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141. Towards Turkey’s New Constitution

Author:
M. Murat Erdoğan and Serap Yazıcı
Publication Date:
04-2011
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
Abstract:
Turkey’s need for a new constitution is accepted by almost everyone today. In fact, this was a need that has been in existence since the day the 1982 Constitution was made, for the 1982 Constitution was not only antidemocratic in terms of the method it was made, it also did not fit the ideal of a democratic and pluralist-liberalist society in terms of its content. Indeed, with characteristics such as its official ideology, its hierarchical model that renders the society subject to the state, its unionist-uniformist structure that sees differences and diversity illegitimate and its sacrificing freedom for authority, the 1982 Constitution is far from the standards of today’s democracies, and goes against the structure and needs of the society in Turkey. Since the day it came into effect, various amendments have been made in the 1982 Constitution, essentially as a result of this need. Yet, although these amendments, particularly those made in 2001 and 2010, made considerable contributions to the liberalization and democratization of our society, this situation has not removed Turkey’s need to make a completely new constitution. Moreover, these amendments have also disturbed the current constitution’s integrity within itself. On the other hand, in the face of the will of voters revealed in the 2010 referendum on the constitutional amendments, making a new constitution has now become an urgent task that can no longer be ignored. During the last few years in Turkey, the method that should be pursued in making the new constitution has been broadly debated in the public. Foreseeing that political parties would open to public debate their own views and suggestions on the new constitution during their election campaigns, our working group had already announced to the public that the parliament formed at the end of this election would have the power to make the new constitution. Since then, various civil initiatives and formations have carried out activities to collect the demands of the people on the matter of the constitution, or opened their own suggestions to public debate. Meanwhile, news that some major political parties were also in similar preparations appeared in the media. As a result, in line with our own expectations and foresights, it is understood that this election campaign will also become a constitution campaign and that the new parliament formed after the June 2011 elections will embark on the task of making a new constitution. Accordingly, this situation has made it urgent for TESEV, a non-governmental organization, to share with the public its main views and suggestions regarding the new constitution.
Topic:
Law, Reform, Constitution, Justice, and Judiciary
Political Geography:
Turkey, Middle East, and Mediterranean

142. Almanac Turkey 2006-2008: Security Sector and Democratic Oversight

Author:
Ahmet İnsel and Onur Bayramoğlu
Publication Date:
07-2009
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
Abstract:
Today it is vitally important that citizens examine the security sector with an aim towards democratization. In order to make such an examination more than just an useless exercise, it must be informed by objective data. Therefore, studies like the Almanac are an indispensable part of examining, debating and researching alternatives to the policies that public and private security actors impose on society, the instruments related to these policies and the solutions that these policies are aimed at. This second Almanac covers the three-year period from the beginning of 2006, when the first study was concluded, to the end of 2008. It also gives some information regarding the first half of 2009. In addition to examining the developments which occurred in the Introduction Ali Bayramo¤lu, Ahmet ‹nsel 2 Turkish security sector during this time, the Almanac also focuses on the discussions surrounding the position of security actors in political and social life. It attempts to summarize the historical background that triggered these developments and thus to elucidate both the continuities and the various divergences from historical patterns and trends in Turkish security sector policy. The most crucial debates in the history of the Republic regarding the political and social position of the security forces in Turkey took place between 2006 and 2008. The debates which followed the discovery of diaries belonging to retired admiral, Özden Örnek, gained new significance with the discovery in 2007 of weapons and ammunition that some retired and active-duty officers had hidden in their houses or buried. A clandestine network of relations between retired and active-duty military officers, police officers and civilians is at the center of the legal proceedings that have become known as the Ergenekon case, which remains on-going. The plans for a coup evidenced by other diaries and documents that came to light after the Özden Örnek diaries and during the Ergenekon investigation, as well as preparation for actions aimed at creating a general sense of insecurity in society, have demonstrated with amazing clarity just how important it is that security sector actors in Turkey be under the supervision of civilian political powers and, most importantly, the parliament.
Topic:
Security, Reform, Democracy, and Oversight
Political Geography:
Turkey and Middle East

