13.03.

2011

WHICH DEMOCRACY, WHICH MODEL?

Firstly, I want to start criticizing myself not to follow the news recently and events which are
happened. I create some time to read newspaper or watch TV during school and dance courses and
other activities. If I did this, I could write a better comment. Now I will determine my views about this
topic.

Turkey was a model country especially for the countries in the Middle East. Because Turkey is a single
country which is conducted with democracy, secularism and taken into consideration human rights
and liberties in spite of the coup d'état. Because the states around Turkey have been being
conducted with authoritarian and religious regimes, except Israel. However, can we say that Turkey is
a better model as democracy, secularism, human rights and liberties? I mentioned coup d'état above.
In the history of Turkey two coup d'état occurred and in these circumstances innocent and guilty lots
of people adjudicated and was tortured. Besides, if consider election dam, can we really say that
there is democracy in Turkey? Perhaps we can say that democracy applications are better than some
states such that Iraq, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria Libya. Ok, why do we have to
put Turkey and those states in the same pan?

During the events in Egypt, the Prime Minister, Recep Erdoğan called Mübarek and wanted him to
resign from his official work. What does happen if Mübarek call Erdoğan and wants him to give
journalists freedom? Maybe the president of Noble Military Council, Tantavi give some advices about
this topic to the president of Turkey, Abdullah Gül. It is really funny as well as saddening, shortly
tragic. I wonder what the people in the Egypt, Palestine, Tunisia, Libya and Algeria are considering
about Turkey and these events in Turkey now. Do they still think Turkey as a model? If we remember
what the Francis J. Ricciardone, new Turkey ambassador of the USA said, I don’t think so.

Before I pass the conclusion of the writing, I want to bring a new point of view to the events which
have been being lived in Turkey such that Ergenekon arresting, putting soldiers and journalists under
house arrest. Firstly, we can make that comment: The government is afraid of coup d'état. If we think
the coup d'états in 1960 and 1980, the government is right. Because of this, we can have arrested
retired generals and commanders. The reason of arresting journalists may be that the government
doesn’t want the events like the events in Tunisia, Algeria or Egypt to occur. Especially if we consider
the political election which will be done in June, we can also say that the government doesn’t want
the journalists to reproach the government’s mistakes to its face.

As a result, the people in some countries in the northern Africa rebelled against their authoritarian
governments for democracy and liberties, maybe much more jobs. While these events are realizing,
everybody is showing Turkey as a model country to these countries. But there is an invisible part of
the iceberg like Turkey. Some soldiers and journalists have been being arrested since 2000 because
of uncertain reasons. The name of this doesn’t matter, ‘Ergenekon’ or ‘Sledgehammer’. Something
should be done about democracy, human rights and liberties in Turkey. The government should do
this or the people should do.

ERAY ARIK

2008636009
The Department of International Relations