NEWSLETTER-ICP-20: Turkish Perestro

[ASTA.UNIH at OLN.comlink.apc.org]

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  The New Democracy Movement: We need a Turkish "perestroika"!
     by Idil Akidil, Interactive Group Turkey, Istanbul

In the 1980s,  the world  experienced a  wave of  democratisation
replacing or challenging authoritarian regimes. As a result, in a
diversity of national and regional polities, generically  similar
"democratic"  institutional  frameworks  emerged. The  subsequent
changes in the power structures of these  polities however,  were
rather   diverse.   Comparative   studies   indicate  that   such
institutional arrangements  may or  may not  lead to  significant
changes  in  the  political  structures.  In  Turkey  where   the
institutional  arrangements  for  democratisation  were   largely
initiated  from  "above",  the  coercive  power   of  the   state
determined the timing, pace and political power structure. 

This outcome is  strongly shaped  and modified  by the  country's
historically created circumstances. In the 1980s, as it has  been
the  case  throughout  the post  1923 Republican  era, civil  and
military bureaucrats, with the self conception  of the  "guardian
of national interest" and in the name of modernisation ruled  the
country in an essentially non-democratic manner. 

Only a few members of the Turkish techno-bureaucracy,  "imported"
by  President  Turgut  Oezal  in  the  1980s, seem  to oppose  the
traditional bureaucratic rule. Largely through globalisation  and
economical liberalisation opposition to the status  quo has  been
gaining  momentum  among various  sections of  the society.  This
unrest in the society, quite disorganised in  the beginning,  has
been growing into an institutionalised mass movement day by  day.
Non-separatist    Kurdish     Nationalists,    Muslims     except
fundamentalists, sections of the  labour movement,  ideologically
diverse radical groups, students, academicians and industrialists
have been building a coalition around the project of  "structural
transformation and democratisation of the regime". 

At the end of 1993,  this coalition  became institutionalised  in
the  form  of  a  party-like  organisation,  the  New   Democracy
Movement,  under  the  leadership  of  a  37  year  old   textile
industrialist, Mr. Cem Boyner. The  movement plans  to hatch  out
into a political party in the autumn and rightly prides itself on
its  collegiate,  grassroots-style  and it  will be  in the  next
elections, targeting  at least  45% of  the votes,  which is  the
figure needed to have the power to propose a new  "constitution"!
A new generation is staking its claim to live  in a  progressive,
tolerant  country. "We  need a  Turkish perestroika.  We have  to
decide if  we want  to be  in the  first league  of countries  or
not.", says Mr. Boyner, "We are not an alternative to the current
political  parties,  but  we are  the alternative  to the  system
itself.". 

The New Democracy Movement is snowballing, with the synthesis  it
targets to have in every part of the country. With Kurds,  Turks,
Sunni Muslims, Alevi Muslims, women, men, children, nationalists,
secularists,  ex-communists...  For  the first  time politics  is
joint with intellectual work. The New Democracy Movement has been
visiting the  cities in  Anatolia. For  the last  two months  Mr.
Boyner and his team have been welcomed by the public in more than
50  cities of  Turkey. It  is surprising  that even  agricultural
workers support the words that are very far  away from  populism.
The latest trip was to  Konya, one  of the  strongest castles  of
Islamic Fundamentalists. This trip has shown clearly that the New
Democracy Movement  is what  Turkish people  (People of  Turkey!)
have been waiting for. 

Young people are very much appreciated and motivated  by the  New
Democracy Movement. In  the board  of directors  of the  movement
there are two members (out of fifteen) who are 20 years old. When
you  think  that  according  to  Turkish  constitution  students,
academicians  and  state  officers  are  not  allowed  to act  in
politics, this is a great challenge that youth is pushed into the
politics in the New Democracy Movement. 

The New Democracy Movement believes that Kurds should be able  to
grow their own traditions, cultures, as other  ethnic groups  can
do. Those ethnic  bodies are  the fortunes  of Turkish  Republic.
Provided that the people are  respecting the  borders, unity  and
flag of Turkish Republic, they can live as they want. 

The movement has radical opinions on the religion. They say  that
state and  religious affairs  should be  separated and  religious
matters should be left to the Muslim Community.  In other  words,
state will not control, finance or support religion  in the  name
of the citizens anymore.

One more  interesting point  is that  the base  of the  political
parties,  which  are  in  the current  system (Motherland  Party,
Welfare  Party,  True  Path Party,  Republican Party,  Democratic
Leftists Party, Nationalists Party, Social Democrats Party...) is
sliding.  Masses are  transferring to  this movement  as well  as
leading bureaucrats, and even  directors of  the subsidiaries  of
the mentioned parties. 

"We do not need any hero." says Mr. Cem Boyner. "We should  learn
to  handle  our  future, we  will learn  how to  be a  "democrat"
"Muslim" country."