dagblog - Comments for "Turkey’s Internet Crackdown"

A Tempest of Fear in

artappraiser — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 05:06:35 +0000

In reply to Turkey’s Internet Crackdown

A Tempest of Fear in Turkey
By Elif Shafak, New York Times guest op-ed, Feb. 24/25, 2014
ISTANBUL — Although the word turbulence doesn’t exist in Turkish, it is probably the best description of the state of politics in Turkey these days. But we have other words, many of them, that denote “tension,” “masculinity” and “polarization,” all of which afflict the Turkish state.

Turkey is a liquid country, a watercourse of conflicts and contradictions. The mood changes weekly, sometimes daily. Until recently the country was seen as a successful combination of Islam and Western democracy, a power broker in the Middle East. That view is rapidly fading, and the river that is Turkey is running faster than ever.

With local, presidential and general elections coming, this is a year of loud polemics and quiet concerns. Citizens glance through websites dozens of times daily to see what else has happened. During a vote that gave the government greater control over the judiciary, members of Parliament exchanged blows; a bloody nose was a testament to our bruised democracy.

Nothing reflects the tempest better than the recent proliferation of conspiracy theories [....]

Obama's Erdogan

artappraiser — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 22:41:29 +0000

In reply to Turkey’s Internet Crackdown

Obama's Erdogan predicament
By Cengiz Çandar, "Turkey Pulse" @ Al-Monitor, Feb. 20, 2014

Those paying close attention to Turkey in Washington must be confounded. What are they to understand from a White House statement and a letter written by 84 people, some of them world-renowned, to President Barack Obama about Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkey?

Those reading these two texts on the same topic may have problems about how are they to read and interpret them. Not only those living in Washington, but those who are interested in the United States and Turkey and read the two texts via the Internet will also have problems reaching conclusions.

Obama spoke by telephone with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan late Wednesday. Normally, that would be considered routine, because the Turkish prime minister long enjoyed the reputation of being the foremost leader that Obama spent time with on the telephone. That was, until the Istanbul Gezi Park events [....]

Troubled Turkey Looks to

artappraiser — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 22:32:56 +0000

In reply to Turkey’s Internet Crackdown

Troubled Turkey Looks to Conspiracy Theories for Answers
By Dorian Jones, Eurasianet.org, Feb. 20, 2014

Facing bouts of civil unrest, corruption probes and growing financial and economic pressure, the Turkish government is increasingly looking to blame its ills on foreign conspiracies.

Ever since the 2013 anti-government protests that posed the first serious challenge to the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP)’s decade-long rule, these theories have come thick and fast. Foreign media, a so-called “interest-rate lobby” and the “Jewish Diaspora” are among those officials name as having dark designs on Turkey [....]