Alternatif - Issue 3 The 3rd issue of Alternatif- Political Analysis and Commantary from Turkey is out. In this issue we brought together articles that elaborate on the question whether Turkey is at crossroads, with regard to the latest state of the Kurdish issue and the recent developments in the Middle East. Contributors of this issue have not only written about the reasons and dynamics of the escalating political and social violence, but reminded us about a peace perspective and a vision for solution. While interviews with Tarhan Erdem and Nurcan Baysal focus on the situation in Turkey, Hamit Bozarslan enables us to comprehend the "Big Picture". Ruşen Çakır wrote about the latest bomb attacks, and Ali Kenanoğlu made a contribution about the problems of Alevis in Turkey and his recommendations for solutions. We hope you will enjoy reading this issue and are always happy to have your comments and opinions.
A structural and current view of ecological communities As a contribution to this process, of which it is an active part, the Foresthouse Sustainable Rural Future Association (Ormanevi Kırsalda Sürdürülebilir Gelecek Derneği) finally implemented its project this year. The project had been planning for phase for some time and was realized with HBSD’s support: The Inventory of Ecological Communities. Up until now, the stories of many organizations have been told in oral or written forms, and in disorganized or organized fashions. However, it was a significant problem that there were not any data-based structural studies carried out on the basis of coherent definitions and concrete indicators. The Foresthouse designed its project according to these guidelines, focusing this time not on only on the structure– of course, without neglecting the spirit.
Cross-institutional coordination and budget necessary for an effective fight against violence towards women Organized with the financial support of the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Turkey Office (HBSD), and the Technical Assistance for Civil Society Organizations (TACSO), this conference opened up a space for sharing experiences between women’s organizations struggling in the field of violence against women in Germany, Austria, Sweeden, Poland, Hungary, England, Bulgaria, Holland, Spain and Turkey.
THE CRUSHED HONOR AND STRUGGLE OF HALİL İBRAHİM DİNÇDAĞ; A Revolution in football Halil İbrahim Dinçdağ’s career as a professional referee was terminated when his homosexuality was exposed by a compulsory military service health report in 2009. His legal battle against the Turkish Football Federation resulted in a victory. By Merve Erol
EXHIBITION / THREE FLAWED OPERATIONS: TRIBE, SCHOOL, CIVILIZATION The grey of the society of control İhsan Oturmak, a young artist who creates his world of paintings with themes from Anatolian multiculturalism, militarism, education and punishment, opened his first personal exhibition "Three Flawed Operations: Tribe, School, Civilization" in Depo- Istanbul last month. We have talked with Oturmak about his exhibition, the relation of the "powerful" with "school" and what kind of "civilization" is being built on this... By Ayşegül Oğuz
SYRIA, THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE BIG PICTURE INTERVIEW WITH HAMİT BOZARSLAN; The Collapse of states and the dissolution of societies We discussed the multi-front war, multilateral diplomacy, quickly-changing power balances, policies pursued by the world powers in Syria and the background for those issues, with the Middle East expert Hamit Bozarslan. By Alican Tayla
TURKS AND KURDS IN THE SHADOW OF THE SYRIAN CRISIS: Fears and Historical Opportunities A few days earlier, Turkey had expressed its worry over the ongoing developments in the Kurdish regions of Syria, and once more stated that it would not remain a mere spectator of the activities of the YPG (People’s Protection Units) in the Damascus region (The YPG is the military wing of the PYD, Democratic Union Party). However, these mutual showdowns did not go beyond non-functional actions and statements which occurred sporadically. By Ferhad Ahma
ALEVISM IN TURKEY: PROBLEM AND SOLUTIONS; Seven demands, seven proposals Alevism is one of the most ancient belief systems of Anatolia and Mesopotamia, being practiced today by populations in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia and Macedonia. After years of migration, Alevi societies now exist in many countries of the world, with the highest numbers being in Europe. The overall Alevi population is thought to be around 50 million. By Ali Kenanoğlu
AIR POLLUTION AND ISTANBUL; Alarm bells Air pollution is the most important problem concerning the environment and public health in Turkey. While the first quarter of the 21st century is ending, our cities are witnessing a return of the air pollution problem similar to that of the beginning of the 1990’s. There are economic and social reasons for the return of the problem and it is becoming critical despite the increasing use of natural gas. By Baran Bozoğlu
Tension caused by Isis and Pkk paralyzes Turkey On January 12, 2016, at 10.15 a.m., a suicide bomber carried out a deadly attack in İstanbul. But significantly, this happened near the Obelisk of Theodosius (Dikilitaş) located at the Sultanahmet Square, which is regarded as the heart of tourism in Turkey. When I heard about this attack, whose target was a group of German tourists, I first thought of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), or TAK (Teyrêbazên Azadiya Kurdistan – Kurdistan Freedom Falcons), an organization following in the footsteps of PKK and coming to the fore solely with actions of “blind terror:” By Ruşen Çakır