As the military tutelage is under heavy assault, another wave of counter-attack comes from the pro-military circles. That definitely does not mean anyone suspecting of a possible civilian fascism era is pro-military. But hegemonic issues are complicated and thus it is hard to detect who is who in these hegemonic struggles. A sincerely concerned columnist’s ideas may easily be manipulated. Like Şerif Mardin’s ideas on “neighborhood pressure” before, some sincere ideas seems to be manipulated these days. My brief ideas for the moment:
1. It is a normalization baby.In many fronts. Turkey’s leadership was so distanced from the ordinary citizens. A total separation of worlds. Now it looks a bit similar. Is this good? I don’t know. But arrogant materially westernized but mentally oriental and distanced Turkish elites are replaced arrogant materially local and mentally local and seemingly less distanced elites.This annoys circles associated with older elites. These maybe sincerely democratic in thought but class counts. Social class reflexes rise unconsciously as the transformation of elites continue…
2. Just having a larger historical perspective: Was there any time in Turkish Republican that is better than now? This strongly worded “civilian fascism” always existed if one has to admit its existence. But there was always a military tutelage to this civilian fascism. (As if military tutelage was possible without civilian backing). Now the latter is gone (I am still not sure about that, too), civilians can enter into intelligible communication about democratization. Now that some parties will not call the Army for help!
Genius at work: invention of ?civilian tutelage?
Ergenekon: power and democracy in Turkey | openDemocracy
Today’s Zaman
Kanadoğlu testified to İstanbul Deputy Chief Prosecutor Turan Çolakkadı in the presence of Ergenekon prosecutor Ercan Şafak.
The real defenders of civilian fascism
Yesterday, a headline in the Taraf daily featured the best illustration of the irony of fate. The headline read, ?Gül in Çankaya, Mr. 367 in court.? Yes, Sabih Kanadoğlu, the inventor of the 367 quorum, gave his deposition to Ergenekon prosecutors for four-and-a-half hours.
Is Turkey heading toward civilian fascism?
As Turkey takes groundbreaking steps to normalize civilian-military relations and save politics from long-standing military tutelage, some interpret these developments in a negative way and argue that Turkey is heading toward civilian fascism under the single-party government of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
Turkish conservatism as seen from across the pond
Erzincan conspiracy and military coup
Christmas Plots in Turkey
While Europeans partied this Christmas, on the Islamic side of the Bosphorus Turkish army personnel were busy undermining their country?s shaky democracy. According to The Economist, two Turkish Special Forces agents were arrested over a plot to assassinate deputy prime minister Bulet Arinc. For the first time in the country?s history, civilian authorities were able
JİTEM?s existence controversy
Asymmetric psychological war against the TSK?
The language of women in the Kurdish movement – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review
ORAL ÇALIŞLAR
The closure of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, and the arrests of Kurdish political leaders have seemed to annoy Kurdish political representatives.
Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir and the deputies of the Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP, used obscenities in Parliament. Their remarks created tension among parliamentarians who want to lynch Kurdish officials. As usual, judicial measures came into force.
From ?asymmetric assaults? to ?raising the standards?
Normalization labors
Turkey?s democratization knocks at junta?s bedroom door
Online Journal
?COSMIC? is a NATO classification and the investigation of the shadowy Ergenekon network has turned up evidence that COSMIC documents may contain proof thatMHP’s move to protect military seen as dangerous by observers
Today’s Zaman
?I also mean Ergenekon, we can’t say that the process is innocent.? He was referring to the ongoing probe into the Ergenekon criminal network accused of …
Taboo-breaking jurist Osman Can: Judiciary cannot be supra political
Osman Can is the most famous Constitutional Court rapporteur, an associate professor of constitutional law, the co-chairman of newly established Judges and Prosecutors Association for Democracy and Freedom, but also a taboo breaker in the judicial sphere which has been the focus of the recent regime discussions in Turkey.Turkey in 2010: confrontation or normalization?
Consensus on foreign policy
State secrets hidden from political authorities
Will an AK Party rise from the DTP?
A particular expectation has formed in some circles with the closure of the Democratic Society Party (DTP). It is the expectation that a more liberal movement, such as the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), will emerge from the DTP (similar to the case of the now-disbanded Virtue Party [FP]).
There is an explanation
Erdoğan?s grade in democracy
Steps taken in pursuit of democracy with the laws introduced for European Union harmonization; legislation passed in relation to military-civilian relations within this scope; the opening of negotiations in the EU as a result of the political will displayed in Cyprus; a Turkey that has started to hold generals responsible for ?coup plans? with the will behind exposing Ergenekon and the amendments made to some laws; a judiciary that has started to pursue unsolved murder cases.
Now the AKP calibrates TSK’s balance
Hürriyet
In 2008 ?calibrating of balance? of the Turkish Armed Forces started to take place, which was called Ergenekon. Erdoğan understood that if he could not
Normalization a la Turca
The military continues to surprise everyone. This institution has been so indoctrinated into our brains starting from primary school and so glorified in our eyes that we never expect them to blunder and panic. However, the developments of the last week added clumsiness to the military?s pro-coup and manipulation-obsessed image.
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