TURKISH
CYPRIOT AND TURKISH MEDIA REVIEW
C
O N T E N T S
No. 32/16 17.02.2016
1. The water issue determines the fate of the “coalition
government” by Friday
2. Ozersay calls on for early “elections”
3. Eroglu: No concessions can be made on the issue of
Turkish guarantees
4. The remains of three missing persons were found in the
occupied area of Cyprus
5. Kilicdaroglu: “We wrote our nationalism on
Pentadaktylos Mountains”
6. Slovakia wants to organize an activity in cooperation
with the “Turkish municipality of Nicosia” during its EU term presidency
7. Cavusoglu: Unrealistic for Turkey, Saudi, Qatar to
conduct ground ops in Syria alone
8. CHP head again accuses Turkish gov’t of sending arms
to jihadists
9. HDP vows to stop Erdogan becoming Turkey’s “chief
commander”
10. MHP leader urges gov’t not to repeat ‘Iraq mistake’
11. Constitution Conciliation Committee dissolves as CHP
leaves table
12. Curfew declared in south-eastern town, residents flee
13. CHP member sentenced to 21 months in jail for ‘insulting’
Erdogan
14. Pro-gov’t daily claims 500 rebels crossed into Syria
through Turkey to fight against YPG
15. Interior Minister acknowledges ‘ethnic group code’
given to Turkey’s minorities
16. Survey: 30% of Turks would prefer to hold citizenship
of another country
1. The
water issue determines the fate of the “coalition government” by Friday
Under the title “The water crisis is
continuing”, Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (17.02.16) reports that the administration and distribution of the
water brought from Turkey to the occupied area of Cyprus continues to create
problems within the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and the “coalition
government” of the breakaway regime. The fate of the CTP - National Unity Party
(UBP) “coalition government” will be determined today at the meeting of the
“council of ministers” and on Friday at a meeting of the UBP’s party council.
Noting that the “water crisis has almost
brought the government to an endpoint”, the paper writes that CTP’s chairman, Mehmet Ali Talat said yesterday that
their party and “government” are continuously working for developing formulas
which will secure the administration and operation of the water in the most
correct and effective manner. Talatnoted
that they will continue their efforts under every condition and added that the
CTP does not have to be in the “government” in order to exist and offer
services to the “people”.
Meanwhile, self-styled minister of
agriculture, ErkutSahali, who comes
from the CTP, said yesterday that he was considering of resigning due to the
water crisis, but he is not avoiding responsibility during such a difficult
period and remains in his post. In statements during a television program,
Sahali noted that if it is thought that his resignation would be a solution for
the existing problems, he prefers to be removed from his duties. Sahali argued that if the “government” is
unable to carry out its duties, the “prime minister” who is heading the
“coalition” is the one that should resign.
Furthermore, Turkish Cypriot daily
HalkinSesi newspaper (17.02.16) reports that the UBP is annoyed by the CTP’s
stance on the administration of the water from Turkey. During the meeting of the “council of ministers” today, the “ministers”
of the UBP will ask from the self-styled prime minister Omer Kalyoncu to sign
the text which had been agreed in Turkey last week. The UBP’s general secretary, DursunOguz alleged Kalyoncu’s stance harms
the “government and the country” and prevents the reforms. He argued that
Kalyoncu rejects now something which he had accepted in the past on the water
issue. “The zigzags of the prime minister put his own ministers into a
difficult position”, he claimed.
In addition, Turkish Cypriot daily Diyalog
newspaper (17.02.16) reports that after a three and half hour meeting of the
UBP’s “parliamentary group” yesterday, the party’s chairman, Huseyin Ozgurgun said that they expect the
signing of the agreement reached in Ankara during today’s meeting of the “council
of ministers” and added that Kalyoncu should resign if he does not do this.
According to Diyalog, the majority of the UBP “deputies” who spoke during the
meeting yesterday expressed the view that the “government” has stopped being
serious and its resignation is inevitable.
Finally, Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis
newspaper (17.02.16) reports that SerdarDenktas,
chairman of the Democratic Party – National Forces (DP-UG) said yesterday that
the CTP-UBP “government” has ended. Both Denktasand DP-UG’s general secretary, Hasan Tacoy noted that they are positive
to a “coalition” between the DP-UG and the UBP. “Our door is open. If a
proposal comes, we will evaluate it”, stated Denktas.
