The Constitutional Referendum and Future of Turkish Politics
SETA CONFERENCE Chair: Taha Özhan, SETA Konuşmacılar: İhsan Dağı, METU Ertan Aydın, Pollmark Date: September 22, 2010 Wednesday Time: 14.00 – 15.30 Venue: SETA Foundation, ANKARA
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Turkey's referendum: thwarting the specter of coup d'etat
On Sunday September 12th, 2010, Turkey voted "yes" in a referendum to a package of amendments by a wide margin (58 percent yes; 42 percent no) with a high level of participation (77.5 percent) despite the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party's (BDP) boycott. The amendments were designed to restrict the power of the military and the judicial bureaucracy in Turkey that originated from the 1982 junta-made Turkish constitution. The immediate political consequence of the referendum will be a serious relaxation of domestic political tensions, which have been undergirded for over 50 years by the one constant in Turkish politics: the ever present threat of military coup.
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Since the establishment of the Turkish Republic, four constitutions have been adopted (1921, 1924, 1961, and 1982), which were significantly amended by the successive parliaments in light of new developments, yet remained short of meeting universal democratic standards. The last two constitutions were drafted in the aftermath of military interventions, and none of them have been produced out of negotiation, bargaining or a compromise process. Within the framework of the EU reforms, Turkey’s most recent constitution of 1982 has been amended several times – so much so that almost one third of the constitution has been reconstructed. There have been demands for the drawing up of a new constitution from both right and left wing parties, but the idea has never been realized.
Bosnia-Herzegovina remains as divided as ever. In the past year Turkish foreign policy in Bosnia-Herzegovina has become more assertive and outcome-oriented. The successes of the new Turkish assertiveness have helped to initiate a much-needed reconciliation process between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Turkey derives its assertiveness not only from Foreign Minister Davutoğlu’s vision of sustainable peace but also from its shared history and cultural practices throughout the region. Turkey’s efforts could strengthen the efforts of the international community to integrate BiH into European and trans-Atlantic bodies.
Ankara’s distinctive approach to Darfur and Khartoum requires a thorough, in-depth analysis within the context of Turkey’s changing role in regional and global affairs.
SETA PUBLIC LECTURE By Ulaş Doğa Eralp, Visiting Assistant Professor of Conflict Resolution, Sabancı University Date: July 8, 2010 Thursday Time: 16.00 – 18.00 Venue: SETA Foundation, Ankara
Kılıçdaroğlu's CHP: What Lies Ahead?
The unexpected switch of the CHP’s leadership from Deniz Baykal to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu led to a series of debates about the party’s political future and its new place in the party system of Turkey. Most of the debates have focused on what exactly changed and what remained the same as a result of this switch. Kılıçdaroğlu’s speeches revealed signs for new directions in CHP’s discourse indeed, as they included novel issues such as intra-party democracy and empowering the party’s women and youth branches. The purpose of this policy brief is to propose ideas to the CHP as a socialdemocratic party, so it can be a serious political alternative to the conservative AK Party. The CHP’s major target should be democratization to be achieved at two different levels: (a) institutional and (b) ideological. Institutional democratization requires establishing intra-party democracy, decentralization of power, as well as bringing ideological heterogeneity and political debates back to the party. Ideological democratization is about bringing ‘the left’ back to Turkish politics by embracing a progressive and social democratic discourse. This entails moving leftwards, a de-emphasis of nationalism and the adoption of a more egalitarian, less elitist, more libertarian, and more multiculturalist world vision.
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Turkey and Israel in the Aftermath of the Flotilla Crisis
On May 31, 2010, Israeli commandos stormed a passenger ship, the Mavi Marmara, the largest boat of a flotilla of six boats which were carrying 10000 tons of humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza, in international high waters. The operation left 9 activists dead and over 30 activists wounded. The flotilla attack started a new trend for Turkish-Israeli relations. For the first time in history, Turkish citizens were directly exposed to Israeli aggression. In this sense, the attack constitutes a break in Turkish-Israeli relations. It is now not only Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians that will shape the nature of Turkish-Israeli relations, more than anything else, but it is Israel’s steps towards salvaging bilateral relations by reassuring the Turkish nation and state.
