A series of escalating crises in Turkey is reshaping political alliance and enmities. It also casts a shadow over the country's democratic future, says Bill Park.
Turkey’s rule of law is under severe strain and its judiciary is no longer independent. Halil Gurhanli explores why fears of a return to military command should not be underestimated amid corruption, escalating authoritarianism and embittered rivalry between the ruling AKP party and the Hizmet Mov
The Gezi park protests of June 2013 drew the attention of the world to a very urban conflict in Turkey's most populous city. Less covered, were the various micro-conflicts behind the scenes which led to eruption at Gezi.
The drive to reclaim a people's right to their city led to the revival of Turkish civic identity and highlighted the growing importance of social capital. Why did it take so long for Turkey?
Policy aiming to address Turkey's real and persistent problem of gender inequality must be formulated in consultation with feminists. Unfortunately, there is ample reason to doubt that a government that refuses to name a problem can solve it, says Özlem Altıok.
Turkish police killing two Kurdish industrial workers has led to mass demonstrations, widespread violence and the abduction of soldiers, raising serious doubts about the ongoing Turkey-Kurdish peace process.
The government often accuses Turkey’s human rights groups of doing the work of “foreign powers,” which scares off local donors. But when rights groups seek foreign funding, they get attacked for taking “imperialist money.” A contribution to the openGlobalRights debate on Funding for Human Rights.
Protesters are concerned with asserting that they ‘exist’ and furthermore that they ‘exist with their own ideas, beliefs and ways of life’. But, why?
The Colombian conflict has more factions, presenting a complex relationship between ideology, land issues and the drug industry, while the Kurdish question concerns national identity and cultural rights. So, why is the Colombian peace process more likely to succeed?
Should Hagia Sophia become a mosque? Or should it become a church?
Can the Turkish government successfully manage the emerging conflict within the AKP, revive its foreign policy and negotiate a new relationship with political actors who severely criticize the government for its repressive and illiberal measures? Can the AKP remain the single ruling party?
The issues change almost on a weekly basis, but the problem only becomes worse - the AKP’s slide into the grey area between majoritarian democracy and authoritarianism.