(I/Ts.)
2.Ozersay calls on for early “elections”
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (17.02.16) reports that KudretOzersay, the
chairman of the People’ Party (HP) called on for early “elections”.
Ozersay was
evaluating the latest developments in the breakaway regime and the political
crisis which occurred in the “coalition government” of the Republican Turkish
Party (CTP) and the National Unity Party (UBP) on the administration of the
water transferred from Turkey.
Ozersay
said that the “coalition government” which as he said, lost its reputation, does
not bring reforms but only trouble to the “people” and added that the only way
for solutions to be found to the problems is to go to early “elections” so that
a new “government” able to solve the issues and to negotiate is formed.
(CS)
3. Eroglu: No concessions can be made on the issue of Turkish
guarantees
Turkish
Cypriot daily Vatan newspaper (17.02.16) reports that the former Turkish
Cypriot leader DervisEroglu stated that no concessions can be made on the issue
of the Turkish guarantees in Cyprus. He made these statements speaking to ADA
TV where he evaluated the latest developments of the Cyprus problem and the
water crisis.
Eroglu
stated that the Turkish guarantees is a necessity for the Turkish Cypriots and
claimed that when taking into consideration the intentions of the Greek Cypriot
side as well as the developments around the world, it becomes clear how
important the guarantees are: “We must not make concessions”, he stated.
Asked about
the water crisis, Eroglu stated that the “government” did not handle the issue
in a successful way. “If it were me, I
would have not let the situation to come to this point and I would have found a
solution during the stage of the preparation of the project”, he stated, adding
that on the one hand the “prime minister” gives orders and the “ministers” go
to Turkey and reach an agreement and on the other hand the Turkish Republican
Party’s assembly rejects the agreement. “Governments come and go both in Turkey
and here but what is important is the people. Our greatest supporter is Turkey
and I am concerned that we are losing our public support in Turkey because of
the water crisis”, he stated. Eroglu
added: “It is as though someone wants the strong relationship between the TRNC
and Turkey to be destroyed and this is a cause of concern”.
Finally, he
referred to the property issue on the Cyprus negotiations and stated that the
statements made by Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci that priority will be
given to the owners of the properties before 1974 and that the position of
current occupiers of disputed properties will be evaluated, is wrong. “Akinci’s
statements just show what kind of problems will be experienced by the Turkish
Cypriots on the property issue”, he stated.
(CS)
4.The
remains of three missing persons were found in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(17.02.16) reports that officials of the Turkish Cypriot member’s office of the
Committee on Missing Persons, in statements to the paper, said that the
excavations for finding missing persons have been continuing in nine different
areas by nine different groups.
According to the officials, in the framework of the excavations, the
remains of two Greek Cypriots were found in occupied Keumurju village and of
one Greek Cypriot in the occupied village of AgiosGeorgiosKeryneias. The
officials said that excavation works continue in these areas and in other areas
as well such as the occupied villages of Vouno, Epicho and Livadia.
They added that in the excavations
taking place in a military zone in occupied AgiosGeorgios no remains were found
yet.
The officials called everyone who has
any information about missing persons, to contact them in order to help in the
Committee’s mission and work.
(AK)
5.Kilicdaroglu:
“We wrote our nationalism on Pentadaktylos Mountains”
Under the above title, Turkish daily
Sabah newspaper (17.02.16) reports that the leader of the Republican People’s
Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu,
speaking during his party group meeting, replied
to criticism by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu who accused the CHP that it does
not follow a national policy and said: “As soon as the war breaks out will you
send your children to the front? I will see then if you are nationalistic. We
are a party which wrote its nationalism on Besparmak mountains in Cyprus
[Translator’s note: Pentadaktylos mountains]. Those who govern a country,
should know the history of the Middle East”, Kilicdaroglu said.
