A New Book: Democracy, Identity and Foreign Policy in Turkey Hegemony Through Transformation

Democracy, Identity and Foreign Policy in Turkey Hegemony Through Transformation

E. Fuat Keyman and Sebnem Gumuscu

PALGRAVE - May 2014

The recent history of Turkey is dominated by the country's transformation into a modern democracy. Over the past few years Turkey has been increasingly recognised as a nation of economic, political and cultural significance as well as being a vital political connection between Europe and the Middle East. In this compelling volume, Professor Keyman and Dr. Gumüsçu put democratisation in Turkey under the microscope with an especial focus on recent transformations under the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Accordingly, it explores to what extent Turkey's transformation under the AKP has led to democratic consolidation as well as asking if there is a disconnect between economic, cultural, and urban transformation, on the one hand, and democratic consolidation on the other? Furthermore, this book also takes the opportunity to explore several issues that have a direct effect on the consolidation of Turkish democracy such as globalization, foreign policy activism, the kurdish question, religious governance and civil society. By critically analyzing the dialectic between domestic transformations and global/regional dynamics, the book also discusses the ways in which Turkish transformation is affected by the Arab uprisings as well as how Turkey may inspire these countries.

Table of Contents 
1. Introduction
2. Turkey's Transformation
3. Constructing Hegemony: the AKP Rule
4. AKP's Hegemony and Democratic Consolidation
5. Turkey's Proactive Foreign Policy under the AKP
6. Turkish Foreign Policy in the aftermath of the Arab Uprisings
7. The AKP, Arab Uprisings and the Kurdish Question
8. Secularism, Democracy and Identity
9. Civil Society and Democratic Consolidation
10. Conclusion: Turkey at the Crossroads: Democratization through the Strong EU Anchor

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Call for Papers - Modern Turkey (Edited Book Project)

Dear Colleagues,

Let us present you a new book project: Modern Turkey: Opportunities and Challenges. We invite you to become a contributor to this book which will be published by the Anahuac University (Mexico City). The book will consist of both original articles and recently published (not earlier than 2012) analyzing the main tendencies and conflicting points of Turkey.

The preliminary suggested content of the book is as follows:

• Modern History of Turkey
• Polical and Economic Development of Turkey
• Economic factors
• Regional Cooperation/Confrontation (EU, Israel, Middle East, Balkans, Africa, Latin-American)
• International Role
• Islam in Turkey
• Gezi Park movement
• Environmental development
• Gender Studies
• Armenian-Turkey relations
• Kurds in Turkey
• Turkey´s roll in Syria
• Gülen Movement in Turkey

The deadline for abstracts submission of the original article and of the full texts of the already published to be considered is the 12th of November 2014. You will be notified on the chapter acceptance by the 20th November 2014.

The deadline for the full original article is the 1th of February 2015.

After this all articles will be translated to Spanish by the Universidad Anahuac translators.

Technical requirements:

Both abstracts and full articles should be sent in English. Abstract: 300 words. Full article: 4000 words. Harvard reference style.

If you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to contact us.

• Phd Federico Donelli , University of Genoa - federico (at) donelli.it
• Ass. Prof. Manuel Férez, Universidad Iberoamericana - ferezmanuel (at) yahoo.com
• Dr. Alessia Chiriatti, University for Foreigners of Perugia - alessia.chiriatti (at) gmail.com

Watchtower of Turkey Leonardo Dalessandri

Over than 3500 km traveled in 20 days, capturing landscapes from the bluish tones of Pamukkale to the warm ones of Cappadocia, the all passing by a great variation of colors, lights and weathers through six other cities.

Pakistan’s Lessons for Turkey

By MICHAEL M. TANCHUM and HALIL M. KARAVELI

The New York Times - OCT. 5, 2014

Last week, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declared that Turkey is ready “for any cooperation in the fight against terrorism.” Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu argued that Islamic State militants pose a greater threat to Turkey and the Muslim world than to the West.

But Turkey’s dilemma is far more grave than its leaders realize. Indeed, Turkey’s current situation resembles the early years of Pakistan’s sponsorship of the Taliban. The Islamic State is recruiting militants in Turkey. And failure to clean its own house now could lead Turkey down the path of “Pakistanization,” whereby a resident jihadist infrastructure causes Sunni extremism to ingrain itself deeply within the fabric of society.

Although Turkey now recognizes the threat — the Turkish government voted to authorize military force in Iraq and Syria on Thursday — it has yet to come to terms with its own responsibility for helping to create it.

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Turkey's President Demands Biden Apologize Over Comments About ISIS

Brett LoGiurato     

Business Insider - Oct. 4, 2014 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has demanded an apology from US Vice President Joe Biden after the latter made comments Erdogan said were untrue.  Speaking at Harvard University on Thursday, Biden told students Erdogan — whom he referred to as an "old friend" — admitted to him that his country had erred in allowing foreign terrorist fighters an easy route to pass in and out of Syria.  "President Erdogan told me — he’s an old friend — he said, ‘You’re right. We let too many people through.’ Now, they’re trying to seal their border," Biden said.   Erdogan said he never made such an admission to Biden, and he said Biden would be "history for me" if he does not apologize.  "I have never said to him that we had made a mistake, never. If he did say this at Harvard then he has to apologize to us," Erdogan said, according to The Associated Press. 

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Vice President Biden to Deliver Remarks on Foreign Policy at Harvard University

Date: Thursday, October 02, 2014 
Time: 6:00pm
Speaker: Joe Biden 

On Thursday, October 2, 2014, the 47th Vice President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden Jr., delivered a public address on foreign policy to the JFK Jr. Forum. He spoke of the importance of America's international role, discussing conflicts in the Middle East, Russia and Asia. He also emphasized the need for a stronger American economy and greater trade. The Forum was moderated by David Ellwood, the Scott M. Black Professor of Political Economy and the Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School.

TO WATCH JOE BIDEN SPEECH.............

Notes on a Turkish Conspiracy

How the looming end of a 100-year-old treaty exposes the existential paranoia at the heart of Erdogan’s foreign policy.     

BY Nicholas Danforth    

Foreign Policy - OCTOBER 2, 2014

While American commentators debate whether Turkey will join U.S. President Barack Obama's coalition against the Islamic State, some Turkish pundits are looking ahead to more serious foreign-policy challenges -- like what will happen in 2023 when the Treaty of Lausanne expires and Turkey's modern borders become obsolete. In keeping with secret articles signed by Turkish and British diplomats at a Swiss lakefront resort almost a century ago, British troops will reoccupy forts along the Bosphorus, and the Greek Orthodox patriarch will resurrect a Byzantine ministate within Istanbul's city walls. On the plus side for Turkey, the country will finally be allowed to tap its vast, previously off-limits oil reserves and perhaps regain Western Thrace. So there's that.

Of course, none of this will actually happen. The Treaty of Lausanne has no secret expiration clause. But it's instructive to consider what these conspiracy theories, trafficked on semi-obscure websites and second-rate news shows, reveal about the deeper realities of Turkish foreign policy, especially under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's pro-Islam Justice and Development Party (AKP).

After defeating the Ottoman Empire in World War I, Britain, France, Italy, and Greece divided Anatolia, colonizing the territory that is now Turkey. However, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk reorganized the remnants of the Ottoman army and thwarted this attempted division through shrewd diplomacy and several years of war. Subsequently, the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne recognized Ataturk's victory and established the borders of modern Turkey. Lausanne then became part of the country's foundational myth. For a time it even had its own holiday, Lausanne Day, when children dressed in costumes representing contested regions of Anatolia for elementary school plays.

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