143. Good Governance Improving Quality of Life

Author:
Fikret Toksöz
Publication Date:
06-2008
Content Type:
Book
Institution:
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
Abstract:
The word ‘governance’ became common currency everywhere including Turkey. This concept which entered our vocabulary with 1996 İstanbul Habitat II Conference, encountered great resistance. Certain people claim it was unnecessary to create a new term such as governance where there is already a corresponding word for that concept, that is government. Etymological reasons are put forward to support these claims. Others claim that ideologically speaking, governance is the imposition of the forces of globalization. It is normal for such new terms to encounter great objections. If, on top of that, the meaning and content of the term is not clearly understood, these objections prove even more resilient. Good governance is a new approach that includes all the principles necessary for the consolidation of democratic management. These principles can be stated as participation, transparency, accountability, effectiveness, consistency, fairness and rule of law. Lately, many segments of society including public managers and intellectuals and even political representatives suggested using the principles of governance for solving problems encountered in public administration. Besides them, individuals and civil society organizations try to get information from public authorities and try to hold them accountable. For them, good governance is the ultimate principle that will make these organizations more important actors in social life. Seeing the common usage of good governance, TESEV decided to change the content of the book prepared initially to publicize the results of our project “Good Governance: Improving Quality of Life”. Consequently, there emerged this study which comprises of two books. The first part of the book is made up of three parts. In the first part, the meaning of governance is explained. In the second part, the transition from government to governance in Turkey is depicted. In this section, the modern government is assumed to have emerged with Tanzimat and the passage to governance is explained in two stages. The first stage is the period from Tanzimat to the Republic. In this stage, the formation process of civil society is evaluated as well as the consolidation of public authority. With the same method, the period from the Republic to the present day is also evaluated. At the end of the first book, problem areas related to governance and new developments are mentioned. The second book comprises of the explanation and the results of TESEV’s “Good Governance: Improving Quality of Life” project. The details related to the development of project tools namely “Socio-economic Development Maps, Public Spending Analysis and Social Satisfaction Surveys” are shared. This study was prepared as a manual for local authorities, civil society organizations and citizens interested in the topic with an aim to make the term clearer and to facilitate the debate on the concept. For this reason, the methodology developed for scientific studies were not employed in this book. To facilitate an easy reading of the book, extensive bibliographies and footnotes were evaded. While preparing the book, all the relevant literature in Turkish was surveyed. There are many valuable studies on the historical development pattern. The sources and the internet sites used were mentioned at the end of the book.
Topic:
Governance, Reform, Accountability, Transparency, and Sustainability
Political Geography:
Turkey, Middle East, and Mediterranean

144. What Turkey teaches about democracy

Author:
Melkulangara Kumaran Bhadrakumar
Publication Date:
01-2007
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Insight Turkey
Institution:
SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research
Abstract:
The 85-year-old Turkish state finds itself at a crossroads. But the implications of Erdoğan's final choice go far beyond Turkey's borders. Turkey's standing as a regional powerhouse, its strategic location as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East, its historical and cultural heritage in the Muslim world – all these are bound to come into play in the coming months. The crucial importance of what is unfolding in Turkey lies in that, to quote former Israeli foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami in a recent article, "Engaging political Islam will need to be the central part of any successful strategy for the Middle East. Instead of sticking to doomsday prophecies of categorical perspectives that prevent an understanding of the complex fabric of Islamic movements, the West needs to keep the pressure on the incumbent regimes to stop circumventing political reform."
Topic:
Islam and Reform
Political Geography:
Europe, Turkey, Middle East, and Israel

