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Politics

Vaivenes de la falta de libertad en Turquía

Sep 15, 2016 Timur Kuran

DURHAM – El partido turco Justicia y Desarrollo (sigla en turco: AKP) llegó al poder en 2002 con una promesa de libertad religiosa para los musulmanes piadosos. Catorce años después, el gobierno del AKP produjo cualquier cosa menos “libertad”.

Hoy, hasta los partidarios del AKP tienen que medir con cuidado sus palabras, para no parecer críticos del gobierno o alineados con sus enemigos; necesidad que se incrementó desde la intentona golpista del 15 de julio contra el gobierno del presidente Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Ahora, el instinto de conservación obliga a destruir cualquier prueba de cercanía con los enemigos del AKP, especialmente Fethullah Gülen, el reclusivo imán radicado en Pensilvania a quien el gobierno acusa de planear la asonada.

Pero el gobierno de Erdoğan no es el primero en obligar a los ciudadanos turcos a ocultar ideas y creencias. Bajo los gobiernos seculares que dominaron Turquía entre los años veinte y los cincuenta (y en cierta medida hasta 2002), si un turco piadoso quería progresar en el gobierno, el ejército e incluso el comercio, debía disimular su religiosidad y no dar muestras de aprobar el Islam político.

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0 Comments on this paragraph, 6 Comments on this article

David Morgan Sep 21, 2016

The only good news from the turmoil in Turkey is that it is very unlikely to join the EU this century.
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Melih Erdogmus Sep 19, 2016

Great article to let other know that Erdogan's movement through a country ruled by political islam. Even though an attempt to coup a government chosen by the society is wrong, the situation here we have in Turkey is more likely a movement to be dragged into the chaos of the Middle East. No matter how much the religious groups in Turkey say that they have been having hard times since the establishment of Republic of Turkey, even every single of human-being from that society knows that it's just one big hoax. No need to mention that witch hunt ongoing in Turkey in order to arrest people related to the latest failed coup attempt on July 15, but Turkey still have to remember that people against the government apart from the Gulenist movement have to be kept in safe in order to provide a healthy opposition in Turkish politics.
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j. von Hettlingen Sep 16, 2016

Timur Kuran highlights the complex and interlocking problems of Turkey's policies towards its domestic and foreign policies. The country has embarked on a bumpy road to uncertainty and instability, creating a society where ordinary people no longer "feel free to speak openly and honestly. The ongoing witch hunt causes citizens of all persuasions to fear for their jobs and their lives," forcing them to adopt the survival strategy of dissimulation - to keep quiet.
What is disappointing is that a decade ago Erdogan was lauded for Turkey's unique Islamic liberal democracy, serving as a beacon of hope in the region. Today the country is in a state of emergency after the failed coup in July, and the decree will no doubt be extended next month. That so much had changed within a year just shows how unstable Turkey is. A year ago, the situation was not as tense. Turkey was preoccupied with fighting the PKK, claiming the Kurdish fighters posing an existential threat to Turkey's democracy and stability. Ankara was not keen on going after ISIS in Syria, alienating its Western allies. Since the failed coup, Erdogan blames the US for being complicit in the plot, and resents the West for failing to show solidarity with Turkey over its ordeal.
With the sheer number of arrests many wonder whether Erdogan might have drawn the list before the coup, prompting speculation that he could have staged it "to justify the epic purge." Apart from supporters of the Gülenist movement, who are alleged to form a “parallel state,” and secular Kemalists within the army, who plotted the coup, journalists are also seen as part of Gülen's fifth column.
Turkey’s politics has always functioned like a pendulum: it swings from one side to the other, and back again. Before the Arab Spring , it swung from secularism to political Islam. In recent years this pendulum has come out of swing, with Erdogan's policies relating the Kurdish issue, the war in Syria, the Gülenist movement and the failed coup all got out of control.
The author says both "the AKP and many of its opponents agree on one thing: had the putsch succeeded, the repression would be far worse." No doubt the Turks have reasons to reject this way of deposing a democratically elected leader, given the decades of secularism under military rule, when pious citizens had to "hide their preferences and beliefs," when they sought "advancement in government, the military, and even commerce."
Even if AKP supporters "far outnumber Gülenists," it is unlikely that the two sects of Islam reconcile." No doubt the AKP under Erdogan will only further alienate those who don't support this party, whose only survival strategy is to feign their support for Erdogan. For the time being they have no choice but to keep quiet, waiting for the next election and hoping to unseat him - in a democratic process.
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Mustafa Senturk Sep 16, 2016

Wonderful article that provides clues on on the visible decline of Turkey from a regional star in 2010 to a hesitant and inconsistent lone power of the Middle East. There is not a detailed study/analysis yet showing how Erdogan took control of the public opinion through his step-by-step "acquisition" of the new media. What makes one hopeless about the potential for change in Turkish politics is the disappointing failure of Turkish intellectuals to forma check on the abuse of law and democracy in the name of populism.
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Robert Winter Sep 16, 2016

JBS: It is difficult to know whether you are serious. The cases against the generals were a sham and countless actions of the government have been illegal. This is not the place to list them all but surely you are not arguing that Turkey under the recent incarnation of Erdogan is governed by the rule of law where government actions can be challenged before an independent judiciary? Erdogan years ago appeared to be committed to a democratic Turkey. Now his different "vision" for Turkey appears to be one where he can sit as a modern Sultan in his multi-hundred room palace.
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John Brian Shannon Sep 15, 2016

Hi Timur,

It's a gift to read this intelligent narrative of Turkish politics in the 21st century.

I agree with every word of it, yet, it's possible that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan simply has a different vision for Turkey, than has been the case in previous centuries.

As long as his actions and the actions of the Turkish military, security services, and the government generally are legal, then there isn't much to complain about. (We may, or may not, like his vision for the country, but as long as it's being promoted legally, then we have no real case against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan)

If it isn't that, then the world community has an area of concern that encompasses Turkey and it's neighbouring countries.

I look forward to reading more of your commentary over the coming months/years. Thank you for posting this fine essay at ProSyn.

As always, very best regards, JBS
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Vaivenes de la falta de libertad en Turquía

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