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JW note: Below are three columns by political scientist Yucel Dmirer published in the left-wing Turkish daily Evrensel (Universal).  Dermirer will be a speaker at the 30th International Rosa Luxemburg Conference on January 11, 2025.

A Call for Peace 

This past June, the Institute for Economics and Peace published a report outlining the state of humanity in terms of peace and security for the year 2024. The report warns that the world is at a crossroads and that without concerted efforts, the number of major armed conflicts will continue to rise. According to the report, wars in the 21st century are not only increasing but also changing due to advances in military technology and growing geopolitical rivalries. Persistent conflicts that have little prospect of pacification are, unlike traditional wars, a direct result of this change.

The report presents grim figures: 2024 will be the fifth consecutive year in which the peace situation has deteriorated worldwide. There are currently 56 active armed conflicts internationally, the highest number since World War II. These conflicts have become increasingly internationalized: 92 countries are involved in disputes beyond their borders. In addition, the increase in small-scale conflicts increases the likelihood of larger wars in the future. The armed conflicts in Ethiopia, Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, which were classified as small-scale conflicts in 2019, are examples of how such situations can escalate dramatically.

Turkey ranks 139th this year among the 163 countries included in the Global Peace Index. The index measures peace and security within a country based on factors such as the number of police and military personnel, murder rate, prison population, civilian armament, political instability, ongoing internal and external conflicts, relations with neighboring countries, arms trade and level of militarization.

Turkey's continued placement at the bottom of the rankings reflects ongoing conflict and security problems, tensions with neighboring countries, rising incarceration rates, increasing civilian armament and a growing arms trade.

The data shows that the impact of war and peace on the lives of ordinary citizens is much more direct than is commonly assumed. War and the uncertainty it brings go beyond the television images of distant conflicts and permeate our daily lives.

The increasing number of women murdered, the increasing arming of civilians, the construction of ever larger prisons and violence against animals are all manifestations of "war mentality". The violence we encounter every day is closely linked to the wars we think are far away from us. Despite the claims of those who benefit economically or politically from war, the multiple effects of conflict quickly spread to wider areas and affect those living far from the front lines. Violence and insecurity also affect the lives of workers, women, children and animals. Governments that use war to consolidate their power resort to repression and violence to solve social problems that arise in such an environment.

Military solutions ignore the root causes of conflict. Problems such as inequality, injustice and exclusion, which underlie many conflicts, are exacerbated in times of war. The escalation of violence exacerbates existing problems and increases the suffering of the poor. The "language of violence" neither solves the political, social and economic problems underlying these conflicts nor enables them to be resolved, but instead causes immeasurable suffering and destroys lives.

In times of war, workers' lives become increasingly unbearable. Governments basing their actions on security considerations, violate fundamental rights and freedom. The state of emergency is invoked to justify the unequal distribution of resources. The free flow of information is curtailed, and corruption and bribery spread.

Poverty accelerator

For workers whose lives have become unbearable in the shadow of war, peace has immense significance. Today, around two billion people live in an environment marked by violence. Conflicts and wars exacerbate poverty, inequality and the lack of solidarity.

Only in lasting peace can the foundations of a hopeful future be laid - secure livelihoods, robust institutions and healthy social relations that promote well-being and happiness. Peace creates a stable and secure environment that enables societies to focus on economic development, social progress and prosperity. Peace prevents the loss of life, displacement of people and destruction of infrastructure and resources, and protects the material wealth produced by workers. In peacetime, governments can provide resources to improve education, health and other social services. In addition, peace facilitates international cooperation, the exchange of ideas and joint efforts to tackle global problems such as climate change and poverty.

Politicians who care about the well-being of workers know that only in a peaceful environment can societies become more resilient to shocks, disasters and disruptions. Problems and disagreements can be effectively managed and the necessary levels of trust, cooperation and integration achieved to adapt to the inevitable changes brought about by the dynamics of life. This is why socialists emphasize the fight for peace. Even in the darkest moments of chauvinistic and racist oppression, they refuse to give up the call for peace.

(September 1, 2024)

Who is the Real Terrorist?

