Update on Turkey

with Ross Wilson, Steven Cook and Bulent Aliriza
in Current Affairs
on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 * * * * *

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Update on Turkey with Steven Cook of The Council On Foreign Relations, Bulent Aliriza of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Ross Wilson of The Atlantic Council

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Keywords:
Iran
Obama
Iraq
Afghanistan
Turkey

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    1. ShalomFreedman  08/05/2011 10:22 AM Report

      This rose- colored discussion did not even mention the Kurdish quest for independence in Turkey. I bring a section from an article by Guy Bechor , the diplomatic correspondent of the Israeli newspaper, Yediot Achronot.

      "July 15 the establishment of a democratic Kurdish autonomy in southeastern Turkey, with its capital in Diyarbakir.

      This declaration stunned the Turkish leadership. A day earlier, 13 Turkish soldiers were killed by the Kurdish underground, PKK; yet such acts are characterized by the Turks as terror that must be fought. This time they are dealing with a political declaration and a huge area that no longer wishes to be under Turkish rule. Don’t the Turks think that the Kurds deserve what the Palestinians deserve? Coping with terrorism is easy; facing political rebellion is very hard.

      Some 850 Kurdish politicians and leaders from Turkey convened in Diyarbakir in order to declare the democratic autonomy’s formation. The participants included 30 Kurds who are Turkish parliamentarians. Five such representatives are in prison, by the way.

      When Erdogan heard about the declaration he was furious, as the possible future implication of this is Turkey’s collapse. Turkish prosecutors then undertook an illogical step, declaring that they will indict all participants in the declaration ceremony, a move that will get Turkey in trouble with the world. The Turks were also mulling the dismissal of Kurdish parliamentarians in Ankara. These were desperate moves. The Turks can address violence and refer to it as terror"

      My question is why Charlie Rose ignored this problem. Why too is there no mention of the increased distancing from Turkey of important Arab states in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia. The new Ottoman Empire of Erdogan is something that no one in the Middle East, except Erdogan himself , is really anticipating with pleasure or expecting will ever really happen.

    2. ShalomFreedman  08/04/2011 10:08 AM Report

      I find it astounding that Charlie Rose could bring together three experts on Turkey and talk about 'democratization' without once mentioning the Kurdish declaration of Independence that took place on July 15. Are the Kurds human beings in the eyes of Charlie Rose and the other Erdogan groupies or are they just millions of subjects who can be dictated to, and suppressed?

      I also find it a bit troublesome that there was so little said about the destruction of the idea of a secular democratic Turkey. After all what Erdogan is doing is not simply removing the Army from control of the state he is also radically shifting the country toward becoming an Islamic state.

    3. SharkswithfrikingLazers  08/03/2011 03:28 PM Report

      Charlie, you asked about the Turkey and Israel relationship since the incident and after I heard the answer I was glad you asked.

      Perhaps you might also ask how Turkey is planning on participating in the Arab Spring which is also critical to peace in the region.

      For that matter, perhaps a panel on how the democratic world will participate in the Arab Spring. The time is now considering how much our wars cost, and of course, an ounce of prevention is worth about $1.4 trillion in cure.

    4. REMant  08/03/2011 11:40 AM Report

      The govt's answer to its critics is that it is merely democratizing, and I see little reason to disagree with that. One can certainly see similarities there with Egypt and elsewhere.