Turkey Country Report – Update November 2017 [3Rd Edition]

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Turkey Country Report – Update November 2017 [3Rd Edition] 21 November 2017 (COI up to 11th September 2017) Turkey Country Report – Update November 2017 [3rd edition] Explanatory Note Sources and databases consulted List of Acronyms CONTENTS 1. Main Developments since the attempted Coup d’état (July 2016) a. Overview of major legislative and political developments: i. Recent legislative developments incl. new amendments or decrees 1. State of Emergency 2. Emergency decrees a. Decree of 22 July 2016 (KHK/667) b. Decree of 25 July 2016 (KHK/668) c. Decree of 31 July 2016 (KHK/669) d. Decrees of 17 August 2016 (KHK/670 and 671) e. Decrees of 1 September 2016 (KHK/672, 673 and 674) f. Decrees of 29 October 2016 (KHK/675 and 676) g. Decrees of 22 November 2016 (KHK/677 and 678) h. Decrees of 6 January 2017 (KHK/679, 680 and 681) i. Decrees of 23 January 2017 (KHK/682, 683, 684 and 685) j. Decree of 7 February 2017 (KHK/686) k. Decree of 9 February 2017 (KHK/687) l. Decree of 29 March 2017 (KHK/688) m. Decrees of 29 April 2017 (KHK/689 and 690) n. Decree of 22 June 2017 (KHK/691) o. Decree of 14 July 2017 (KHK/692) p. Decrees of 25 August 2017 (KHK/693 and 694) 3. 2016: Observations by the Council of Europe Committee, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission 4. January – September 2017: Observations by the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, the Council of Europe’s Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression 5. 16th April 2017: Constitutional Referendum ii. Recent political developments in particular regarding changes affecting government structures: 1. Central Government 2. Political parties 1 3. Legal and judicial institutions 4. The prison service 5. Civil service and government ministries 6. Educational institutions, including Universities 7. Hospitals / health care structures b. Overview of changes to the security forces: i. General information on the reported changes affecting the: 1. Police 2. Armed forces/Military 3. Intelligence services 4. Border guards/forces (incl. Gendarmerie) 5. Resurgence of Paramilitarism ii. Corruption within the security forces c. Impacts of the attempted Coup d’état on the socio-economic situation 2. Rule of law / Administration of Justice a. Access to justice i. Legal representation ii. Criminal justice system and access to fair trial iii. Due process and procedural guarantees (incl. arrest and detention procedures) iv. Legal remedies, including State of Emergency Procedures Investigation Commission b. Corruption in the judicial system 3. Human Rights issues a. Freedom of speech, expression and assembly i. Domestic legal framework (constitution and legislation) b. Freedom of religion c. Access to education d. Access to health e. Arbitrary arrest and detention f. Prison conditions g. Enforced disappearances h. Torture and other ill-treatment and abuse i. Extrajudicial and targeted killings, unlawful use of violence and harassment j. Death penalty 4. Treatment of perceived or actual members or associates of the Gulen movement and their family members since the attempted Coup d’état a. The Gulen movement – an overview b. Perceived or actual members or associates of the Gulen movement c. Business owners/company executives d. Trade Union members e. Armed forces/soldiers f. Lawyers g. Perceived or actual members or associates of the Gulen movement and their family members living abroad i. Closure of Gulen schools abroad 5. Treatment of perceived or actual opponents to the current government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and their family members since the attempted Coup d’état a. Treatment of political opponents 2 i. Treatment of “No” campaigners ii. Treatment of political opponents abroad b. Treatment of journalists and other media professionals c. Treatment of civil society, human rights and political activists d. Treatment of other individuals perceived to support the attempted coup/commenting on the attempted coup 6. Change in the situation or treatment of civil servants and government officials and their family members since the attempted Coup d’état a. Police officers and intelligence officials b. Members of the judiciary c. Teachers, education ministry officials, university deans and academia in