The Taksim Square bombing¹ was quickly followed by widespread war propaganda, culminating in air strikes on northern Iraq and Syria. Considerations for a ground operation were voiced at the highest level.

The Erdoğan regime's media debated the political justifications for war, using a ground operation to try to cover up the collapse of the "official narrative" about the Taksim attack. Discussions centered on whether the United States and Russia, which control Syrian airspace, had given their consent, and the possible content and outcome of negotiations with these countries.

The government regularly exploits regional instability for domestic political maneuvers. Even when it lacks the approval of global powers, it tries to influence domestic politics by creating an artificial war agenda. The "nationalist rhetoric" has a major impact on the political atmosphere in Turkey. Against the backdrop of the use of disproportionate force by the security forces and the enormous legal repression, the anti-war opposition finds it difficult to go beyond political analysis. This inability to challenge the war-oriented government leads to a situation in which even the opposition bloc "Altılı Masa"² allies itself with the government.

Every political maneuver is embedded in the perception of historical events. New wars are justified by old wars. The narrative chain of events from the Taksim attack to the airstrikes and from the airstrikes to the prospect of a ground operation is based on a "historical narrative." As is well known, historiography is not just the transmission of information from the past, but also reflects the dynamics of the present. In Turkey, the "official narrative" on controversial and conflict-ridden issues such as the Kurdish question, especially under a repressive regime, is shaped by the current requirements of state strategy while maintaining historical coherence. This approach links the "old other" with the present-day "enemy" and anchors the idea of a rapid and violent elimination of the "other" as a "necessity" in the public consciousness.

Science on a leash

The constant renewal of the official narrative, presented as the "only truth," is crucial to maintaining its effectiveness. In this process of renewal, the co-opted academic world plays a central role. By locking down archival holdings and preventing alternative perspectives in academic research, contributions to "alternative narratives" by historians and social scientists are blocked. Researchers who show courage are sidelined by rigid academic promotion criteria, branded as "traitors," and, if they do not give in, expelled from universities.

A comprehensive response to the historical narrative shaped by official interventions and disseminated through the mass media requires patience and creativity. This response must incorporate ideological and political analysis, as well as the social dimensions of war. It must also bring to the public the images of the human suffering caused by war. Such an approach is not only necessary, but also imperative within the limits of available means. Against narratives that focus on commanders, heroes and national interests, emphasis must be placed on the tragedies of war, the impoverishment of workers, the waste of resources and the destruction of the environment. It is crucial to provide the public with concrete images of the devastation of war and detailed information on its consequences. Emphasis on the brotherhood of peoples in the face of the "insensitivity" conveyed by war rhetoric is particularly important.

There are many people who oppose war, which destroys people's livelihoods, destroys democracy and makes daily life unbearable. In this fight, photos that illuminate the negative effects of war policy on individuals can also make the dynamics of resistance to war policy visible. In order to counteract the narrative of the "inevitability of war" and the destructive dynamics of the "culture of war", a language must be found that brings the "forgotten victims" of war policy to light. This also includes questioning "individual truths" such as the narrative of "Operation Claw Sword"³.

The question that must be courageously asked at every opportunity remains: What is terror and who is the real terrorist?

(October 26, 2022)

The Map of Oppression

The Media and Law Studies Association⁴ recently published its 2024 annual report, which focuses on upholding the right to freedom of expression and access to information. The report contains data from 614 hearings in 281 cases involving 1,856 defendants between September 1, 2023, and July 20, 2024. According to the report, 46.31 percent of the defendants were activists, 20.25 percent were students, and 19.71 percent were journalists.

Of the 187 people charged with "membership in an armed terrorist organization," 64.2 percent were journalists. Likewise, 34.6 percent of the 162 defendants charged with "spreading terrorist propaganda" were journalists. Of the 101 people charged with "insulting a public official," 37.6 percent were members of the press. Of the 63 people charged with "insulting the president," 24 percent were also journalists.

In 107 cases monitored by the association, involving 230 defendants, the plaintiffs were President Erdoğan and his family, high-ranking bureaucrats, members of the judiciary, local administration officials and police officers. Of the defendants in these cases, 116 were journalists.

