Beating ‘domestic enemies’ in the game of ‘advanced’ democracy


Date posted: February 19, 2014

 

BEGÜM BURAK

 

What Turkey has been going through since the Dec. 17 graft probe can be viewed as the crystallized version of how bad Turkey’s so-called “advanced” democracy has turned out to be.

 

The spokesmen of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government under the leadership of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have employed the label “advanced democracy” to attribute symbolic values to their democratization policies. To be honest, policies like the lifting of the headscarf ban in public places or introducing elective Kurdish courses in private schools can be seen as important steps paving the way for a stronger democracy in Turkey. However, with the corruption scandal, the on-going graft probe has let us see the horrible face of the AK Party by shedding light upon how democracy has already started to weaken in the hands of the political elites.

Since the Dec. 17 corruption operation, the idea of democracy has been abused as a rhetorical device by the AK Party government to cover up the corruption scandal. Erdoğan has stigmatized all police officers and the prosecutors carrying out the operation as members of a parallel state structure. In this process, the Hizmet movement has been seen as the domestic enemy under the label of a “parallel state” structure and has been placed at the center of accusations, insults and threats. It should also be made clear that the writers, intellectuals and the journalists close to the Hizmet movement have, from the very beginning, called on the government to take legal steps against those whom he constantly labels the “parallel state” so that they could also know who they are. However, the government took no legal steps at all to fight this parallel state. The government removed thousands of police officers labeling them members of the parallel state and did nothing else.

Besides adopting the rhetoric of internal and external enemies, the AK Party government has engaged in making changes to laws to enlarge its room for maneuver while also weakening democracy.

For instance, the recently passed legislation restructuring the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) gives the executive branch much tighter control over the judiciary, which is a major blow to the rule of law. It can be said that if President Abdullah Gül approves this legislation, it will reverse the democratic status given to the HSYK in the 2010 referendum. Apart from that, the Internet bill tightening control of the Internet has deepened concerns about free speech and the rule of law. The new bill gives bureaucrats a considerable degree of power to remove any posting from the Internet in just four hours without the need for a court order.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Erdoğan’s influence on media bosses to dismiss certain journalists is another development which has become apparent recently. The majority of the media is under the control of the government as their financial basis is mainly dependent on the state. In addition to laws, this de facto dependency of the media has increased to an important degree. The phone calls (namely the “Alo Fatih calls”) between Erdoğan and the boss of a media outlet have clearly shown how much pressure has been put on the media by the government. The deportation of Azerbaijani journalist Mahir Zeynalov from Turkey because of his tweets is another sign showing how bad things are for press freedom.

The European Union and non-governmental organizations based in Europe are all aware of how bad the situation has become in Turkey concerning democracy. However, Erdoğan and the spokesmen of the government along with the pro-government media still characterizes the HSYK legislation as a significant step for empowering democracy and the Internet bill as important for protecting the private lives of individuals. As far as the government is concerned, the HSYK law and the recently approved Internet bill contribute to “advanced” democracy and anyone who criticizes or opposes this will be a domestic enemy against this “advanced” democracy. In short, we can say that nowadays Turkish style “advanced” democracy gains its self-declared legitimacy through domestic enemies.

 

Source: Todays Zaman , February 19, 2014


Related News

Royalties provide Fethullah Gülen with modest income, his lawyer says

Turkish religious scholar Fetullah Gülen makes a living off the royalties he receives from his more than 60 books, the self-exiled Muslim leader’s lawyer has said in response to media scrutiny.”My client has written over 60 books which were all listed among best sellers. He makes a living by copyright income,” said Gülen’s lawyer, Nurullah […]

Don’t Make A Mystic into a Martyr: Fethullah Gülen as Peacebuilder

My conclusion? He’s a mystic in the Sufi tradition of Islam. And like other famous mystics in history—notably Gandhi, or Rumi—from whom Gülen draws deeply, Fethullah Gülen is a peacebuilder. And history teaches us that peacebuilders are likely to be misunderstood, vilified, and targeted. It would be tragic if once again historical forces conspire to turn a mystic into a martyr.

Malaysia also to blame for Turk’s torture, say rights groups

Human rights NGOs have called on Malaysian authorities to accept responsibility for the alleged torture of a Turkish teacher in his native country after he was deported from Malaysia.

CHP leader says Erdoğan’s UN speech only served to promote Gülen movement

Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has criticized a speech delivered by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a UN meeting on Tuesday in which he called on world leaders to take measures against the faith-based Gülen movement, saying that Erdoğan’s speech only served to promote the Gülen movement.

Normalization of Abduction, Torture, and Death in Erdogan’s Turkey

Abductions, forceful disappearances, tortures, and political target killings have always been among the burning human rights violations in Turkey; however, they skyrocketed during Erdogan’s rule and especially after the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Class-B shareholders join objection against Asya decision

The lawyer representing B-type shareholders of recently seized private lender Bank Asya has filed a case against the takeover decision, demanding an injunction along with compensation for losses at the stock market.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

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

In Case You Missed It

Gülen ‘speechless’ on gov’t action plan against Hizmet movement

Fethullah Gülen’s teachings discussed at conference in Algeria

Kimse Yok Mu awaiting permission from governor’s office to help martyrs’ families

Gülen Movement: An Alternative to Fundamentalism

Keep Incirlik, Extradite Gülen?

What are the golden kids of the Turkish Olympiads doing now?

Ex-diplomats detained over Gülen links subjected to severe torture, says deputy

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News