[Bilimsel Haber] H-TURK: Fall 2010 issue of Insight Turkey

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From: Insight Turkey [insightturkey at setav.org]
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2010 9:03 AM

The Fall 2010 issue of Insight Turkey is now available

Insight Turkey, Volume 12, Number 4, October-December 2010


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editor’s Note <http://www.insightturkey.com/Insight_Turkey_Vol_12_No_4_2010_Editors_Note.pdf>

Commentaries

Turkey’s Role in the Middle East: An Outsider’s Perspective
Volker Perthes, pp. 1-8

United States and Turkey: Allies at Odds?
Robert Wexler, pp. 9-14

Constitutional Referendum: Farewell to the ‘Old Turkey’
Doğu Ergil, pp. 15-22

Democratization and Europeanization in Turkey After the September 12 Referendum
Emiliano Alessandri, pp. 23-30

The New Leader for the Old CHP: Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu
Tanju Tosun, pp. 31-42


Articles

Turkey's Illiberal Judiciary: Cases and Decisions
<http://www.insightturkey.com/Insight_Turkey_Vol_12_No_4_2010_Vahap_Coskun.pdf>
Vahap Coşkun, pp. 43-67

Constitutional Court: Its Limits to Shape Turkish Politics
Cenap Çakmak and Cengiz Dinç, pp. 69-92

The Armenian Community and the AK Party: Finding Trust under the Crescent
Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, pp. 93-111

The Turkish Model: Acceptability and Apprehension
Emad Y. Kaddorah, pp. 113-129

Turkey as a New Player in Development Cooperation
Musa Kulaklıkaya and Rahman Nurdun, pp. 131-145

Turkey's Darfur Policy: Convergences and Differentiations from the Muslim World
Mehmet Özkan and Birol Akgün, pp. 147-165

Making of a New State in the Balkans: Kosovo
Mehmet Öcal and Ayşe Aslıhan Çelenk, pp. 167-183

Geo-Economics of European Gas Security: Trade, Geography and
International Politics
Mert Bilgin, pp. 185-209



Book Reviews [ Read full
text<http://www.insightturkey.com/Insight_Turkey_Vol_12_No_4_2010_Book_Reviews.pdf>
]

Attila Marjan, Europe’s Destiny: the Old Lady and the Bull
Farina Ahäuser, p. 211

Bezen Balamir-Coşkun and Birgül Demirtaş-Coşkun (eds.), Neighborhood
Challenge: The European Union and its Neighbors
Sezgin Mercan, p. 213

Luk Bouckaert and Jochanen Eynikel (eds.), Imagine Europe: The Search
for European Identity and Spirituality
Müjge Küçükkeleş, p. 215

Christella Yakinthou, Political Settlements in Divided Societies –
Consociationalism and Cyprus
Siret Hürsoy, p. 218

Frederic Wehrey, Theodore Karasik, Alireza Nader, Jeremy Ghez, Lydia
Hansell, Robert Guffey, Saudi-Iranian Relations since the Fall of
Saddam
Raymond Hinnebusch, p. 221

İhsan Yılmaz, Muslim Laws, Politics and Society in Modern Nation States
Kemal Özden, p. 223

Ursula Wokoeck, German Orientalism: The Study of the Middle East and
Islam from 1800 to 1945
Wolfgang G. Schwanitz, p. 225

Alvaro de Vasconcelos and Marcin Zaborowski (eds.), The Obama Moment:
European and American Perspectives
Hailey Cook, p. 227

Andrew F. March, Islam and Liberal Citizenship: The Search for an
Overlapping Consensus
Ramazan Kılınç, p. 230

Miroslav Volf, Ghazi bin Muhammad John and Melissa Yarrington (eds.),
A Common Word, Muslims and Christians on Loving God and Neighbor
Carool Kersten, p. 232


ABSTRACTS

Commentaries

Turkey's Role in the Middle East: An Outsider’s Perspective
Volker Perthes
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 1-8

