During this
semester, my research group covered the attempted Turkey
coup
that occurred on
July 15, 2016. Throughout our blog
posts, we covered a variety of topics, including an explanation of the
coup, how it occurred and who was, and still is, affected. While Turkey has
been plagued with numerous coups over the years, the most recent attempt was
undoubtedly a result of a multitude of complex issues, affected by both
internal and external factors, particularly the discontent with the current regime. While Turkey has been lauded as a model for
democracy and secularism amongst the war-torn Middle East, the most recent coup
has raised a host of question in regards to the fate of Turkey’s democracy,
particularly the right to freedom of speech in light of the government’s
response to the coup. Turkey’s government – including President Erdogan – has
attributed the coup attempt, which involved the attempted takeover of a number
of key state institutions via bombings and occupations, to Fethullah
Gulen, a moderate Muslim
cleric. In a subsequent blog post, we detailed the subsequent backlash and
purge within Turkey of members of the government, press, and academics, on the
basis of alleged affiliation with coup plotters. The current state of
emergency, which was recently extended by Erdogan, grants the government sweeping
powers that enables severe censorship of the media and the unjust
discrimination against Erdogan’s political opponents, including the Kurdish people, a minority group that has long been in contention with the Turkish government.
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| Anti-coup protestors rally in the streets. http://theiranproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Turkey-Coup-650x360.jpg |
In order to
compile a thorough report of the recent happenings post-coup attempt in Turkey,
and the events that led up to the coup, it became apparent that we needed
divide and conquer – certain group members were delegated certain tasks. For
example, half of the group members were charged with finding sources of
information about the attempted coup and researching the events that
potentially prompted the coup. The remaining members were responsible for researching
additional information about the current state of Turkey, keeping up to date
with current events, and editing blog posts. While the recent happenings in
Turkey may initially appear fairly straightforward, upon further research, the
coup attempt only brushes the surface of the complex issues that have been
brewing in Turkey for some time – it would have been difficult to provide a
full scope of the problem without the perspective of multiple group members. It
was especially enlightening to have the perspective of Esther, as she offered
unique insight as a European on the crisis in Turkey and the implications that
it has upon the EU.
Before
completing this assignment, I had little to no knowledge about Turkey and the
current state of affairs. I had a general sense of Turkey’s place in the
European Union and the president; I registered the attempted coup over the summer
with a sense of vague apathy; I mistakenly believed it had minimal impact on
the United States; therefore it was not a matter of immense importance.
However, after research, it became apparent that the effects of the coup have
extended far beyond Turkey’s borders. I was surprised by the allegations of human rights
violations that have been documented since the coup. The state
of emergency grants the government extensive powers to disregard democratic
procedure, and to imprison and fire any officials and academics with suspected
involvement with the coup, an extremely undemocratic action. I didn’t have a
particularly in-depth knowledge of the political climate in Turkey, but I
conceptualized Turkey as a secular, democratic stronghold, a bridge between
Europe and the Middle East. It now seems this title is in jeopardy; President
Erdogan now faces allegations of using the coup as means of ousting and
arresting his political opponents, despite a lack of significant evidence. These
recent events in Turkey undoubtedly have, and will, cause tremors of an
international scale. Working in a group, with multiple diverse opinions,
enabled me to widen my own perspective and understand how not only Turkey was
affected, but how the attempted coup has affected international politics,
especially the effects on the relations with the U.S and Europe. It was helpful
working in a group setting, as my group members brought to my attention this
bit of information that I didn’t come across in my research. I also realized
the importance of delegating and sharing the workload – without my group
members, this project would have assuredly been less thorough and much more
difficult. Should I encounter a similar assignment in my academic future, I’ll
most certainly be equipped to prepare a thorough report.
La Porte, A., Watson, I., & Tuysuz,
G. (2016, July 16). Fethullah Gulen: The man blamed for coup attempt in Turkey. CNN. Retrieved
September 18, 2016, from
The Associated Press. (2016, December
02). UN expert says torture appeared widespread after Turkey coup attempt.
Retrieved December 04, 2016, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/turkey-torture-un-1.3878430
Tuysuz, G., & McLaughlin, E. C.
(2016, July 18). Failed coup in Turkey: What you need to know. Retrieved December
04, 2016 from
Ward, B. (2016, August 03). The
Government Response to Turkey's Coup Is an Affront to Democracy. Human
Rights Watch. Retrieved September 17, 2016, from
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