Analysis
Smart, independent reporting on Turkey's politics, economy and foreign affairs.
When Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed in Ankara on Nov. 19, press reports had already started to make the headlines, revealing details of a peace plan drafted by the U.S. and Russia.
This marks the third attempt to persuade the PKK to lay down arms during the AKP’s 23-year rule.
The National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission postponed its meeting scheduled for Nov. 13 for a second time after a Turkish military cargo plane crashed near the Georgia–Azerbaijan border, but the second postponement is now delaying the commission’s roadmap as well.
In political terms, the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is over, but in the socio-psychological dimension, it continues, according to the Armenian prime minister. 'When I talk about peace, it seems strange and even alien to many. Peace is an unfamiliar concept for Armenia and Azerbaijan,' Nikol Pashinyan said Nov. 4 at the annual forum of the Orbeli Center, which operates under the Prime Ministry.
Turkish democracy is the casualty of Europe’s rediscovery of Turkey’s strategic value. To better understand the context of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to Ankara next week, one has to go back to the end of the Cold War. Whereas European countries have benefited from the peace dividend, the contrary happened for Turkey in the aftermath of the fall of the Iron Curtain. After enjoying the relative stability of the bipolar order of the Cold War era, Turkey found itself in the midst of several conflict zones. While most European countries downsized their defense budgets, Turkey had no such luxury. The fight against separatist terrorism, the turbulence created by the Gulf War, and regional conflicts like the ones in the Caucasus dictated the maintenance of a big and well-equipped army.
As the Turkish Parliament begins its new legislative year on Oct. 1, attention will center on MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli—who launched the “Terror-Free Turkey” peace initiative a year ago—and on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks regarding its future. Following a 70-day recess, Parliament will convene with a special General Assembly session at 2:00 p.m. As usual, Erdoğan will deliver an opening address, though the CHP will boycott the ceremony in protest of recent mayoral arrests and crackdowns on municipalities. This year, the political spotlight will remain on post-PKK arrangements such as the “Return Home” law, the “right to hope,” and amendments to the penal code.
The Parliament’s National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission listened to think-tankers and pollsters to test the ground for public support for the peace process. The 12th meeting of the commission established in the wake of PKK’s decision to disband and lay down arms took it to 50 days of work completed to date. The commission is now preparing to shift to drafting proposals in October.
Following the PKK’s dissolution and decision to lay down arms, the Parliamentary Commission on Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy has completed 45 days of work. Having met 11 times, the commission will discuss a “Return Home Law” once parliament reopens on Oct. 1.
Access to Turkish pop singer Mabel Matiz’s song Perperişan has been blocked following a court order issued by the Ankara Criminal Court of Peace. The move came at the request of the Family and Social Services Ministry, which claimed the song violated public order and general health regulations.
DEM Party MP Cengiz Çandar said that despite public support for the ongoing peace process in Turkey being at 70 %, the trust rate is lower due to a lack of information.
The 11th session of Turkey’s parliamentary commission on the Kurdish peace process saw its first major confrontation, as comments from an Islamist group sparked a dramatic walkout by members of the DEM Party.
The 11th session of Turkey’s parliamentary commission on the Kurdish peace process saw its first major confrontation, as comments made by a representative of the İslami Tebliğ Tedris İlim Hareketi Adamları Association (İTTİHAD) prompted a dramatic walkout by members of the DEM Party. The controversy began when Mehmet Beşir Şimşek, a senior figure in İTTİHAD, addressed the commission on Sept. 18. The group is widely known for its ideological ties to Turkish Hizbullah, which was linked to a series of extrajudicial killings in the 1990s, many involving victims bound and executed using the notorious “pig-tie” method.