Owing to a changing geopolitical environment and a new foreign policy
approach, Turkey’s policies towards and role in the Middle East have
undergone substantial changes since 2003. The most important facets,
from a European perspective, are Turkey’s efforts to improve relations
with its direct Middle Eastern neighbors, and to play a mediating role
between different, sometimes quite difficult, players in the Middle
East. In general, Turkey has been more successful in improving its
relations with proximate neighbors than in settling disputes between
other states and non-state actors in the Middle East. As long as
Turkey maintains good relations with all players in the Middle East
and understands the limitations to its role, it can substantially
contribute to positive change in the Middle Eastern landscape. This
will also allow more coordination and cooperation between Turkey and
the EU with regard to their overlapping Mediterranean and Middle
Eastern neighborhoods.


United States and Turkey: Allies at Odds?
Robert Wexler
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 9-14

Much has been said and written about US-Turkish relations recently.
The main reason for that is the fact that the relations have gone
through a difficult period when clear disagreements over several
issues have emerged. The “flotilla incident” and Turkey’s “no” vote at
the United Nations Security Council as a nonpermanent member of the
Council have given the appearance of a major row between the US and
Turkey. Part of the reason for that is Turkey’s ambition to make
decisions independently as a sovereign nation, which should be
respected by her allies. The US and Turkey may have differences of
opinion with respect to Israel and Iran. However, I would argue that
the areas of cooperation, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, can only
be described as exceptional. Instead of focusing on differences, we
need to strengthen and highlight areas of cooperation based on our
mutual interests.


Constitutional Referendum: Farewell to the ‘Old Turkey’
Doğu Ergil
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 15-22

This commentary studies the results of the constitutional referendum
that took place on September 12, 2010. It argues that the results
underscore the Turkish people’s determination to do away with the
current constitutional order created by the military regime following
the 1980 coup and to write a new constitution that responds to the
needs of contemporary Turkey. The commentary situates the positioning
of the political parties in the constitutional referendum in the
background of the structural changes that Turkish society has been
going through in recent decades. It thus argues that the main cleavage
in Turkish politics is no longer the traditional left-right
ideological axis. Rather, the main line of division is between the
static and reactionary forces comprising the old elites who seek to
maintain their conventional privileges, and the progressive forces
from the periphery who seek to gain political representation
commensurate with their newly acquired wealth.


Democratization and Europeanization in Turkey After the September 12 Referendum
Emiliano Alessandri
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 23-30

The recent reform of the Turkish constitution makes Turkey a more
democratic country according to European Union standards. This does
not mean, however, that Turkey is automatically closer to its goal of
EU membership as a result of the September 12 referendum. Dynamics
surrounding the latest reforms confirmed that, over the years,
Turkey’s democratization and Europeanization processes have become
less and less the product of a deliberate effort coherently pursued by
Turkish elites than the uncertain outcome of what is primarily a
struggle for power involving actors representing different segments of
the Turkish state and society. A democratic Turkey as a full member of
the EU remains a possibility in the medium-to-long term but one that
seems to increasingly depend on a combination of favorable
developments — a renewed interest in the EU in Turkey and vice versa,
a constructive engagement between the government and opposition
parties on the future reform agenda, as well as a sustainable solution
to the Kurdish issue — which at the moment look far from likely.


The New Leader for the Old CHP: Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu
Tanju Tosun
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 31-42

The CHP constitutes a crucial place in Turkish political life. From
its establishment to its closure after the military intervention of
September 12, 1980, the CHP occasionally became a partner of coalition
governments and came to power alone. The party was reopened and became
more powerful after merging with the SHP in the 1990s. After the
resignation of Baykal from party chairmanship in May 2010, whether new
party chair would be able to extend the party base and become
electorally successful has been started to be discussed. The new party
chair Kılıçdaroğlu has a differentiated view of society, politics,
democracy and freedom compared to Baykal. But then, the main problem
is whether this difference would be able to turn the CHP into an
alternative political power against the AK Party.