(AK)
6. Slovakia
wants to organize an activity in cooperation with the “Turkish municipality of
Nicosia” during its EU term presidency
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper
(17.02.16) reports that the “mayor” of the “Turkish municipality of Nicosia”
(“LTB”) Mehmet Harmanci met yesterday
with the Ambassador of Slovakia to Nicosia, Oksana Tomova. During the
meeting they discussed the joint
activities of the “LTB” with the Municipality of Nicosia as well as the plans and projects carried out by “LTB”
alone, notes a statement issued by the “LTB”, adding that the Cyprus problem also came onto the
agenda.
According to the statement, Ambassador
Tomova recalled that Slovakia has been carrying out meetings for many years in
order to secure the rapprochement of the two communities in Cyprus. Tomova briefed Harmanci on the bi-communal meetings organized by her
Embassy between political parties and civilian organizations, adding that these meetings contribute to the
development of the relations between the two communities.
Expressing her appreciation about
Harmanci’s work and especially his positive personality that contributes in the
realization of bi-communal activities, Tomova
said that Slovakia will undertake EU’s term presidency as of 1 July 2016 and
within this framework they want to organize an activity in cooperation with the
“LTB”.
Harmanci thanked Tomova for Slovakia’s
contribution to the peace process in Cyprus and its efforts for the
rapprochement of the two communities.
(I/Ts.)
7. Cavusoglu:
Unrealistic for Turkey, Saudi, Qatar to conduct ground ops in Syria alone
Turkish daily Sabah (online, 17.02.16)
reports that Turkey’s Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday that It would be unrealistic for Turkey, Saudi
Arabia and Qatar to conduct ground operations in Syria alone.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and some European
allies want a ground operation in Syria but there is no consensus in the
coalition and a strategy for such an incursion has not been seriously debated,
the Foreign Minister told Reuters.
"Some countries like us, Saudi Arabia
and some other Western European countries have said that a ground operation is
necessary ... But to expect this only from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar is
neither right nor realistic," Cavusoglu said in an interview in Ankara. "If such an operation is to take
place, it has to be carried out jointly, like the (coalition) air
strikes," he said.
Cavusoglu
said that Turkey had repeatedly made the case for a more comprehensive strategy
in Syria beyond air strikes but it had not been discussed seriously by the
U.S.-led coalition.
"Of course, there would be air strikes
but a cleansing on the ground is also needed. I stated in every meeting ...
that Daesh could not be destroyed or stopped by air strikes," he said,
Cavusoglu said that Turkey supported the
resumption of negotiations for a political solution in Syria but that they
would go nowhere if Syrian government forces did not first halt their
bombardments.
"One needs to be realistic. While
bombs are falling from the sky and people are being massacred under the
pressure of the regime or are being starved, the talks cannot be very
fruitful," Cavusoglu said.
8. CHP head
again accuses Turkish gov’t of sending arms to jihadists
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily
News (online, 16.02.16), main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kilicdaroglu has repeated
accusations that the Turkish government has sent arms to jihadist groups in
Syria.
“Turkey should not lend armed support to
jihadist groups in Syria such as [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]
ISIL,” Kilicdaroglu said during his Feb. 16 address to the CHP’s parliamentary
group.
They built
a training camp in Turkey. Tombs and mosques have been bombed. They said:
‘Blood can pour in Syria but [Syrian President Bashar al] Assad should go.’ But
their real problem is not al-Assad,” he added.
“You are disgracing Turkey,” Kilicdaroglu
added, stating that it was well-known that many jihadist groups have leaked
into Syria via Turkey.
He also responded to fresh criticism from
the Prime Minister earlier in the day, when Ahmet Davutoglu called for the CHP
to be a “national opposition”. Kilicdaroglu
said that the government’s foreign policy was “not national”, claiming that the
AKP “wants to bring Wahhabism to 21st-century Turkey.”
On the same issue, Turkish daily Today’s
Zaman (online, 16.02.16) reports that Kilicdaroglu
has criticized President RecepTayyipErdoğan for having signed a deal with the
EU allowing it to return Syrian refugees to Turkey. “Yes, you are a fool for
signing the readmission agreement with the EU,” CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu
said in reference to Erdogan's recent remark that Turkey is not so foolish as
to carry the burden of the refugees alone. “How in the world can you sign
such a deal when there are already 2.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey?”
