Pure Turkish Politics

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

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

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