145. Putting the Cart Before the Horse? Privatisation and Economic Reform in Afghanistan

Author:
Anna Paterson, James Blewett, and Asif Karimi
Publication Date:
11-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU)
Abstract:
This briefing paper holds that before embarking on the privatisation of enterprises that are not doing much harm in fiscal terms, the government should implement structural reforms to ensure adequate investment legislation, improved security and infrastructure and streamlined and strengthened regulation
Topic:
Security, Privatization, Infrastructure, Governance, and Reform
Political Geography:
Afghanistan and Middle East

146. Provincial Governance Structures in Afghanistan: From Confusion to Vision?

Author:
Sarah Lister and Hamish Nixon
Publication Date:
05-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU)
Abstract:
This briefing paper examines the roles of provincial councils and provincial development committees in the context of the government’s vision for reforming subnational governance.
Topic:
Governance, Reform, Local, and Community
Political Geography:
Afghanistan and Middle East

147. The Debate on Democratization in the Broader Middle East and North Africa

Author:
Ayşe Kadıoğlu, Burak Akçapar, Meliha Benli Altunisik, and Mensur Akgün
Publication Date:
06-2004
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV)
Abstract:
This paper represents the views of four individuals with academic backgrounds in social sciences who are familiar with the new dynamics of world politics as well as the language and practice of democratization. The authors of the paper are convinced that there is need for change in the direction of democratization in the Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) region. Rejection of this need is unrealistic. A dilemma in the recent debates of democratization and reform in the BMENA is that the US, the very country that pushed the initiative for democratization to the forefront, suffers from a tide of anti-Americanism in the Middle East. The sights of torture of Iraqi prisoners further heightened anti-Americanism in the region to unprecedented levels. Such an environment hinders the legitimate discussion of democratization in the BMENA. However, the need for democratization in the region is obvious and increasingly appreciated, and thus should be assessed on its own merits.
Topic:
Democratization, Politics, Reform, and Civic Engagement
Political Geography:
Turkey, Middle East, and North Africa

148. Reforming the Arab Stand: A Saudi Initiative on Iraq and the Wider Arab World

Author:
Simon Henderson
Publication Date:
01-2003
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:
Last week, the Saudi government published what it described as a "Charter to Reform the Arab Stand," a document intended for endorsement at the next summit of Arab leaders, due to be held in Bahrain in March. Addressed to Arab kings and presidents, the charter calls for more internal reforms and "categorically reject[s] any illegal external aggression against any Arab state."
Topic:
Security, Religion, and Reform
Political Geography:
Iraq, Middle East, Arabia, and Bahrain

149. Special Policy Forum Report: Prospects for Palestinian Economic Reform

Author:
Maher Al-Masri
Publication Date:
08-2002
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:
The Palestinian economy has reached a situation like none it has ever experienced before. For several years leading up to 1999, average annual growth within the PA was estimated at 6.5 percent. Unemployment shrank to around 11.5 percent, poverty figures were on the decline, and, for the first time, the Palestinian economy was absorbing more Palestinian laborers than Israel. The economy might have been in an even better situation had trade and border conditions not been under strict Israeli control. Under such control, transported goods often had to be unloaded, checked, and reloaded, on top of several other impediments to the free flow of goods. Despite these impediments, however, the economy was progressing at a significant pace.
Topic:
Security, Religion, and Reform
Political Geography:
Middle East, Israel, Palestine, and Arabia

150. Accounting and Accountability: Defining Donor Requirements for Palestinian Reform

Author:
Matthew Levitt
Publication Date:
07-2002
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Abstract:
Following preparatory meetings on Palestinian reform between Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Cheney and European officials, the Quartet (the United States, the European Union [EU], the UN, and Russia) met this week in New York. The Quartet established an International Task Force on Palestinian Reform with seven subcommittees, which are to meet quarterly. As talks about Palestinian political reform progress, the donors intend to find an acceptable means enabling the group to begin disbursing $1.2 billion in donor funds to the Palestinians.
Topic:
Security, Religion, United Nations, and Reform
Political Geography:
New York, Middle East, Palestine, and Arabia