Kilicdaroglu added.
The CHP leader suggested that Turkey would
have to tackle the issue of Syrian refugees alone as it is required, according
to the deal, to stem the flow to the EU.
Kilicdaroglu called on the government to
completely revise its Syrian policy, which he said has totally failed.
9. HDP
vows to stop Erdogan becoming Turkey’s “chief commander”
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily
News (online, 17.02.16), Peoples’
Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Figen Yuksekdag has claimed that Turkey’s
shelling of Syrian Kurdish positions inside Syria is linked to President
RecepTayyipErdogan’s drive to shift to a presidential system. “This is not
Turkey’s war of independence. This is the Palace’s war for supremacy”,
Yuksekdag said, referring to President Erdogan.
“There is uninterrupted artillery fire
against PYD [Democratic Union Party] positions in Syria,” she said at her
Kurdish-problem focused HDP’s parliamentary group meeting on Feb. 16, disputing
military statements that Turkish artillery has “returned fire” into Syria “in
retaliation” for a fourth straight day.
“The government has such enmity against
Kurds. It accepts being a neighbour with [the Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant] ISIL and al-Nusra, but it cannot accept being a neighbour with Kurds,”
Yuksekdag said, adding that Turkey said it has operated “rules of engagement”
against the PYD even though the latter has not launched any attacks against
Turkey.
“They are opening the door to a very big
war and chaos in the region. If a big war emerges, it will be easier for him
[Erdogan] to become an executive President by becoming Chief Commander through
a declaration of mobilization and martial law. As he could not become President
through the democratic will of people, he wants to become President through
war. He is chasing his ambition of becoming President by becoming the chief
commander,” Yuksekdag claimed.
Yuksekdag also stated that security
operations against militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) are
continuing in the town of Cizre in Sirnak province, contradicting Interior
Minister EfkanAla’s earlier statements that security forces had completed their
operations against militants in Cizre after weeks of fighting.
10. MHP
leader urges gov’t not to repeat ‘Iraq mistake’
According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily
News (online, 16.02.16), Turkey’s
nationalist opposition leader has called on the ruling Justice and Development
Party (AKP) government to stop the making of a “new Kandil” by Syria’s Kurdish
Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) by
not repeating a previously made “mistake,” citing the parliament’s refusal to
take military initiative in Iraq a decade ago.
“In our opinion, a wrong look from the
opposite side of history during the March 1 motion has led to opportunities
going by,” Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP),
said on Feb. 16, referring to a motion introduced by the AKP in 2003 to allow
the deployment of U.S. troops in Turkey and the deployment of Turkish troops in
Iraq as part of Washington’s military campaign against the Saddam Hussein
regime.
The motion was turned down in Parliament
despite the AKP majority, with around 100 AKP lawmakers voting against it
despite AKP officials’ efforts. “Now, in
north of Syria, the PKK/PYD terror is after creating a new Kandil and opening a
corridor to so-called Kurdistan. I should immediately say that this should
definitely not be allowed. The goal is making a fait accompli and bringing
terrorists in a state with support from the U.S. and Russia,” Bahceli said,
addressing a meeting of his party’s parliamentary group.
11. Constitution
Conciliation Committee dissolves as CHP leaves table
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (online,
16.02.16) reports that the main
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) left the table on the third session
of the inter-party commission tasked with writing a new charter on Feb. 16 over
the presidential system debate.
CHP commission member Deputies claimed that
the commission was "a plan of the presidential system" after they
left the table amid discussions with the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) commission member deputies over the presidential system.
CHP Deputy
Head BulentTercan said at a press conference that the commission was a part of
the presidential system plan and the Parliament Speaker
[İIsmailKahraman] declared that the commission would not work. "There is
an unreal and insincere approach. We disapproved such working of the commission
that would act as a subsidiary of this campaign," Tercan said, adding that
they could not reach a consensus over the founding principles.
Meanwhile, AKP spokesman Omer Celik said
that the Parliament was capable of writing a new constitution, while
criticizing the unwillingness of the main opposition over writing the new
charter. "The process of new
constitution is a process managed in the name of the nation. It has been
sabotaged by the CHP once again", Celik said.