general d. Clerics, preachers and religious teachers e. Staff at state ministries i. Diplomats f. Governors g. Other civil servants or government officials i. Prison staff ii. Health workers iii. Staff of regulatory bodies iv. Presidential guards 7. Change in situation of or treatment of minorities since the attempted Coup d’état a. Kurds i. Overview of pre-attempted coup situation ii. Treatment of political opponents iii. Treatment of civil servants and government officials iv. Treatment of journalists and other media professionals v. Treatment of civil society, human rights and political activists vi. Torture and other ill-treatment and abuse b. Other minorities i. Overview of pre-attempted coup situation ii. Hate speech, arbitrary arrests and violent attacks 8. Change in situation of or treatment of IDPs since the attempted Coup d’état 9. Change in the situation of or treatment of diverse individuals of sexual orientation and gender identity since the attempted Coup d’état 3 Explanatory Note This report is an update of ARC’s previous two reports: ‘Turkey Country Report’ of 15 December 2016 and ‘Turkey Country Report – Update’ of 25 January 2017. All editions present country of origin information (COI) on Turkey on issues of relevance in refugee status determination for Turkish nationals related to the attempted Coup d’état and the introduction of the State of Emergency. The information included relates to the attempted coup and does not address non-state agent perpetrated violence (e.g. activities by IS, PKK or TAK) or the security situation and abuses in south- east Turkey nor societal discrimination that is unrelated to the post-coup, e.g. experienced by ethnic or religious minority communities in Turkey. This updated report includes the same content as the second edition published on 25 January 2017 apart from adding some sub-headings where new issues arose, and correcting some typos. The COI presented is illustrative, but not exhaustive of the information available in the public domain, nor is it determinative of any individual human rights or asylum claim. All sources are publicly available and a direct hyperlink has been provided. A list of sources and databases consulted is also provided, to enable users to conduct further research and to conduct source assessments. The research period for this latest update covers events between 7th January 2017 to 11th September 2017 and all sources were accessed in September 2017. Annual reports published in 2017 (as of 11 September 2017) covering events in 2016 have therefore not been included in this update. This comprises, inter alia, those issued by: Amnesty International, Freedom House, Fund for Peace, Heidelberg Institute, Human Rights Association, Human Rights Watch, Institute for Economics and Peace, International Lesbian and Gay Association, U.S. Department of State. A number of new sources identified since the previous edition of this report have been included, but only consulted for the timeframe of the update of the report i.e. 7th January 2017 to 11 September 2017. These are: Academics for Peace, Advocates of Silenced Turkey, Asylos Research Notes, EASO COI Portal, Judiciary of Turkey, Stockholm Center for Freedom. The website of the following source is no longer active and so was not consulted for this edition of the report: The Human Rights Institution of Turkey. The following additional sources have been included, post cut-off point given the insights they provide into the issues addressed in this report: o OSCE, OSCE PA human rights leader: Turkish appeals commission must be transparent to restore faith in rule of law, 14 September 2017 o Reporters without Borders, Journalist still held in Spain under Turkish request to Interpol, 21 September 2017 o Stockholm Center for Freedom, A Turkish Businessman Killed In Amsterdam Over His Alleged Links To Gülen Movement, 14 September 2017 o Stockholm Center for Freedom, Jailed and wanted journalists in Turkey – Updated List (As of September 23, 2017), 23 September 2017 o Stockholm Center for Freedom, Turkey Issues Detention Warrants For 63 People Including Intel Agency Employees Over Alleged Links To Gülen Movement, 12 September 2017 o Turkey Purge, Turkey widens post-coup purge since July 15, 2016, last updated 24 September 2017 This document is intended to be used as a tool to help to identify relevant COI and the COI referred to in this report can be considered by decision makers in assessing asylum applications and appeals. This report is not a substitute for individualised case-specific research and therefore this document should not be submitted in isolation as evidence to refugee decision making authorities. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, the authors accept no responsibility for any errors included in this report. 4 Sources and databases consulted Not all of the sources listed here have been consulted for each issue addressed in the report. Additional sources to those individually listed were consulted via database searches. This non- exhaustive list is intended to assist in further case-specific research. To find out more about an organisation,
Recommended publications
  • Christians and Jews in Muslim Societies
    Arabic and its Alternatives Christians and Jews in Muslim Societies Editorial Board Phillip Ackerman-Lieberman (Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA) Bernard Heyberger (EHESS, Paris, France) VOLUME 5 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/cjms Arabic and its Alternatives Religious Minorities and Their Languages in the Emerging Nation States of the Middle East (1920–1950) Edited by Heleen Murre-van den Berg Karène Sanchez Summerer Tijmen C. Baarda LEIDEN | BOSTON Cover illustration: Assyrian School of Mosul, 1920s–1930s; courtesy Dr. Robin Beth Shamuel, Iraq. This is an open access title distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC 4.0 license, which permits any non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided no alterations are made and the original author(s) and source are credited. Further information and the complete license text can be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ The terms of the CC license apply only to the original material. The use of material from other sources (indicated by a reference) such as diagrams, illustrations, photos and text samples may require further permission from the respective copyright holder. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Murre-van den Berg, H. L. (Hendrika Lena), 1964– illustrator. | Sanchez-Summerer, Karene, editor. | Baarda, Tijmen C., editor. Title: Arabic and its alternatives : religious minorities and their languages in the emerging nation states of the Middle East (1920–1950) / edited by Heleen Murre-van den Berg, Karène Sanchez, Tijmen C. Baarda. Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2020. | Series: Christians and Jews in Muslim societies, 2212–5523 ; vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Erdogan's Islamist Foreign Policy at the Crossroads Kushal Agrawal
    MP-IDSA Issue Brief Erdogan's Islamist Foreign Policy at the Crossroads Kushal Agrawal March 17, 2021 Summary Even as he continues to work towards reviving the Ottoman glory and 'Ittihad-I Islam' ('Unity of Islam'), there are significant limitations and vulnerabilities in Erdogan pursuing his Islamist approach to statecraft abroad. The Turkish President will have to choose between a pragmatic and an Islamist foreign policy. If the Turkish economy returns to high growth rates, Erdogan's domestic position will be strengthened and he might still return to his pet Islamist adventures overseas. ERDOGAN’S ISLAMIST FOREIGN POLICY AT THE CROSSROADS In his quest to become the leader of the Muslim world, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has in the recent past vehemently opposed the European Union (EU) governments as well as West Asian and North African countries for their policy positions on Islamic issues. Erdogan, for instance, went on an offensive against French President Emmanuel Macron for the latter’s perceived Islamophobic stance in the aftermath of beheading of Samuel Paty on October 16, 2020 in Paris. On October 24, 2020, Erdogan spoke against German authorities for raiding the Mevlana mosque in Berlin, closely associated with the Turkish Milli Gorus movement. Turkey’s relations with key Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also been fraught, given Erdogan’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood. Since December 2020, however, Erdogan has been trying to reach out to the European Union and the West, in a possible effort to transform his pan-Islamist foreign policy outlook to a pro-Western Kemalist worldview.
