"Maureen Freely interview on Ataturk, Kurdish human rights, Orhan Pamuk, and the Armenian genocide

Maureen Freely interview on Ataturk, Kurdish human rights, Orhan Pamuk, and the Armenian genocide » The Comment Factory

LALE KEMAL – Deep state on trial and paradigm shift within military

Beginning to feel the heat, former high ranking Turkish generals have been engaged in a bitter war of words, accusing each other of being aware of coup plots but staying quiet at the time.

FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK – Lack of consensus and the reform package

With the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government?s constitutional reform package expected to come to the floor of Parliament this week, debates on it continue at full speed. It is obvious that changing the Constitution, or even some of its articles, is not very easy in any part of the world, but this task is surrounded by more challenges in Turkey due to the failure to reach any consensus.

In Turkey, military’s power over secular democracy slips

By Janine Zacharia
Washington Post Foreign Correspondent
Sunday, April 11, 2010

ISTANBUL — Since the Turkish republic’s founding 87 years ago, the military has stood as unquestioned guardian of secular democracy, intervening when it deemed necessary to keep religion out of politics in this overwhelmingly Muslim nation. ”

The state changes, Kurds do not

by ORAL ÇALIŞLAR – RADIKAL

The thesis suggesting ?the state changes but the Kurdish movement does not change? is one that needs to be debated. It is a fact that both the Kurdish identity and the state?s attitude have changed, but not to a level sufficient for a solution.

Lawyers speak to the media as retired Turkish army generals arrive at a courthouse in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, April 6, 2010. Turkish prosecutors have started questioning six retired officers, including retired army commander Gen. Sukru Sariisik, to determine whether they plotted several years ago to overthrow the Islamic-rooted government of Turkey. Gen. Sariisik led the country’s National Security Council, an influential advisory body that brings military’s top brass together with civilian leaders. (AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta)

BÜLENT KENEŞ – The resistance of the untouchable; sleepers in the judiciary

The Turkish Republic, for the first time in history, has moved to touch those who regard themselves as ?untouchable? and above the law despite the treason-like offenses they blatantly committed against the rule of law and the nation.

Turkish Chief of Staff Basbug points next to Air Force Commander Aksay and ...

Turkish Chief of Staff General Ilker Basbug points next to Air Force Commander General Hasan Aksay (C) and Land Forces Commander General Isik Kosaner (R) during a military exercise in Bandirma in Turkey’s Balikesir province April 9, 2010.REUTERS/Umit Bektas

YAVUZ BAYDAR – No pain, no gain

Inevitably, the fault lines are deepening. With an unchanged ?sworn enmity? entrenched in the nomenklatura and the opposition?s staunch resistance to playing the game to the limit (of exhausting all alternatives), the choice of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to take the path of referendum helps expose the divisions within the elite in Ankara and the media in İstanbul.

A retired army officer arrives (C with glasses) at a courthouse in Istanbul April 6, 2010. Turkish police launched a major operation to detain up to 90 military officers in connection with an alleged 2003 coup plot, before being stopped by the chief prosecutor of Istanbul, Turkish media reported on Tuesday.REUTERS/Stringer

Experts: Suspects could destroy evidence in Sledgehammer case – Today’s Zaman

LALE KEMAL – Turkey searches for new intelligence chief

Turkey?s main intelligence service, which used to be surrounded by rumor and controversy for long periods as question marks were raised over its efficiency as well as the involvement of some of its members in illegal activities both in Turkey and abroad, mainly in Azerbaijan, has been reorganized and is now awaiting a new head.

Sarkozy’s Turkey
Hürriyet
Adding to the court cases for coup attempts and the Ergenekon crime-gang case on top of this, we truly need to fine-tune the constitutional amendment

A Turkish military guard of honor march in front of the army’s headquarters during a ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. A power struggle between Turkey’s Islamic-rooted government and its fiercely secular military escalated Tuesday when a court in Istanbul formally charged a senior general with plotting to overthrow the civilian leadership. The former head of the country’s National Security Council, Gen. Sukru Sariisik, joined dozens of serving and retired senior officers accused of conspiring to destabilize the government in a conspiracy dubbed Balyoz, or ‘the sledgehammer’.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Cumhuriyet readers support Ergenekon suspect Balbay
Hurriyet Daily News
Boya said he believed the Ergenekon case, which is an investigation into a suspected gang that allegedly sought to topple the government,

Former CCJE head says HSYK should avoid self-protection, self-interest

The composition of a council for the judiciary, such as Turkey’s Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), should reflect the diversity in society as much as possible whilst the perception of self-interest, self-protection and cronyism must be avoided, a former head of an advisory body of the Council of Europe on issues related to the independence, impartiality and competence of judges has said.

Turkey‘s top prosecutor slams AKP reform plan

from Yahoo news

ANKARA: Turkey‘s chief prosecutor said Friday that a government-sponsored draft of constitutional changes would make the judiciary prone to political meddling and harm democracy.His reaction to the reform plan had been eagerly awaited amid speculation he might initiate a fresh bid to have the ruling Islamist-rooted Justice and Development

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“Maureen Freely interview on Ataturk, Kurdish human rights, Orhan Pamuk, and the Armenian genocide