The Challenge Ahead for Turks and Kurds: to Form a New National Partnership
by Halil M. Karaveli (vol. 6, no. 6 of the Turkey Analyst)
Abdullah Öcalan’s call for an end to the Kurdish insurgency testifies that the era when violence defined the relations between the Turkish state and the Kurds is coming to a close. Yet what must now ensue will be no less challenging. An enduring peace requires that Turks and Kurds, as citizens on equal footing, negotiate a societal compact. But Turkish nationalism may not be easily tamed, while the question is if Kurdish nationalism can ultimately be contained within an “Ottoman” framework.
Turkey's Privatization Program Marches On: Bids too Low?
by Ben Welch (vol. 6, no. 6 of the Turkey Analyst)
While the recent decision of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to cancel a privatization tender has caused concern, due to the unpredictable nature of the intervention, Turkey remains a popular venue for international investors seeking high-yielding infrastructure purchases. With more positive news in the first quarter of 2013 reflecting declines in the current account deficit, reasonable projected growth over the next few years, and the demographics pointing in the right direction, the stage is set for continued interest in the Turkish privatization market.
Conflicting Narratives, Deflating Hopes: Prospects for the Imrali Process
by Gareth H. Jenkins (vol. 6, no. 5 of the Turkey Analyst)
On March 13, 2013, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) released eight prisoners, all of them members of the Turkish security forces or state officials, in a goodwill gesture as part of the ongoing dialogue between the Turkish state and PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan to put an end to the organization’s 29 year-old insurgency and address the grievances of Turkey’s Kurdish minority. The Turkish media have hailed the release of the prisoners as proof that a resolution of the Kurdish issue is finally in sight. But there is still no sign that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is prepared even to contemplate meeting Kurdish demands and making the concessions necessary to persuade the PKK to lay down its arms.
Turkey-EU Relations Heat Up
by Richard Weitz (vol. 6, no. 5 of the Turkey Analyst)
After years of stalemate, recent months have seen renewed efforts to secure Turkey’s accession to the EU. French President François Hollande has adopted a more favorable position regarding accession than his predecessor. Following his election in 2012, Hollande’s administration advocated opening some of the eight chapters of the accession talks that were closed. Other EU officials have expressed concerns about the EU needing Turkey more than vice-versa. German officials have also adopted a more positive attitude towards Turkey’s accession drive. Meanwhile, Turkish officials are making moves, such as threatening to abandon the EU and seek membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, presumably to give Ankara more leverage in the accession negotiations.
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