Articles

Turkey’s Illiberal Judiciary: Cases and Decisions
Vahap Coşkun
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 43-67

[ Download full
text<http://www.insightturkey.com/Insight_Turkey_Vol_12_No_4_2010_Vahap_Coskun.pdf>
]

Turkey is moving toward achieving an ever-greater level of democracy
by removing the remnants of restrictive and paternalistic
administrative structures. The judiciary in Turkey has been one of the
most influential instruments of state power in maintaining these
structures. In the wake of the recently passed constitutional
amendments, the question of whether the current government is trying
to create a docile judiciary for its political purposes has been
widely circulated. However, such questioning misses one of the most
crucial motivators of the much needed reform package, i.e., the
undemocratic record of the Turkish judiciary. The Turkish judiciary
has traditionally considered itself as one of the guardians of the
Turkish republic alongside the military. It has consistently delivered
undemocratic decisions in the name of protecting the state. This
article focuses on many examples of restrictive and paternalistic
judiciary decisions in order to highlight the judiciary’s undemocratic
role in the Turkish political system.


Constitutional Court: Its Limits to Shape Turkish Politics
Cenap Çakmak and Cengiz Dinç
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 69-92

This paper argues that the Turkish Constitutional Court acts within a
set of limitations which significantly affect its final judgments. The
court’s major consideration and motivation in its deliberations over
political cases has primarily been to guard the regime and order, as
defined and outlined by a fairly prostate interpretation. To study the
Court’s involvement in political cases, this study examines two types
of cases, which will help identify the parameters restricting the
Court’s ability to proceed with its expected role. In party closure
cases, the Court has considered the probable threat posed by the
political party under review; accordingly, its rulings have mostly
been in line with the prosecutor’s indictment. The same also applies
to cases concerning the headscarf ban, a sensitive issue that could be
seen as a fault line in Turkey’s social and political life.


The Armenian Community and the AK Party: Finding Trust under the Crescent
Vahram Ter-Matevosyan
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 93-111

This article aims to explore one of the critical and relatively
understudied dimensions of Turkish politics: the complex
characteristics of interactions between the Armenian community (mainly
Gregorian Orthodox Christians) and the incumbent government of the
Justice and Development Party. Two interrelated questions are raised
below: Why did the relationship between the AK Party and the Armenian
community become an important topic to discuss? What repercussions did
the assassination of Hrant Dink in 2007 have on relations between the
Turkish government and the Armenian community? The answers to these
questions can help us better understand why a majority party with
Islamic roots produced more reliable bonds for the Christian minority
than previous governments with their more secular backgrounds and
political agendas. I argue that the Armenian community in Turkey is in
a constant quest for a secure socio-political climate where it can
safely preserve its cultural, ethnic and religious identity. Hence,
the political agenda of the AK Party essentially matched the Armenian
community’s aspirations for large-scale reforms, which paved the way
for a period of vigilant collaboration that remained in effect until
the assassination of Hrant Dink.


The Turkish Model: Acceptability and Apprehension
Emad Y. Kaddorah
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 113-129

Many actors have been interested in probing the approach that enabled
Turkey to transform the country into a model of success within a few
years. Ironically, this model is at the same time both a source of
encouragement and apprehension for Islamic parties and the West.
Although it presents an inspiration to Islamic parties and provides
them with moral support and hope for change, this article investigates
the considerations preventing them from reviewing their approaches to
imitate the Turkish model. It assesses the Western interests and
concerns over this model and discusses to what extent the West is
interested in promoting such a democratic process elsewhere. Prior to
analyzing these responses, it discusses the structure and elements
constituting the Turkish model.