But today, the repression extends far beyond journalists. It also affects workers, women, unemployed teachers and countless others. The ever-increasing scale and intensity of the repression requires a comprehensive look at the effects of the repression.

A closer look at the repression under the Erdoğan regime reveals a calculated effort to create legitimacy even before repressive measures begin. Strategic divisions of society into categories such as "pure/virtuous people" vs. "corrupt elites," "patriots" vs. "terrorists," and "local/national" vs. "foreign-backed" are deliberately made and deployed depending on the actor. Efforts are made to ensure that repressive agendas are at least partially supported by the public, and narratives are developed to that effect. Exploiting unresolved sociopolitical and cultural issues from Turkey's history, repressive practices are facilitated through sweeping generalizations and shameless stigmatization.

When implementing a repressive measure, an allegedly urgent societal threat is first identified. Then a "responsible" and "dangerous" group is defined, and its actions are cited as justification for the repression.

But this process does not end there. Then a group is invented and constructed that supports this repressive policy. For example, a citizen who campaigns for the protection of water or forest in his village is pitted against his neighbor who is promised a job as a security guard at a thermal power plant that is about to be built. Women who campaign for gender equality and an end to violence are confronted with mothers who raise their children at home. Those who protest against the awarding of public contracts to confidants are attacked by subcontractors of the benefiting companies. A mother who leaves her child in a municipal daycare center to earn a minimum wage is frightened with the claim that LGBTQ+ values are imposed on the children there. Someone who eats healthily is pitted against a security guard from another neighborhood with different eating or social habits.

How is support for oppression established by a section of society?

"Dog Whistle Politics"

The term "dog whistle politics," named after whistles that only dogs can hear, has been used by political scientists for years to describe how seemingly normal or innocuous statements made by politicians secretly convey messages that instill fear or a sense of discriminatory superiority in certain sections of society in order to secure their votes.

There are numerous examples of political maneuvers that exploit public fears and anxieties to divide the working class and win elections. Former U.S. President Ronald Reagan spoke of "welfare queens driving Cadillacs" and "steak eaters using food stamps" during his 1980 election campaign to imply that black Americans were taking advantage of the welfare system, thereby appealing to racist sentiments. Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan similarly courted votes by evoking nostalgia for a whiter, more Anglo-Saxon past.

A closer look at the current map of oppression in Turkey reveals a strategy of using fear and exploiting emotions to secure support for any oppressive agenda. This support is then used to legitimize the oppression. In an overly polarized social environment, these processes are implemented through fractures within society and controlled information flows through state-aligned media.

Therefore, a detailed mapping of all cases of oppression under Erdoğan's regime is necessary to shed light on the social dynamics that enable the oppression and to understand how its legitimation mechanisms work. Only with such a method can we understand how the government exploits emotional, cultural and social narratives for pragmatic ends. By uncovering the respective mechanisms of "dog whistle politics" that include the supporters and exclude the opponents, we can help strengthen resistance to the oppression.

(December 1, 2024)

Notes:

1 bomb attack in Istanbul on November 13, 2022, in which six people died and as a result of which the government imposed a total news blackout and blocked access to social media, especially Twitter. The government accused the PKK and the YPG of being responsible for the attack. The PKK denied the allegations.

2 An alliance of six Kemalist, liberal to conservative parties that originally joined forces for the 2018 presidential and parliamentary elections.

3 Name of the Turkish army's military offensive against Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq following the bombing on November 13, 2022.

4 Human rights organization founded in 2017 that works to defend freedom of the press and freedom of expression. www.mlsaturkey.com/en

Junge Welt (Young World) is a Marxist-oriented daily newspaper with a large number of  artcles that provide background and comprehensive analysis.  It was founded in Berlin in 1947 in the spirit of anti-fascism.  From 1947 - 1989 it was the most widely read paper in the GDR. as the publication of the "Fee Democratic Youth."  After privatization, purchase by a West German media company and subsequent conflicts, it reemerged as a cooperative in 1995 and has been publishing daily since then.