Alternatif

Suriçi in destruction-regeneration dialectic

The common understanding of space tends to portray particular locations and social events that take place in these locations as stage-play relationships. Locations at different scales, such as the city, square, street or private households are understood as platforms through which social relations like political conflict, work or leisure time take place. This perception anchors the social and the spatial in separate instances that exclude one another; consequently, it brings us to the conclusion that space has no definitive influence over social relations and that events and the social shapes the spatial in a unidirectional fashion.
Fırat Genç

WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN DİYARBAKIR’S SUR DISTRICT SINCE FEBRUARY 4, 2016? When are we going to raise our voices, if not now?

A participant and moderator at the Kurdish Conference held in European Parliament during January 26-27, 2016, Nurcan Baysal is a first-hand witness to what has been happening regarding the relentless violation of rights following the curfew that was declared in Diyarbakır’s Sur district.  We would like to bring Baysal’s testimony to your attention. 
Filiz Karahasanoğlu

PEACE PROCESSES IN 2015 The culture of negotiation is now a reality

How did the peace processes between armed organizations and goverments in different places around the globe proceed in 2015?  In Turkey the peace negotiations between PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and the so-called Imralı committee have been terminated by President Erdoğan, even though they had been authorized by Erdoğan and the AKP goverment. We bring to your attention a compilation of the 2015 Peace Processes Report, prepared by Vicenç Fisas, Director of the School for a Culture of Peace.
Vicenç Fisas

For Kurds, it is an issue of decentralization in government, and this ought to be the issue for Turkey, too.

After the AKP won the elections on November 1, taking almost half the total votes and coming to power alone,  President Erdoğan has been more on the country’s agenda more than the government. We interviewed Tarhan Erdem, Radikal newspaper columnist and the founder of KONDA Research on what the current period of conflicts and curfews declared in Kurdish provinces is likely to bring about, and also on the undiscussed proposal of “the democratic autonomy.”
Merve Erol

Alternatif - Issue 2

The second issue of Alternatif is out. Knowing that the refugee crisis will continue to be on top of the Turkish agenda, we gave it wide coverage: Feature articles seek answers to the situation in Turkey with a special focus on the current paradigm shift following the EU-Turkey summit on refugees in December 2015. From an alternetif perspective, we tried to look to the foreign policy agenda of the country with Jens Siegert's article on the recent tension between Russia and Turkey, and to domestic politics alike through the interview with Bekir Ağırdır about the November 1 election results and the "surreal state of mind" of the Turkish society. On the culture pages, we hosted Emin Alper and his recent film Abluka (Fenzy) which portrays the "bitter irony of reality". All articles can be reached here

Alternatif Issue 2

The second issue of Alternatif is out. Knowing that the refugee crisis will continue to be on top of the Turkish agenda, we gave it wide coverage: Feature articles seek answers to the situation in Turkey with a special focus on the current paradigm shift following the EU-Turkey summit on refugees in December 2015. From an alternetif perspective, we tried to look to the foreign policy agenda of the country with Jens Siegert's article on the recent tension between Russia and Turkey, and to domestic politics alike through the interview with Bekir Ağırdır about the November 1 election results and the "surreal state of mind" of the Turkish society. On the culture pages, we hosted Emin Alper and his recent film Abluka (Fenzy) which portrays the "bitter irony of reality". All articles can be reached here: .... In the hope of having prepared an interesting and insightful issue of Alternatif, we like to wish all our readers a happy and productive new year.

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