    [Show full text]
  • COMMUNICATION and ADVERTISING This Text Is Prepared for The
    DESIGN CHRONOLOGY TURKEY COMMUNICATION AND ADVERTISING This text is prepared for the 3rd Istanbul Design Biennial ARE WE HUMAN? The Design of the Species 2 seconds, 2 days, 2 years, 200 years, 200,000 years by Gökhan Akçura and Pelin Derviş with contributions by Barış Gün and the support of Studio-X Istanbul translated by Liz Erçevik Amado, Selin Irazca Geray and Gülce Maşrabacı editorial support by Ceren Şenel, Erim Şerifoğlu graphic design by Selin Pervan COMMUNICATION AND ADVERTISING 19th CENTURY perfection of the manuscripts they see in Istanbul. Henry Caillol, who grows an interest in and learns about lithography ALAMET-İ FARİKA (TRADEMARK) in France, figures that putting this technique into practice in Let us look at the market places. The manufacturer wants to Istanbul will be a very lucrative business and talks Jacques distinguish his goods; the tradesman wants to distinguish Caillol out of going to Romania. Henry Caillol hires a teacher his shop. His medium is the sign. He wants to give the and begins to learn Turkish. After a while, also relying on the consumer a message. He is trying to call out “Recognize me”. connections they have made, they apply to the Ministry of He is hanging either a model of his product, a duplicate of War and obtain permission to found a lithographic printing the tool he is working with in front of his store, or its sign, house. They place an order for a printing press from France. one that is diferent, interesting. The tailor hangs a pair of This printing house begins to operate in the annex of the scissors and he becomes known as “the one who is good with Ministry of War (the current Istanbul University Rectorate scissors”.
    [Show full text]
  • Enlargement, Hospitality and Transformative Powers the Cases of Moldova and Ukraine by Jeppe Juul Petersen (Copenhagen)
    ENLARGEMENT, HOSPITALITY AND TRANSFORMATIVE POWERS The Cases of Moldova and Ukraine by Jeppe Juul Petersen (Copenhagen) First publication. The European Union has undergone tremendous changes in recent years with the most comprehensive enlargement in its history. On May 1, 2004 ten new countries acceded to the EU (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta 1 Cf. Dinan, Desmond: Europe and Cyprus) and more countries are eager to join or have even been accepted as candidate recast. a history of European union. countries for entry into the European Union. Recently, Romania and Bulgaria followed the Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan ten newcomers as they finished their accession process and became members of the EU in 2004, p. 267. January 2007. Currently, the EU consists of 27 countries, with a population of roughly 500 2 Leonard, Mark/Grant, Charles: million and the largest economy in the world. Georgia and the EU. Can Europe’s Regardless of the incongruence between the old member states of the EU, the enlarge- neighbourhood policy deliver? Centre ment seemed inevitable since the reunited Europe could not restrict itself to the western for European Reform Policy Brief part of Europe.1 Thus, the enlargement processes of the EU can indeed be viewed as an 2005, p. 1. example of a reunification and integration process of Europe after the end of the Cold War. 3 Wolczuk, Kataryna: Ukraine after The countries that were previously linked to the USSR (e.g. Poland, Czech Republic and the Orange Revolution. Centre for Hungary) or the Warsaw Pact, now enjoy independence and are on the path of democracy European Reform Policy Paper 2005, and market economy, which constitute the membership criteria adopted by the European p.
    [Show full text]
  • T.C. Firat Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Iletişim Bilimleri Ana Bilim Dali
    T.C. FIRAT ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ İLETİŞİM BİLİMLERİ ANA BİLİM DALI TELEVİZYON DİZİLERİNDE ÜRÜN YERLEŞTİRME PERSPEKTİFİNDEN GÖRSEL OKURYAZARLIK BECERİLERİ: ELAZIĞ ÖRNEĞİ YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ DANIŞMAN HAZIRLAYAN Yrd. Doç. Dr. Yasemin KILIÇARSLAN Aysel SAĞMEN Elazığ-2013 T.C. FIRAT ÜNİVERSİTESİ SOSYAL BİLİMLER ENSTİTÜSÜ İLETİŞİM BİLİMLERİ ANABİLİM DALI “TELEVİZYON DİZİLERİNDE ÜRÜN YERLEŞTİRME PERSPEKTİFİNDEN GÖRSEL OKURYAZARLIK BECERİLERİ: ELAZIĞ ÖRNEĞİ” YÜKSEK LİSANS TEZİ DANIŞMAN HAZIRLAYAN Yrd. Doç. Dr. Yasemin KILIÇARSLAN Aysel SAĞMEN Jürimiz,……………… tarihinde yapılan yüksek lisans tezini oy birliği / oy çokluğu ile başarılı saymıştır. Jüri Üyeleri: 1. 2. 3. F.Ü. Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Yönetim Kurulu’nun …………. Tarih ve ………… sayılı kararıyla bu tezin kabulü onaylanmıştır. Prof. Dr. Enver ÇAKAR Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Müdürü II ÖZET Yüksek Lisans Tezi Televizyon Dizilerinde Ürün Yerleştirme Perspektifinden Görsel Okuryazarlık Becerileri: Elazığ Örneği Aysel SAĞMEN Fırat Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü İletişim Bilimleri Anabilim Dalı ELAZIĞ-2013, Sayfa: XIII+129 Günümüzde kitle iletişim araçlarından televizyon, tüketiciye ulaşma noktasında etkin olarak kullanılmaktadır. Televizyondan, tüketiciye ulaşmada en etkili yol dizilerdeki ürün yerleştirme reklamlarıdır. İletişim araçlarının ve markaların çoğalmasıyla birlikte tüketiciler yoğun bir mesaj trafiğine maruz kalmaktadır. Doğal olarak tüketiciler bu durumdan kaçmaya çalışmaktadır. Buna bağlı olarak reklamcılar, mesajlara duyarsız kalan tüketicinin dikkatini çekebilmek
    [Show full text]
  • Turkey: Background and U.S. Relations
    Turkey: Background and U.S. Relations Updated November 9, 2020 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R41368 SUMMARY R41368 Turkey: Background and U.S. Relations November 9, 2020 U.S.-Turkey tensions have raised questions about the future of bilateral relations and have led to congressional action against Turkey, including informal holds on major new Jim Zanotti arms sales (such as upgrades to F-16 aircraft) and efforts to impose sanctions. Specialist in Middle Nevertheless, both countries’ officials emphasize the importance of continued U.S.- Eastern Affairs Turkey cooperation and Turkey’s membership in NATO. Observers voice concerns about the largely authoritarian rule of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Clayton Thomas Turkey’s polarized electorate could affect Erdogan’s future leadership. His biggest Analyst in Middle Eastern challenge may be structural weaknesses in Turkey’s economy—including a sharp Affairs decline in Turkey’s currency—that have worsened since the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic began. The following are key factors in the U.S.-Turkey relationship. Turkey’s strategic orientation and U.S./NATO basing. Traditionally, Turkey has relied closely on the United States and NATO for defense cooperation, European countries for trade and investment, and Russia and Iran for energy imports. A number of complicated situations in Turkey’s surrounding region—including those involving Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh (a region disputed by Armenia and Azerbaijan), and Eastern Mediterranean energy exploration—affect its relationships with the United States and other key actors, as Turkey seeks a more independent role. President Erdogan’s concerns about maintaining his parliamentary coalition with Turkish nationalists may partly explain his actions in some of the situations mentioned above.
    [Show full text]
  • FEATURE Yemeni Activist on Her Homeland, Politics, Terror, Democracy FEATURE Daily Sabah > Life > Feature Yemeni Activist on Her Homeland, Politics, Terror, Democracy
    2/21/2018 Yemeni activist on her homeland, politics, terror, democracy - Daily Sabah FEATURE Yemeni activist on her homeland, politics, terror, democracy FEATURE Daily Sabah > Life > Feature Yemeni activist on her homeland, politics, terror, democracy HILAL KAPLAN @hilal_kaplan ISTANBUL Published February 14, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman of Yemen smiles during a news conference as part of the Nobel Women’s Initiative to gather a first­hand account of the ongoing violence against women, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Oct. 24, 2017. Activist, politician, journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate are only some of the terms used to describe Tawakkol Karman, who dares to stand against unjust interventions of the United Arab Emirates in Yemen nown as the "Mother of the Revolution," Yemen's Tawakkol K Karman is one of the most influential women in the Arab world. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, at the age of 32, in recognition of her work in nonviolent struggle for the safety of women, women's rights and for her full participation in peacebuilding work in Yemen. Daily Sabah columnist Hilal Kaplan met with Karman to talk about the United Arab Emirates' influence and policies in Yemen as well as Saudi officials' remarks on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey's stance regarding the status of Jerusalem, Operation Olive Branch, the coup attempt of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and Turkey's fight for democracy. Daily Sabah: Ms. Karman, you have stated that the United Arab Emirates is destabilizing Yemen. You have even gone further to say that "the UAE is only a collapsible paper tower." Can you explain how you see the UAE's role in Yemen? Tawakkol Karman: Every step taken in Yemen by the UAE is against Yemen's interest.
