeeds, it will silence the opposition.