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| The title of this article could have been “Everything you want to know about Turkish politics.” | |||
| Such a heading deserves attention because it was thought that when everything looked promising and Turkey was getting more powerful, something beyond our control would set the clock backwards and we would be in trouble again. Such an assessment misses seeing systemic flaws and underestimates the power of people to enforce changes. Having said this, allow me to point out the systemic problems of the Turkish political system, which is prone to crisis. 1. The Cold War mentality of “us” and them” and “enemies everywhere” lingers on. This mentality does not allow the perception of a united nationhood on law and commitment to shared values. Rather, the nation has been defined as an ethnic or religious community excluding “others.” 2. A majoritarian understanding of democracy has mainly reduced participation and the source of power to elections. Accountability and constant surveillance of the elected are reduced to a minimum. Minorities and minority opinion have been trivialized. 3. Politics (with a capital P) has always been an issue with the regime and the state rather than policies (with a lower case p) concerning daily life and local communities. So, political competition has been fierce because its goal has been the state apparatus and managing the society wholesale by using state power. That is why politics has always been confrontational and authoritarian. The state has been the main political actor/instrument. 4. Lack of institutionalization due to the union of powers (in the hands of the state) and weak civil society has brought personalities/leaders to the forefront. Politics has to a great extent been personalized rather than popularized. Party bosses/leaders have become omnipotent and their organizations' strategies do not allow incubation of democracy within. 5. Ways have been created to acquire power (getting hold of the state apparatus) outside the electoral track. Military coups have not necessarily been executed by men in uniform. Civilians also partook in the coups when they felt they did not have political/popular power to bring down the incumbent government. 6. A tutelary system reinforced by each coup or coup attempt is still intact. Its institutions and laws are still functioning. They offer so much power to the (any) government that no one wants to dismantle them. This situation dwarfs civil society and oppresses the individual. 7. Politics have not been localized. Decisions are made centrally and imposed on the whole nation/country. Monopolistic power of the state and whoever controls it is not conducive to the internalization of the rule of law. Existing checks and balances are insufficient to control the state and audit its initiatives. Laws are seldom researched as to whether or not they are in line with international legal standards of equity and justice. 8. State-centered politics has two handicaps: a) it does not allow sharing of power; b) concentration of power is based on law making. However, turning out laws without due respect for the rule of law contributes to further centralization and authoritarianism. 9. Political parties are organized just like the state. They are leadership oriented, centrally controlled and overly hierarchic. The leader is seldom challenged and changed. Obedience to the leader and loyalty to the party is an inevitable rule and more important than legislative action. The only ways of repairing this system is wholesale not retail. First, candidates must be nominated and elected locally. Second, the uncommon 10 percent election threshold must be lowered by at least half. Decentralization and localization of politics must be achieved. Rule of law must be the driving principle of public administration. Without these, all changes will be cosmetic and systemic crises may be unavoidable. | |||
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Why, what's wrong?
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