    [Show full text]
  • The Plot Against the Generals
    THE PLOT AGAINST THE GENERALS Dani Rodrik* June 2014 On a drizzly winter day four-and-a-half years ago, my wife and I woke up at our home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to sensational news from our native Turkey. Splashed on the first page of Taraf, a paper followed closely by the country’s intelligentsia and well-known for its anti-military stance, were plans for a military coup as detailed as they were gory, including the bombing of an Istanbul mosque, the false- flag downing of a Turkish military jet, and lists of politicians and journalists to be detained. The paper said it had obtained documents from 2003 which showed a group within the Turkish military had plotted to overthrow the then-newly elected Islamist government. The putative mastermind behind the coup plot was pictured prominently on the front page: General Çetin Doğan, my father-in-law (see picture). General Doğan and hundreds of his alleged collaborators would be subsequently demonized in the media, jailed, tried, and convicted in a landmark trial that captivated the nation and allowed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to consolidate his power over the secular establishment. In a judgment issued in October 2013, Turkey’s court of appeals would ratify the lower court’s decision and the decades-long prison sentences it had meted out. Today it is widely recognized that the coup plans were in fact forgeries. Forensic experts have determined that the plans published by Taraf and forming the backbone of the prosecution were produced on backdated computers and Cover of Taraf on the alleged coup attempt made to look as if they were prepared in 2003.
    [Show full text]
  • Rethinking Genocide: Violence and Victimhood in Eastern Anatolia, 1913-1915
    Rethinking Genocide: Violence and Victimhood in Eastern Anatolia, 1913-1915 by Yektan Turkyilmaz Department of Cultural Anthropology Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Orin Starn, Supervisor ___________________________ Baker, Lee ___________________________ Ewing, Katherine P. ___________________________ Horowitz, Donald L. ___________________________ Kurzman, Charles Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Cultural Anthropology in the Graduate School of Duke University 2011 i v ABSTRACT Rethinking Genocide: Violence and Victimhood in Eastern Anatolia, 1913-1915 by Yektan Turkyilmaz Department of Cultural Anthropology Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Orin Starn, Supervisor ___________________________ Baker, Lee ___________________________ Ewing, Katherine P. ___________________________ Horowitz, Donald L. ___________________________ Kurzman, Charles An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Cultural Anthropology in the Graduate School of Duke University 2011 Copyright by Yektan Turkyilmaz 2011 Abstract This dissertation examines the conflict in Eastern Anatolia in the early 20th century and the memory politics around it. It shows how discourses of victimhood have been engines of grievance that power the politics of fear, hatred and competing, exclusionary
    [Show full text]
  • Turkey RISK & COMPLIANCE REPORT DATE: March 2018
    Turkey RISK & COMPLIANCE REPORT DATE: March 2018 KNOWYOURCOUNTRY Executive Summary - Turkey Sanctions: None FAFT list of AML No Deficient Countries US Dept of State Money Laundering assessment Higher Risk Areas: Not on EU White list equivalent jurisdictions Failed States Index (Political)(Average score) Weakness in Government Legislation to combat Money Laundering Medium Risk Areas: Corruption Index (Transparency International & W.G.I.)) World Governance Indicators (Average score) Compliance of OECD Global Forum’s information exchange standard Major Investment Areas: Agriculture - products: tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, hazelnuts, pulses, citrus; livestock Industries: textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining (coal, chromate, copper, boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper Exports - commodities: apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment Exports - partners: Germany 10.3%, Iraq 6.2%, UK 6%, Italy 5.8%, France 5%, Russia 4.4% (2011) Imports - commodities: machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment Imports - partners: Russia 9.9%, Germany 9.5%, China 9%, US 6.7%, Italy 5.6%, Iran 5.2% (2011) 2 Investment Restrictions: The Government of Turkey (GOT) has developed specific strategies for 24 industrial sectors, including eight priority sectors. It has also established specific plans for physical infrastructure upgrades, as well as a major expansion of Turkey’s health, information technology, and education sectors, all of which are geared to make the Turkish workforce and companies more competitive. GOT recognizes that the domestic economy alone will not be sufficient to reach these goals and that Turkey will need to attract significant new foreign direct investment (FDI). Foreign-owned interests in the petroleum, mining, broadcasting, maritime transportation, and aviation sectors are subject to special regulatory requirements.