12. Curfew
declared in south-eastern town, residents flee
According to Turkish daily Today’s Zaman
(online, 16.02.16), the Turkish
authorities declared a curfew in the south-eastern district of İdil on Tuesday,
a sign of impending security operations against militants affiliated with the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist group, as people continued to flee the
district on Tuesday. The curfew went into force at 11 p.m. (9 p.m. GMT).
After the statement by the governor's
office, thousands of locals fled their homes on Tuesday in the district that
has already seen mass departures since Interior Minister EfkanAla's statement
last week.
According
to media reports, the population of the district has decreased from 30,000 to
3,000 since Ala's statement. The violence has forced thousands of local
residents in the Southeast to flee, while an unknown number of civilians have also
been killed. Ala signalled on Feb. 9 that further
large-scale operations would be launched in İdil and the Nusaybin district of
Mardin province.
13. CHP
member sentenced to 21 months in jail for ‘insulting’ Erdogan
According to Turkish daily Today’s Zaman
(online, 16.02.16), main opposition
Republican People's Party (CHP) member and lawyer Sera Kadigil has been
sentenced to one year, nine months in prison for insulting President
RecepTayyip Erdogan while representing the CHP during a trial.
According to media reports on Tuesday,
Kadigil was found guilty of insulting Erdoğan by the İstanbul 44th Criminal
Court of First Instance. Kadıgil announced the sentence on her Twitter account
on Tuesday, saying, “The Erdogan insult case, which was filed against me for
defending the CHP in a trial, is over! I was sentenced to a year and nine
months in prison! How great is your justice!”
She also spoke to the press in front of the
İstanbul Courthouse, emphasizing it was time to prevent cases of insulting
Erdogan from being filed.
“They are filing criminal complaints
against everyone -- including journalists and high school and university
students -- for insulting Erdogan. Nothing comes out of these cases. We, the
defendants, also have to pay compensation to either the Turkish judiciary or
the European Court of Human Rights [ECHR]. Erdogan is not the one who pays
them. They are punishing us over baseless claims using our taxes. That is why
it is high time we prevent these insult cases from being filed,” Kadıgil said.
CHP Deputy
Erdem said on social media that Kadıgil had been sentenced for using the
expression “the Erdogan regime, which is getting more and more authoritarian,”
while defending the CHP during a trial. “She received the sentence for
defending [the CHP]. Where is the defence immunity?” Erdem questioned.
According to Article 128 of the Turkish
Penal Code (TCK), “No punishment is imposed if the written or verbal
declarations before the courts or administrative authorities contain concrete
accusations or negative evaluations about the persons within the scope of
plea/defences.”
Cases of insulting Erdogan are based on
Article 299 of the TCK that states anyone convicted of insulting the President
will serve a prison term of between one and four years. Article 125 of the TCK
also mandates that anyone who acts with the intention to harm the honour,
reputation or dignity of another person through concrete performance or giving
impression of intent can be sentenced to a period of between three months and
two years in prison or be given a fine.
14. Pro-gov’t
daily claims 500 rebels crossed into Syria through Turkey to fight against YPG
Turkish daily Today’s Zaman (online,
17.02.16) reports that five hundred
anti-Syrian government fighters have entered Syria through Turkey to prevent
Kurdish forces from advancing to the northern Syrian town of Azaz, the last
rebel stronghold before the border with Turkey, and securing a corridor to
Aleppo, a pro-government daily has claimed.
According to a report published in YeniSafak
on Tuesday, a large number of anti-Syrian government fighters were dispatched
to Syria through Turkey on Feb. 13 after Kurdish People's Protection Units
(YPG) exploited an offensive by the Syrian army, supported by Russian bombing
and Iranian-backed Shiite militias, and seized ground from Syrian rebels to
extend their presence along the border.
The Faylaq al-Sham group, also known as the
Sham Legion and previously affiliated with the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, sent
500 fighters situated in the Syrian northwestern city of Idlib to Azaz via
Turkey on Feb. 13 to secure a route to Aleppo and prevent the YPG forces
reaching Azaz.
