Turkey, politics, political factors, Gezi movement, Osman Kavala, political opponent, anti-government protests, Erdogan, Gezi park occupation
In October 2021, 10 ambassadors in Turkey signed a common press release to show their opposition against the decision from the court of Istanbul, which had ordered to keep in detention the political opponent, Osman Kavala, during his trial. Behind these accusations, the actual Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seeks to get rid of a supporter of the anti-government protests of Gezi in 2013. Prosecuted in first place for "attempting to overthrow the government", he was finally acquitted for lack of evidence in February 2020, but was immediately placed in detention again, accused this time of having "sought to destabilize Turkey" during the failed coup d'état in 2016. He faces life imprisonment. In reaction to the communiqué, Erdogan threatened to fire the ambassadors without carrying out his threats.
[...] Its thinly veiled ambition is to propel Turkey into a world power like the Ottoman Empire before the republic's centenary and to eclipse the country's economic problems with casual interventionism in Libya, Syria or Azerbaijan. He wants to make his country's history like Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Conclusion To conclude, Erdogan had always had the project of building a strong Turkey, being only possible with him at his head according to him and his supporters. With this in mind, he did everything to strengthen his power to the detriment of some and consolidate Turkey's role on the world stage without really succeeding, as this crisis of diplomats has shown. [...]
[...] However, in 2016, everything changed after an attempted coup in July 2016 that forged the President's current vision and ambition for his country. Nationalist and conservative vision and the President (2016- . ) On July an attempted military coup threatened Erdoğan's power. He calls on his supporters to defy the curfew. The coup attempt is aborted. It killed at least 290 people, including 104 putschists shot down, and more than 1,440 injured. About 7,500 members of the armed forces were arrested. [...]
[...] The reactions of the US and the EU are quick to respond: Through US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki: "We believe that long-term stability, security and Turkey's prosperity is best assured by upholding the fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly and association, which is, it seems, what these individuals were doing." And the European Commission issued a statement saying: "We condemn any excessive and disproportionate use of force". Nevertheless, the process of joining the EU continues. On August Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was elected twelfth President of the Republic, for the first time by universal suffrage. [...]
[...] Thus, in 2004, audiovisual broadcasting of minority languages was authorized. On June a new penal code was adopted granting more individual freedoms and more in line with European requirements, thus triggering, on October accession negotiations with the European Union. Nonetheless, Erdogan attacked secularism in the country with a constitutional amendment in 2008 that aimed to remove the ban on the Islamic headscarf at the university. This amendment is annulled by the Constitutional Court. But also by the constitutional referendum which took place in Turkey in 2010. [...]
[...] How does the Osman Kavala decision reveal the character of the current President and his vision for Turkey in 2021? Introduction In October ambassadors in Turkey signed up a common press release to show their opposition against the decision from the court of Istanbul which had ordered to keep in detention the political opponent, Osman Kavala, during his trial. Behind these accusations, the actual Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seeks to get rid of a supporter of the anti-government protests of Gezi in 2013. [...]
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