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Radicalisation of Victims of FETO Investigations: Lesson Drawing is Needed from the PKK Experience

Radicalisation is one of the reasons of escalation of violence and disruption of social cohesion in modern democratic societies. Although there are many reasons that can be listed breeding the radicalisation, being subject to injustice state practises is one of the prominent factors in this domain. If people who are within this circumstances lose their hope to find a remedy to their sufferings, they are open to manipulation of radical groups and unfortunately they might easily be deceived by these groups to be part in much radical activities. In the last three decades of Turkish Politics, radicalisation has always been a problem that its long-term consequences generally ignored by the Turkish State Elite. Millions of people who have different ideological, ethnic and religious background radicalised by state policies due to lack of empathy towards the rightful demands of these people. Despite many innocent and less political costly demands of these people were feasible with small p
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Securitization Rhetoric: A Dangerous but a Tempting Tool for Politicians

Securitization is one of the international relations theories developed by Copenhagen School Scholars Barry Buzan, Ole Waever, and Jaap de Wilde. The prominent concept in this theory is political actors may sometimes use security rhetoric for their own benefit to change perception of their audience. Playing on security related concerns of the public helps these politicians to make leeway from real and relevant political arguments. Creating fear on society ease legitimatizing extraordinary security practices. If opposition groups challenge with these practices, politicians using securitization rhetoric blame them undermining security interests of the country and being on the same side with traitors and terrorists. Within this political environment while public finds itself discussing unnecessary topics irrelevant with real needs of country, the political actors benefiting from this strategy pave the way to accomplish their political agenda. Securitization strategy become popular in th

Who is the Best Security Partner Alternative for Turkey: The European Union or Shanghai Cooperation Organisation?

The European Parliament decision to suspend enlargement negotiations with Turkey until the end of emergency law seems to be a new stalemate between Turkey and the EU. After the Lisbon Treaty, increasing influence of the Parliament over the Council and the Commission indicates that it will not be easy for the Council to ignore the Parliament's decision. If the European Council supports the Parliament's decision in the near future, this will jeopardize fluctuating relations between Turkey and the EU. If that scenario comes true, we may see Turkey seeking new partners in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that has been expressed often in recent months by senior Turkish politicians.  Shifting Turkey's direction from West to East has not been voiced seriously since 1998, after Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz disappointed when he did not see Turkey's name on enlargement countries. Nevertheless, when the EU add Turkey's name to prospective candidate countries a year

Reviving Death Penalty

Turkey is again discussing bringing back capital punishment to Turkish Penal System. This time both Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Party (MHP) are determined to legalise constitutional change in the nearest future without considering all consequences of this decision. Both parties motivated with nationalist sentiments that finds considerable support from Turkish Society. Their political action stirs up with the feeling of taking revenge from Kurdistan Workers Party and Gulenist Network Leaders. In consideration of the victims who suffered from both organisations actions, this decision seems fair enough by majority of Turkish people. On the other hand, cost and benefit calculation of reinstating death penalty after ten years is full of questions.  If both political parties political stance towards the application of death penalty is taken into consideration, there is a mixed picture. As for AKP, in its early years (before being government party) they were again

Witch Hunt

In one of his latest press statement, state minister Nurettin Canikli has emphasized that investigations towards the state officials who are linked with Gulenists should not be considered as "witch hunt". He repeatedly mentioned that they carry on lawful and fair investigation process to identify who are affiliated with the Gulenist Network and if innocence of civil servants are proved, then they will reinstate them to their jobs. The term "witch hunt" explains a long horrible tradition that punishing people who believed to be demon. The person accused as witch put into a fire and if he or she stay alive then it is found not guilty for his or her actions. Basic logic in witch hunt is demanding suspect to prove its innocence by itself and doing it generally under impossible conditions. In modern criminal justice system, proceedings for suspects pursued on the contrary. According to presumption of innocence principle, one is considered innocent until its guilt p

Turkey: Country of Political Contradictions

Being a politician has always been a tough task in Turkey. If you are a politician who is narrow-minded, having pretentious manner on the subjects that you have been advised not to carry on them or who do not understand Turkey's political dynamics, this country's political environment sometimes oblige you to act on the contrary to your beliefs and arguments.  This fault in not only belong to politicians, but also their advisers share responsibility as much as their superiors. If politicians surrounded by advisers who only consider their self-interest and gives priority to keep their position secure or praise politician no matter how much their decision is wrong, again politicians most likely to see similar unfortunate experience.  In recent Turkish political history, there are plenty of examples involving Turkish politicians who are upended with their fundamental arguments. Even though we do not have enough data to reveal what was the exact reason of their contradict

Sacrificing Improvement of Institutional Capacity to Loyalty

Institutional capacity is a technical term that is commonly used by political scientists to emphasize ability of state institutions to achieve objectives, adapt required reforms, solve problems or accommodate with new political status quo. Having a strong institutional capacity is very important for politicians to transform states because in the absence of institutional capacity their innovative ideas will not work due to absence of people who can implement these ideas. Analogically, if political elites considered as brain, absence of institutional capacity means having no hands to implement brain orders.  Since 2002 after Justice and Development Party (AKP) has become the government party, institutional capacity has always been a problem for Turkey. The major reason behind this problem was AKP did not prefer a merit based human resources system during these years. Instead, they relied on selection of state officials for their ideology or identity.  During the first years of