Ali Babacan’s DEVA Party: is it a ‘remedy’ for Turkey’s problems
The Turkish people were recently made an enticing offer: a remedy to their country’s problems. Former Deputy Prime Minister, Ali Babacan, claims to have the solutions to Turkey’s political woes, in the form of his newly founded Democracy and Progress Party, abbreviated as DEVA, which means “remedy”. Announcing the party’s launch, Babacan pledged a literal […]
11 Steps Towards a Fully Democratic Turkey
Turkey has fallen into the Middle Democracy Trap – where all the basic institutions of democracy exist, but do not function effectively. The illusion of Turkish democracy is slowly slipping, superseded by the increasingly autocratic reality. The root of this political crisis can be traced to significant deficiencies in the rule of law in the […]
A Pluralistic Media is the Most Important Element of a Full Democracy and Prevailing Rule of Law
Turkish mainstream media, once owned mostly by business groups, has now come under the control of pro-AK Parti groups such as Turkuvaz Medya, owned by a family close to President Erdoğan. A couple of years ago one of the only remaining conservative newspapers, Hürriyet, and its owner Doğan Media were acquired with loans granted to […]
Democracy and Accountability
Since the termination of the military administration upon the adoption of the 1982 Constitutional Law, Turkey has moved steadily towards democratisation, and from time to time various non-governmental organisations have proposed democratisation packages. The most comprehensive and much-debated package is undoubtedly that published by TÜSİAD in 1997. As stated in the report, one of the […]
Democracy in Turkey
The Republic of Turkey was founded by the descendants of a nation which had already established many historical states, and had made great contributions to humanity by synthesising state governance with different systems. After the glorious War of Independence at the end of the Ottoman Empire and First World War, these people had a homeland […]
Independence of the Judiciary and Justice
Turkish society wants a stricter separation of powers between the branches and organs of the state but also improved harmony and cooperation between them. Fair representation in public administration and the supremacy of the rule of law and justice are also key desires. For this to be achieved, the judiciary needs to be independent from […]
The Alimony Question
I would like to state that I support the recent declaration of thought on welfare allowance made by Judge Uğur Gençkkan distinguishing himself as a sincere lawyer. I would invite him to further develop his ideas thereon, and to produce or contribute to the compilation of a book offering a radical solution in terms of […]
Structuring of and Norm Staffing in Judicature
At the start of 2019, the total number of judges in Turkey passed 19,000 and the number of judges per 100,000 people was at 24.4! For reference, this is above the 24 judges per 100,000 that Germany had in 2014. Looking back at the fact that the number of judges per 100,000 more than doubled […]
Competition in Judicial System
The ideal amount of goods or services produced in a market is dictated by the needs of society, while ensuring there is a margin to account for small changes in demand. If the needs are too much and the production is too low, producers reduce the quality level and raise the profit margin as far […]
While Companies are Democratising, Public Administrations are Becoming Autocratic
In developed countries, even companies are becoming increasingly democratic; it is common to see all employees in a company and relevant business partners being invited to participate in corporate management. Dissenting opinions are voiced and heard within organisations, which encourages reform, change and solutions to existing problems. Global multinational corporations have proved themselves particularly effective […]
Consultation, or Feedback to the President?
It is perfectly understandable and to be expected that Mr Erdoğan has personal opinions, however as President of Turkey these can have widespread impact. Therefore, in light of this, he must demonstrate a respect for the beliefs, ideas and choices of all Turkish citizens, including political opponents, foreign leaders and political influencers in general. Mr […]
Which Music Genres should the President listen to?
In reply to Rutkay Aziz stating “let him listen to the music of Mozart, it will do him good”, President Erdoğan has replied: “to bludgeon me to listen to the music of Mozart is a fascist act in the light of my disposition”. Therefore, it is unsurprising that I found the news that President Erdoğan […]
