Meeting with Öcalan?s lawyers?
from Today’s Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news :: Columnists by HÜSEYİN GÜLERCE
Last Sunday, I had a meeting with jailed leader of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan?s lawyers in Yalova. Öcalan?s lawyers have been meeting with many writers for two years.
PKK leader hints at alliance with Turkish religious group – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review
Öcalan?s olive branch
from Today’s Zaman, your gateway to Turkish daily news :: Columnists by YAVUZ BAYDAR
His surprise move is Abdullah Öcalan?s latest attempt to approach the Gülen movement. In a recent meeting with his lawyers on the island of İmralı, where he is imprisoned, the Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) leader said the following: ?I have never denied their [the Gülen movement?s] existence, and expect them to do the same.
CHP leader denies plans to make Ergenekon suspects deputies
Today’s Zaman
In its lead story on Sunday, the Yeni Şafak daily claimed that the CHP’s Süheyl Batum was working on a project to bring three Ergenekon suspects
TURKEY: Ahead of critical 2011 elections, Erdogan retains strong position
from Yahoo news
As Turkey heads toward national elections next year, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) finds itself in a strong position. A major test for the AKP and opposition parties was the referendum in September ? the results constituted a…
Kılıçdaroğlu?s stamp on CHP
by MAHMUT ÖVÜR
Republican People?s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu finally announced that his party will hold an extraordinary congress on Dec. 18.
Referandum Redux for 2011 Elections
from Mavi Boncuk by M.A.M
Areas of Kurdish Voters (Click image to Enlarge)
CHP?s party congress and two types of politics
by BÜLENT KENEŞ
It is increasingly becoming crystal clear that two main types of politics have been dominating the Turkish political scene since 2001, i.e., when the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) was established.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan (C) attends a wreath-laying ceremony with members of the High Military Council at the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, in Ankara November 30, 2010.? Read more » REUTERS/Umit Bektas
The government is governing its military
by MÜMTAZER TÜRKÖNE
The suspension of three generals by the interior minister and the defense minister is a first since the introduction of democracy to the country in 1950. In particular, the suspension of two generals by the defense minister, who is poised behind the chief of General Staff in the state protocol, is something the military is not familiar with.
CHP?s upcoming congress
by ETYEN MAHÇUPYAN
Since prospects of the military overthrowing the government and closing down the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) by court order have dimmed, it seems the neo-nationalist wing of the secularists have rushed to adopt a new strategy.
CHP?s election
by MÜMTAZER TÜRKÖNE
A prediction of the results of the general election planned for June 12, 2011, is entirely dependent on the performance of the main opposition Republican People?s Party (CHP). In the event of a poor performance by the CHP, the other opposition party, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), will be able to surpass the 10 percent election threshold, creating a parliamentary seat distribution similar to the current one. If the CHP performs exceedingly well, we will see a two-party Parliament next term.
How will Kılıçdaroğlu make his list?
by MUSTAFA ÜNAL
Republican People?s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu first turned to the party leadership, listened to his deputies, heard the views of various city-wide party leaders and then finally decided on a congress.
Military-civilian relations getting on track
by FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK
Interior Minister Beşir Atalay and Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül, using the authority given to them by the law, suspended three high-ranking generals for suspected ties to a coup plot against the government early this week in a move that came as a strong sign of normalization in Turkey?s problematic civilian-military relations.
Women in headscarves: Who are they and what do they want?
by İHSAN DAĞI
Last week the Turkish Businesswomen?s Association (TİKAD) released a study on the controversial headscarf issue in Turkey in a public opinion survey conducted all over Turkey among more than 3,000 people, including women with headscarves. I was part of the academic research team and some results of the research surprised even me.
AK Party-CHP comparison
by ETYEN MAHÇUPYAN
Those looking to foresee Turkey?s political environment in the period ahead inevitably find themselves comparing the party in government with the main opposition because the observation that the ?democracy deficit? in this country stems from the opposition needs to be explained.
CHP-BDP Alliance
by MEHMET KAMIŞ
The likeliness of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) staying in power for a third term after the 2011 general election is considerably unnerving political engineers. It is also a fact that these engineers are thinking of possible ways to prevent this and work very hard on different issues.
Why is BDP knocking on CHP?s door?
by Atılgan Bayar
A quite evident bit of ?news management? about the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party?s (BDP) proposal to the CHP to form an alliance was used to underscore Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu?s leadership.
Military losing political strength
by FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK
The suspension of three generals involved in coup plans against the government by two ministers last week continues to remain a hot item on the agenda in the country. The generals were not promoted at the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) meeting in August due to resistance from the government and the president.
Scarved women?s absence in Parliament
by FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that they will clear the way for headscarf-wearing women in Parliament when female journalists questioned him on the issue on his way back from Beirut over the weekend.
Fighting demoralization within Turkey’s MHP
from Hurriyet Dailynews by Milliyet
The mood was low as MHP officials gathered Sept. 25 at party headquarters in Ankara to discuss the constitutional referendum earlier that month.
Kılıçdaroğlu?s strategic mistake
by FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK
Republican People?s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is working to capitalize on allegations against the government in US diplomatic cables released by the online whistleblower WikiLeaks last week.
Is the military retreating from open battle with government?
by LALE KEMAL
From the outset, the existence of a duality in the Turkish justice system — i.e., the military and civilian judiciaries — has been one of the core obstacles in changing the civilian-military equation in favor of elected civilian governments if a democratic state is to be fully established.
Identity crisis: Turkey’s MHP asks ‘Who are we?’
from Hurriyet Dailynews by Milliyet
Who the MHP belongs to and who should represent it are key questions facing the party as it seeks to mobilize its grassroots ahead of the 2011 general elections.
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