The fall of democracy and predicament of political Islam in Turkey


Date posted: April 30, 2014

 

BEGÜM BURAK
The Feb. 28 process in 1997, which has been defined as a “post-modern coup” in the history of Turkish politics, opened a brand new chapter for both the internal and external affairs of the Turkish state. The birth of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in the aftermath of the 1997 coup and the argument of founder of the party Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that the AK Party cadre does not wear the shirt of political Islam anymore have changed Turkish politics in a radical way.The charismatic leadership of Erdoğan and the lack of any other remarkable opponents along with both economic and political problems which the political actors of the time were unable to solve all paved the way for the electoral victory of the AK Party in 2002. The early years of the AK Party rule witnessed the acceleration of the EU reform movement. The democratization packages have contributed to a more healthy state-society relationship and the otherized and marginalized segments of the society like the Alevi or Kurdish citizens have for the first time got the chance to discuss their problems in official circles. The economic well-being and the end of the military tutelage empowered the AK Party. The desperate situation of the political opposition has also empowered AK Party rule.

The democratic politics stimulated by the AK Party rule has gained a considerable degree of progress. However the Dec. 17 operation has made it clear that the democracy discourse and the policies for a more liberal and democratic Turkey that the AK Party has adopted were not sincere at all. What the AK Party understands from the term “democracy” is almost equal to ballot box victory.

In contemporary Turkey, how democracy has been undermined day by day is apparent to all reasonable people. Here is a list revealing the demise of democratic politics in Turkey and how politicizing Islam has destroyed liberal democracy and polarized the society:

-Rule of law is a sine qua non element for a democratic regime. However, since the Dec. 17 corruption and graft probe, AK Party rule has become engaged in fabricating a bizarre legal mechanism — including the HSYK  (The Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors) law aiming to protect the interests of the of the government circles — which is far from the notion of the rule of law. The principle of the rule of law never tolerates a head of the government who threatens prosecutors.

-Separation of powers is an identifying feature in democracies. However, in the aftermath of the Dec. 17 operation, the executive branch has begun to dominate the judicial and the legislative branches.

-Press freedom is very important in liberal democracies. The financial and administrative pressure exercised upon the critical media outlets by the government and the emergence of a bizarre group of media actors called the “pool media” applauding every single step of the government and acting like a weapon against critical media have already constituted a serious blow to press freedom.

-Free academia is another significant element in liberal democracies. However in Turkey, the ideological orientations of academics are used as a tool of carrot-and-stick policy. To be honest, this phenomenon is not new, but it is true that the academics critical toward government policies today do not feel free.

-Pluralism and the maturity of the tradition of criticism determine the quality of democracy. Democracy in today’s Turkey paints a rather bleak picture in terms of this point too. Any person/group/movement/media actor/political actor/bureaucrat/academic who criticizes and/or opposes Prime Minister Erdoğan and the government is immediately stigmatized as a traitor and a member of an ill-defined parallel state structure — a structure used by the government as an imaginary enemy to threaten and scare opposing actors — the latest example of this has been evident in the clash between head of the Constitutional Court Haşim Kılıç and the government spokesmen. Kılıç has been accused of “preparing his own end” by Interior Minister Efkan Ala.

-Civil society is another sine qua non element for democracies. Although Hizmet movement sympathizers have positions in state offices, police departments, the media sector, the finance sector, the educational field and the judiciary, this does not turn it into a political unit. Hizmet is one of the world’s leading civil society movements. The threatening remarks and the derogatory discourse of Erdoğan against Fethullah Gülen and the Hizmet movement is totally at odds with democratic norms and principles. Labelling the Hizmet movement as a tool used by the enemies of the “new Turkey” to overthrow the AK Party government undermines both democracy and the prestige of the country outside. The Hizmet movement, which has an important human capital both inside and outside Turkey, is a chance for a more developed and prestigious Turkey. Fighting the Hizmet movement and starting some kind of McCarthyism against the so-called parallel state turns Turkey into an authoritarian regime wherein Islam is used as an ideology to maximize interests and the ballot box victory is seen as the true democracy.

Turkey today is witnessing how authoritarianism is taking the place of democracy through the instrumentalization of religion for political purposes with the ultimate aim of ending the Hizmet movement. The list stated above shows through which methods this ultimate aim has been sought so far. However, what the political elites pursue today can only serve their aim in the short term; the real “new Turkey” will come into being on the day the corruption is punished. What Turkey needs is justice and democracy and politicizing Islam only serves daily political interests like we see today.

Source: Todays Zaman , April 28, 2014


Related News

Criminal complaint filed against prosecutor accusing Hizmet of being terrorist

A criminal complaint has been filed against Ankara public prosecutor Serdar Coşkun, who prepared an indictment in which by using false testimonies as evidence he accused several people of conducting organized crime under the Hizmet movement which he claimed to be a terrorist organization.

US Court Dismisses Turkey-backed Lawsuit against Fethullah Gülen

A US District Court in Pennsylvania today dismissed a politically-motivated lawsuit against Fethullah Gülen, an internationally respected Turkish scholar, preacher and peace activist. Brought about by three Turkish nationals with the backing of the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan-led Turkish government, the baseless lawsuit alleged persecution of the Doğan Movement at the direction of Mr. Gülen.

Smear campaign against Gülen today harsher than in Feb. 28 era

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who has inspired a worldwide religious network that defends peaceful coexistence through dialogue and education, is currently being targeted in a government-sponsored smear campaign that is reminiscent of, and even harsher than, the Feb. 28, 1997 coup period.

Turkish newspaper ‘Zaman’ shuts down in Germany amid ‘threats’

The Turkish-language newspaper “Zaman” will stop operations in Germany after “threats” to readers, a staff member has said. The Turkish government took over the paper in Turkey itself in March. “Our subscribers are being visited; they are being threatened that if they continue to subscribe, they will have problems,” Bag said. He added that the current situation in Turkey, where the government is carrying out a wide-ranging media purge, was spilling over into Germany.

Zaman newspaper: Turkey police raid press offices in Istanbul

Turkish police have raided the offices of Zaman, the country’s biggest newspaper, hours after a court ruling placed it under state control. Police entered the building in Istanbul late on Friday, firing tear gas at protesters who had gathered outside. Zaman is closely linked to the Hizmet movement of influential US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkey […]

Claims about TİB plot to libel Hizmet spark massive reaction

Jurists and politicians reacted harshly to a claim in an email by an anonymous whistleblower from the Telecommunications Directorate (TİB), the agency responsible for carrying out legal wiretaps, that there is a conspiracy to bring the Hizmet movement under suspicion of infiltrating TİB.

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Hundreds gather in front of Silivri Prison to protest media crackdown

Amnesty International: Malaysia’s extradition puts three Turkish men at risk of torture

Turkish charities dedicate well in Uganda to James Foley

Erdoğan: Our people will punish Gülenists in the streets if they ever get out of jail

Turkey Assails a Revered Islamic Moderate

Punjab government and Turk NGO Kimse Yok Mu sign protocol

A Ramadan Birthday Dinner

Copyright 2024 Hizmet News