The daily
said the crossing of anti-Syrian government rebels was conducted with the
approval and under the supervision of the Turkish government. Fighters
from Faylaq al-Sham reportedly set off from Idlib, entered Turkey through the
Cilvegözü border gate in the southeastern province of Hatay and travelled to
the Öncüpınar border gate in Kilis to reach Azaz. The arms and ammunition of
the fighters were also sent to Azaz under high security measures.
15. Interior
Minister acknowledges ‘ethnic group code’ given to Turkey’s minorities
According to Turkish daily Today’s Zaman
(online, 16.02.16), Turkey’s Interior
Minister EfkanAla has admitted that each of Turkey's minority groups was given
an “ethnic group code” in order to categorize them in the Central Population
Registration System (MERNİS), a situation criticized for damaging the principle
of equal citizenship.
During a discussion at Parliament's
Planning and Budget Commission on Sunday, GaroPaylan from the pro-Kurdish
People's Democratic Party (HDP) took the floor and asked Ala whether the
country's minority groups have been categorized by number as they are given
codes such as 1, 2 and so no. In response to Paylan's question, Ala responded
by saying: “Every [minority group in Turkey] has a numeric code. For instance,
the numeric code of the Armenians is 2. Not just minority groups but the whole
of the population is categorized by number”.
Later Paylan, who is an ethnic Armenian,
asked for the reason why Armenians are categorized as number 2. Ala took the
floor again but failed to provide any further details on the issue, instead
reiterating that every citizen in the country is categorized by a code in the
state documents.
However, the issue first came to the fore in 2014 when then main opposition
Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy HuseyinAygun submitted a parliamentary
question to Ala over whether the claims that the Greeks in Turkey were numbered
as 1, the Armenians 2, the Jews 3, the Assyrians 4 and all others as 5 are
true.
In addition, Aygun asked since when such a
categorization of minority groups was put in place and who category 5 refers
to. He also asked Ala whether such codes have an impact on the process of the
employment of minority members in the ranks of the state and further questioned
whether the rest of society that is not defined as a minority was given any
numeric code.
Ala gave a one-sentence response to Aygun's
question and confirmed that the coding of minority groups is true.
LakiVingas, the elected representative of
non-Muslim foundations at the Council of the General Assembly of the
Directorate General for Foundations (VGM), told Today's Zaman on Monday on the
topic of the debate that the issue of categorizing minority groups by number
was exposed after the Agos daily published the correspondence of institutions
within the state several years ago, showing that minority groups were mentioned
using numbers.
"By then, whether such a numeric code
implementation is true or not was not clear. But after the Agos report, it
became obvious that it exists. If the whole of society was given such a code as
Ala said they had been, then the matter needs more clarification that will
explain the details of the specifications for such categorizing. If the implementation of giving codes is
only particular to minority groups then this situation points to the violation
of the equal citizenship principle and is discrimination. State officials
should clearly explain the reasons behind such a coding. Moreover, if such
categorization does not run contrary to the principle of equal citizenship,
then the motivation behind such code-giving should be made clear to
society," Vingas noted.
CHP deputy SelinaDogan, who spoke with
Today's Zaman on the matter, said the implementation of the code system dates
back to the beginning of MERNİS as some previous incidents have indicated the
presence of this system.
"The Minister's admission just
confirmed such coding. Even if the whole of society is categorized [by number],
as Ala said, it would still mark a severe situation for it indicates that the
state has blacklisted all of its citizens. Such a situation suggests that the
principle of equal citizenship is damaged when we are born. Ala's confession proved that we are not
equal even on paper. This damages general trust of the law. All individuals of
society are presented as if they are usual suspects," Dogan added.
Speaking with Today's Zaman regarding the
discussion, Deputy Paylan said the numbering of minority groups was inherited
from the Ottoman State but in this modern world, such a coding cannot be
tolerated. “When I told this to Deputy Ala, he said he would deal with the
issue and that he also finds the practice nonsensical,” Paylan said.
Paylan continued to say that whatever the
motivation is behind the practice, it is particular to oppressive regimes,
adding, “We are small minority groups and know each other. So we don't need to
be categorized in this way by the state. In order to feel comfortable in
knowing that minorities will not face repressive treatment, such as in the
past, this coding practice should be eliminated.”