    [Show full text]
  • ERGENEKON, SLEDGEHAMMER, and the POLITICS of TURKISH JUSTICE: CONSPIRACIES and COINCIDENCES August 29, 2011 Gloria-Center.Org
    http://www.gloria-center.org/2011/08/ergenekon-sledgehammer-and-the-politics-of-turkish-justice-conspiracies-and-coincidences/ ERGENEKON, SLEDGEHAMMER, AND THE POLITICS OF TURKISH JUSTICE: CONSPIRACIES AND COINCIDENCES August 29, 2011 gloria-center.org Since it was launched in June 2007, the Ergenekon investigation has become the largest and most controversial case in recent Turkish history, resulting in over 300 people being charged with a membership of what is described as a clandestine terrorist organization seeking to destabilize the country’s Islamist government. In the parallel Sledgehammer investigation, 195 members of the fiercely secularist Turkish military stand accused of plotting a coup in 2003. Yet not only is the evidence in both cases deeply flawed, there are also increasing indications that much of it has been fabricated. On June 12, 2007, acting on an anonymous tip-off, the Turkish police discovered a crate of grenades in a shantytown in the Istanbul suburb of Umraniye in the beginning of what later became known as the Ergenekon investigation. By May 2011, a motley collection of over 300 people had been formally charged with membership of what public prosecutors described as the “Ergenekon terrorist organization,” which was allegedly plotting to use violence to try to destabilize the government of the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (JDP). In January 2010, prosecutors launched a parallel investigation into claims that members of the Turkish military had plotted to stage a coup against the JDP in early 2003. By May 2011, 195 serving and retired members of the Turkish military had been formally charged with involvement in the alleged plot.
    [Show full text]
  • Sabiha Gökçen's 80-Year-Old Secret‖: Kemalist Nation
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO ―Sabiha Gökçen‘s 80-Year-Old Secret‖: Kemalist Nation Formation and the Ottoman Armenians A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Communication by Fatma Ulgen Committee in charge: Professor Robert Horwitz, Chair Professor Ivan Evans Professor Gary Fields Professor Daniel Hallin Professor Hasan Kayalı Copyright Fatma Ulgen, 2010 All rights reserved. The dissertation of Fatma Ulgen is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Chair University of California, San Diego 2010 iii DEDICATION For my mother and father, without whom there would be no life, no love, no light, and for Hrant Dink (15 September 1954 - 19 January 2007 iv EPIGRAPH ―In the summertime, we would go on the roof…Sit there and look at the stars…You could reach the stars there…Over here, you can‘t.‖ Haydanus Peterson, a survivor of the Armenian Genocide, reminiscing about the old country [Moush, Turkey] in Fresno, California 72 years later. Courtesy of the Zoryan Institute Oral History Archive v TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page……………………………………………………………....
    [Show full text]