Turkey as a New Player in Development Cooperation
Musa Kulaklıkaya and Rahman Nurdun
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 131-145

The past six decades have witnessed Turkey’s evolution from an aid
recipient to an emerging donor country. Turkey’s aid volume now far
surpasses Poland and is only slightly behind South Korea. Turkey’s aid
policy has undergone fundamental changes since the collapse of the
former Eastern block. Connected to this geopolitical transformation,
Turkey’s bilateral aid has become an effective instrument in advancing
Turkish foreign policy objectives in recent years. This article
examines how Turkey reached the status of an emerging donor in terms
of international development cooperation and how this shift of status
has shaped Turkish foreign aid policy. This article also looks into
the reorganization process of Turkey’s Official Development Assistance
with a special focus on the Turkish International Cooperation and
Development Agency (TIKA) and its ODA reporting policies. In addition,
this article argues the political and strategic considerations as well
as trade concerns with recipient countries are the main reasons
motivating Turkey’s proactive foreign aid policy.


Turkey’s Darfur Policy: Convergences and Differentiations from the Muslim World
Mehmet Özkan and Birol Akgün
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 147-165

The effectiveness of the Muslim world in finding a solution to the
Darfur conflict is open to debate. While many Muslim countries denied
the existence of a genocidal conflict, arguing that the reports were a
Western plot, some tried to go beyond the dichotomy of the West’s
insistence on genocide and its outright rejection by the Muslim world.
This article discusses Turkey’s Darfur policy in terms of ‘the war on
terror’ discourse and Turkey’s developing multidimensional foreign
policy and the restrictions arising from such a policy. It argues that
Turkey’s approach has had the characteristics of both a convergence
with and differentiation from that of the Muslim world. Turkey
intended to go beyond current debates by creating a new ‘language’ on
Darfur but failed due to its ineffective media policy and the
limitations of its multidimensional foreign policy. Nevertheless,
Turkey’s involvement may be seen as an example of passive quiet
diplomacy in a highly complex international environment.


Making of a New State in the Balkans: Kosovo
Mehmet Öcal and Ayşe Aslıhan Çelenk
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 167-183

Kosovo is one of the last states in the Balkan puzzle to gain its
independence. The disputed region that declared independence on
February 17, 2008 is still a “quasistate,” a country with limited
sovereignty, divided into a Serbian dominated north and an Albanian
south. The international community has committed itself to the
political and financial responsibility of securing peace in Kosovo and
in the Balkan region at large. Yet neither the UN nor the EU has been
able to undertake the necessary measures to prevent a possible
partition of the new state. Besides a number of unresolved juridical
and political issues, the country also has to deal with negative
macroeconomic developments. Due to the lack of legal clarity, and the
so-called reconfiguration of the tasks, competences and responsibility
areas of the international organizations, only very modest steps have
been made to integrate the country in the stabilization and
association process of the accession to the EU.


Geo-Economics of European Gas Security: Trade, Geography and
International Politics
Mert Bilgin
Insight Turkey, Vol. 12, No.4, 2010, pp. 185-209

This paper hypothesizes that analyzing the geo-economic and energy
security characteristics of gas supplies to Europe may help in
understanding the features of regional and international relations
with regard to selected countries. The paper highlights the
significance of natural gas in the New Energy Order, and points to the
importance of supply security for the EU. It looks at Russia,
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya and
Algeria as suppliers and Turkey as a transit country in an emerging
gas corridor to Europe. It examines supply-side opportunities, which
promote new fields of international cooperation based on gas trade,
and addresses certain restraints that may reduce the likelihood of
further regional cooperation. Economic and geographic factors create
new opportunities for regional trade and international relations. This
geoeconomic aspect, however, takes place with international security
issues varying from case to case.


For details: www.insightturkey.com<http://www.insightturkey.com/>

İhsan DAĞI
Editor-in-Chief

Insight Turkey
Reşit Galip Cad. Hereke Sokak No: 10
GOP/Cankaya, 06700 Ankara, Turkey
Tel: +90.312.446-51 13 • Fax: +90.312.405-6903
E-mail: insight at insightturkey.com<mailto:insight at insightturkey.com>
Web: insight at insightturkey.com<mailto:insight at insightturkey.com>


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