16. Survey:
30% of Turks would prefer to hold citizenship of another country
According to Turkish daily Today’s Zaman
(online, 16.02.16), a recent study by
Bogazici University has indicated that 30% of respondents would prefer to be a
citizen of another country instead of Turkey. The survey found that 44% of
respondents would not prefer to be a citizen of another country instead of
Turkey, while 26% were ambivalent.
The
research also showed that trust in the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is the
highest among other state institutions, standing at 55%. The survey
found that more than half of those polled have the greatest trust in the TSK,
while Parliament comes second at 43%. A
total of 33% of participants have the greatest trust in the government.
The research, titled “Basis of Perception
of Foreign Policy in Turkey,” was conducted by Assistant Professor Osman
SabriKiratli from Bogazici University with 1,596 participants across 16
provinces in November 2015.
Surprisingly, despite Turkey being a Muslim
country, trust in European countries among Turks was 31% of those polled,
higher than their trust in Muslim countries, which stood at about 28%. Trust in the Turkish press was among the
lowest of all local institutions at 24%, while political parties came in last
at 23%.
When asked about their satisfaction with
the current economic situation, 39% of respondents said it is neither
satisfying nor dissatisfying, while 27% stated that they are unhappy with
current economic conditions.
In terms of how the economic policies
pursued by the government in the past year have affected the country's economic
situation, only 9% of respondents believe there were positive results and they
will develop further in the coming years. However, around 39% of those polled
believe not much has changed in the last year and predict that the country's
economic performance will further deteriorate. The rate of those who are very
pessimistic about the current course of the economy and its future stands at
around 13%.
When asked
about the importance of religion in their daily lives, 73.6% of respondents
stated that religion occupies a key role in their life, while 18%
say it does not play a vital role and 6.7% do not attribute any importance to
religion.
When it comes to the role of religion in
the political administration and whether religious figures and leaders should
have any influence over the decisions taken by the government, 62% of respondents objected to religious
figures having an influence on the political decision-making mechanism.
Around 32% favoured the idea of religious figures playing a role in the
decision-making process inside the government.
On the discussion regarding the country's
priorities in the next decade, 30.1% of participants said the government should
recognize people's demands to have more say in the process of decision-making.
According to nearly 16% of respondents, the protection of freedom of expression
and freedom of thought should take precedence, while more than 28% believe the
fight against inflation should be the top political priority in the next
decade.
The second
part of the study focuses on people's foreign policy perception, where more
than 47% of respondents feel the government has failed in foreign policy
matters in the last three years. Only 15% find the government's
foreign policy moves to be successful.
In relation
to a question on Turkey's possible membership in the European Union, 37.5% felt
it would be good for the country, while 35.6% believed it would be neither
beneficial nor detrimental. The percentage of those who believe
Turkey's EU membership would be harmful is slightly over 15%.
In a question on the level of ethnocentrism
among participants, 67% agreed with the assertion that Turkey is better than other
countries, while only 12% disagreed.
Another question aimed at determining
support for an isolated Turkey after pursuing a self-contained foreign policy
showed that 49% of respondents agreed with the statement that Turkey should not
get involved in foreign matters for its own good. Around 35% of respondents
neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement, while only 16% disagreed.
Regarding Turkey's assumed role in the
fight against extraterritorial terrorism, 47% stated they are against the
country undertaking such a role, while 35% were undecided. Only 18% were in favour of Turkey playing a role in fighting against
terrorism outside its borders.
The study also examined the level of
support for using Turkish military power while determining foreign policy.
According to the study, 43% felt Turkey should make the first move in engaging
in military action against its enemies instead of waiting for them to attack
Turkey.
According to the study, which also sought
the reasons behind poverty in Turkey, nearly 58% felt social injustice was the
primary factor, while 21% believed people do not work hard enough and lack the
required will to take action in terms of overcoming poverty.
In addition, 73% of participants agreed
that there is a huge income gap in society, while 73% expressed the sentiment
that it is the state's responsibility to eliminate income inequality.
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TURKISH
AFFAIRS SECTION
(DPs/AM)
