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Today's Zaman, Turkey
Dec 31 2007
2007 leaves its mark on Turkey
Having successfully restored political stability after a period of
severe political crisis and responding to increased terror attacks
with effective cross-border operations in Iraq, Turkey has come quite
a distance in 2007 in proving the maturity of its democracy.
But setbacks, particularly in the area of reform and human rights,
were also deep and widespread, casting a shadow on optimism and
calling the progress into question.
The year 2007 arrived amid signs of a looming crisis over the
presidential election, originally slated for May but postponed to
August amid political turmoil. The election turned into a test for
Turkey's democracy after the military issued a strong statement in
late April and sent a veiled warning of intervention if then Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gül's bid for presidency proceeded. But the Turkish
democracy proved that it was mature enough to deal with such a crisis
when the government called for early elections -- which it won by a
landslide victory -- as a way out of the mess, and Gül was elected
president in his second attempt.
Progress in the economy also boosted Turks' hopes for the future,
so Turkey enjoyed a growing self-confidence in its democracy and
economy.
But not everything was positive. The European Union, which Turkey
aspires to join, reported no significant progress in Turkey's bid to
join throughout 2007. The government remained astoundingly reluctant
to amend an infamous article of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), namely
Article 301, and to take other reform steps that Brussels has been
awaiting for more than a year, such as amendments to expand property
rights for Turkey's non-Muslim minorities. The year 2007, when the
slow pace in reform at home was combined with the election of Turkey
opponent Nicolas Sarkozy as president in France, was a year when
Ankara's EU bid remained in recession and doubts emerged over whether
it would ever succeed.
On Jan. 19, Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist who had
been tried and convicted under Article 301 for "insulting
Turkishness," was murdered in broad daylight outside his office in
downtown Ýstanbul.
His assassin, a teenager from the Black Sea province of Trabzon,
reportedly said he had killed Dink because he had insulted `Turkish
blood' in one of his articles. In the aftermath of the murder,
newspapers reported that the police had information that the murder
was coming, and there were irregularities in the course of trial.
None of the charges, however, have been thoroughly investigated,
calling into question the government's resolve to fight criminal
gangs that operate with assistance or even directives from some
elements of the state.
Hopes and concerns also went hand-in-hand in regard to Turkey's fight
against terrorism. After months of diplomatic preparations and
military planning, Turkish jet fighters hit bases belonging to the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq and
inflicted heavy losses on the group. Despite public satisfaction with
the success of the operations, however, society is still waiting for
a package of measures that the government pledged to implement to
address the political and economic aspects of terrorism.
31.12.2007
Today's Zaman Ýstanbul
Dec 31 2007
2007 leaves its mark on Turkey
Having successfully restored political stability after a period of
severe political crisis and responding to increased terror attacks
with effective cross-border operations in Iraq, Turkey has come quite
a distance in 2007 in proving the maturity of its democracy.
But setbacks, particularly in the area of reform and human rights,
were also deep and widespread, casting a shadow on optimism and
calling the progress into question.
The year 2007 arrived amid signs of a looming crisis over the
presidential election, originally slated for May but postponed to
August amid political turmoil. The election turned into a test for
Turkey's democracy after the military issued a strong statement in
late April and sent a veiled warning of intervention if then Foreign
Minister Abdullah Gül's bid for presidency proceeded. But the Turkish
democracy proved that it was mature enough to deal with such a crisis
when the government called for early elections -- which it won by a
landslide victory -- as a way out of the mess, and Gül was elected
president in his second attempt.
Progress in the economy also boosted Turks' hopes for the future,
so Turkey enjoyed a growing self-confidence in its democracy and
economy.
But not everything was positive. The European Union, which Turkey
aspires to join, reported no significant progress in Turkey's bid to
join throughout 2007. The government remained astoundingly reluctant
to amend an infamous article of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), namely
Article 301, and to take other reform steps that Brussels has been
awaiting for more than a year, such as amendments to expand property
rights for Turkey's non-Muslim minorities. The year 2007, when the
slow pace in reform at home was combined with the election of Turkey
opponent Nicolas Sarkozy as president in France, was a year when
Ankara's EU bid remained in recession and doubts emerged over whether
it would ever succeed.
On Jan. 19, Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist who had
been tried and convicted under Article 301 for "insulting
Turkishness," was murdered in broad daylight outside his office in
downtown Ýstanbul.
His assassin, a teenager from the Black Sea province of Trabzon,
reportedly said he had killed Dink because he had insulted `Turkish
blood' in one of his articles. In the aftermath of the murder,
newspapers reported that the police had information that the murder
was coming, and there were irregularities in the course of trial.
None of the charges, however, have been thoroughly investigated,
calling into question the government's resolve to fight criminal
gangs that operate with assistance or even directives from some
elements of the state.
Hopes and concerns also went hand-in-hand in regard to Turkey's fight
against terrorism. After months of diplomatic preparations and
military planning, Turkish jet fighters hit bases belonging to the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq and
inflicted heavy losses on the group. Despite public satisfaction with
the success of the operations, however, society is still waiting for
a package of measures that the government pledged to implement to
address the political and economic aspects of terrorism.
31.12.2007
Today's Zaman Ýstanbul