TURKEY IS AT THE CROSSROADS
By Harry Sterling, Freelance
The Gazette (Montreal)
February 5, 2007 Monday
Final Edition
The country can continue its march to political and human rights
reform, or return to the dark days of the past
Hrant Dink would have been impressed by the gigantic turnout in
Istanbul. More than 100,000 people jammed the streets, the main
thoroughfare overflowing, stretching for blocks.
Regrettably, the massive outpouring of support came on the day of
his own funeral, the ethnic Armenian newspaper editor murdered by
a young ultra-nationalist Turk angered by Dink’s writing about the
controversial events of 1915 in which much of Turkey’s Armenian
community died at the hands of the Ottoman Turks.
Although Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan was quick to denounce
the murder, as did many Turks, Dink’s assassination once again drew
attention to the divisions within Turkish society. Those cleavages
extend far beyond the Armenian issue, raising serious questions
of where Turkey is heading, including it prospects for joining the
European Union.
During the past year, there’s been an escalation of bombings by radical
groups, particularly Islamists and Kurds. A number of Turkish tourist
resorts have been targeted, as have public buildings in Istanbul. A
judge was assassinated in the capital Ankara by an Islamic militant.
That such attacks have taken place in a country where the security
authorities and military have a reputation for not tolerating
anti-government activities or demonstrations – even legitimate dissent
– is worrisome for many.
This is particularly troublesome for those concerned by a dramatic
decrease in popular support for Turkey’s longstanding application
to join the European Union. Until recently, there was a comfortable
majority in favour of joining the EU. Now only one in three regard
joining as important, many saying the Europeans demean Turkey by
constantly demanding more respect for the rule of law and fundamental
human rights. Nationalists and others, including Islamists, say Turkey
should concentrate instead on developing closer relations with its
neighbours and other Muslim countries.
The shift away from the EU has important implications for those who
want Turkish authorities to carry out political and human rights
reforms.
Numerous Turkish writers, journalists and others were charged with
violating laws prohibiting criticism of the country’s institutions
or which denigrated "Turkishness."
It was only after an international outcry that Turkey’s famous
novelist, Orhan Pamuk – winner of last year’s Nobel Prize for
Literature – had his charges dropped. He had been accused of defaming
Turkey in an interview by mentioning the Armenian massacre controversy
and plight of the Kurdish population. Another Turkish author, Elif
Shafak, also initially faced prosecution for having a character in
her novel make critical comments about Turkey.
It’s not just human rights activists and Armenians who would be
concerned if the government lessens its commitment to reforms. A
Kurdish observer pointed out that the government’s desire to join
the EU was a pivotal factor in its willingness to finally allow the
use of the Kurdish language on the radio and in certain schools. A
turning away from the EU could remove the gains of recent years
As it is, the situation of Kurds in eastern Turkey remains tense,
partially due to widespread resentment of the security forces that
harass and intimidate Kurds considered supportive of the PKK or
independence.
Despite the imprisonment of the PKK’s leader, Abdullah Ocalan, the
PKK has been re-grouping from sanctuaries in northern Iraq where
Iraqi Kurds now operate a semi-autonomous administration because of
the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime.
However, the presence of the PKK in northern Iraq has introduced a
further explosive element: Turkey threatens to invade northern Iraq
to attack the PKK.
To further complicate an already volatile situation, Turkey is
opposed to Iraq’s Kurdish leadership trying to control the region
across its border, including oil-rich Kirkuk, laying the groundwork
for eventually declaring an independent Kurdish state.
Ankara sees this as highly dangerous for its national interests because
it might encouraging its own Kurdish population to support the PKK
in its struggle for an independent Kurdish state in eastern Turkey.
Turkish authorities have warned Washington that if it doesn’t find a
way to control the separatist tendencies in Iraq’s Kurdistan region,
Turkey could cross the border to take on the PKK and prevent the area
becoming independent.
The Americans argue that given the current difficulties they confront
in controlling sectarian violence in the rest of Iraq, they simply
do not have the resources to deploy U.S. forces in northern Iraq.
Turkish authorities nevertheless want action to contain such Kurdish
separatist threats. Some fear that if the Americans can’t act, Turkey
might do so.
But any such intervention would also have unpredictable consequences
not just for Turkey and the Kurds but also for Turkey ever joining
the European Union.
Harry Sterling, a former diplomat, is an Ottawa-based commentator. He
served in Turkey.