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14 Haziran 2010 Ceylan InterContinental Hotel - İstanbul Konuşmacılar: Abellah Boussole,Basheer Nafi,Burhan Köroğlu,Bülent Aras ,Cengiz Çandar,Fahmy Howeidi,Hatem Ete,Jawad Al Hamad,Mustafa Al-Labbad,Mustafa El-Murabit ,Nelly Hana,Pakinam Sharqawee,Rafik Abdessalem Bouchlaka,Taha Özhan,Talip Küçükcan,Tarek Abdelgelil,Wesim Kalajieh
SETA PUBLIC LECTURE Ahmet Kuru Assistant Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University Date: June 3, 2010 Thursday Time: 16.00 – 18.00 Venue: SETA, Ankara
SETA PUBLIC LECTURE Professor Robert W. Hefner Director, Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs, Boston University Date: May 11, 2010 Tuesday Time: 16.00 - 18.00 Venue: SETA, Ankara
Turkey's soft power is on the rise in the Middle East and there is a widespread positive perception of Turkey's involvement in the region. SETA PANEL DISCUSSION Organized by SETA &Al Sharq Centre for Regional and Strategic Studies Chair: Bulent Aras, SETA & Istanbul Technical University Panelists: Mustafa Al Labbad, Al Sharq Centre for Regional and Strategic Studies Akif Kireççi, Bilkent University Date: April 08, 2010 Thursday Time: 10.30 – 12.30 Venue: SETA Foundation, Ankara
SETA PANEL DISCUSSION Chair: Taha Özhan, SETA Panelists: Bülent Aras, SETA & İTÜ Mahmood Monshipouri, San Francisco State University Date: March 22, 2010 Monday Time: 11.00 – 12.30 Venue: SETA Foundation, Ankara
SETA PANEL DISCUSSION Chair: Bulent Aras, Bulent ARAS, SETA, Coordinator, Foreign Policy Studies Panelists: Robert Malley, International Crisis Group, Middle East and North Africa Program Director Joost Hiltermann, International Crisis Group, Deputy Program Director, Middle East and North Africa Peter Harling, International Crisis Group, Project Director (Iraq, Lebanon and Syria) Date: March 12, 2010 Friday Time: 13.00 – 14.15 Venue: SETA Foundation, Ankara
SETA PANEL Oturum Başkanı: Bekir S. Gür Karabük Üniversitesi Öğretim Üyesi Konuşmacılar: Muhammet Şakiroğlu Kafkas Üniv. Öğretim Üyesi & Bitki Genetiği Uzmanı Masum Burak Tarım ve Köyişleri Bakanlığı Tarımsal Araştırmalar Genel Müdürü Tarih: 21 Ocak 2010 Perşembe Saat: 16.00 – 17.30 Yer: SETA, Ankara
SETA PUBLIC LECTURE By Alon Ben-Meir, Professor of International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies at the Center for Global Affairs, New York University Date: January 14, 2010 Thursday Time: 11.00 – 12.30 Venue: SETA Foundation, Ankara
SETA PUBLIC LECTURE By Ş. İlgü Özler, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, State University of New York-New Paltz Date: January 14, 2010 Thursday Time: 11.00 – 12.30 Venue: SETA Foundation, Ankara
Turkey’s new seat in the UNSC marks a historic achievement for Turkish foreign policy since 1961. Turkish diplomatic corps around the world and political leaders have lobbied towards this end since 2003.
SETA CONFERENCE By Kim Beng Phar Visiting Fellow, Waseda University, Organization of Asian Studies Date: August 27, 2007 Monday Time: 17.00 - 19.00 Venue: SETA Foundation, Ankara
