2011
In 2011, the narrative of the "safe nuclear power plant” was on the verge of collapse after the Fukushima disaster in Japan, one of the world’s most technologically advanced country in the world.
That is until the efforts to "return to nuclear" would be revived over a decade later, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, driven by the quest to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
At the time, Turkey was looking for a company to build its second nuclear power plant in Sinop.
Yet, a different wave was building in North Africa that would strain Turkey’s growing ties with Russia. The Arab Spring, ignited by the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, swiftly spread from Tunisia to Egypt, Algeria, and Syria, toppling authoritarian regimes across the Middle East.
The debate on the consequences for Turkey had already started by then.
That year, the first camps for Syrian refugees were established in Hatay. A war had broken out on Turkey's border, one that would subject Europe to one of the century's most significant tests of democracy.
Through an initial conference, followed by the first issue of Perspectives Turkey, Heinrich Böll Stiftung Turkey began to concentrate on this regional transformation and its impact. The focus on foreign policy and security, as the third pillar of our organisation, would soon shift from Europe to the Middle East, emphasising migration.
1 – A Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire on 17 December 2010, igniting a wave of revolt that began in Tunisia and quickly spread to other countries. The hope that this wave would overthrow authoritarian regimes and usher in democracy was dashed in the years that followed. In fact, expectations were low even then. We had discussed the potential consequences of the Arab Spring for Turkey and the region. 2 – Journalists Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener, who had been investigating and speaking out about allegations of Gulenist infiltration in the state after the KPSS exam questions were found to have been stolen the previous year, were arrested. Turkey was quickly retreating from the progress it had made in recent years regarding freedom of expression and freedom of the press. 3 – Then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan remarked, “I don't know if she is a girl or a woman,” about Dilşat Aktaş, whose hip was broken while protesting against police violence in Hopa, which had resulted in the death of Metin Lokumcu. 4 – The first major hurdle in the early years of the Peace Process: the rivalry between two opposing political forces… 5 – The regulation of the digital space in Turkey began with censorship. That day, internet activists.