Civil Society in "European Commission 2008 Progress Report on Turkey"

Civil Society in "European Commission 2008 Progress Report on Turkey"

Author(s): Dilek Aydemir / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2009

Civil society has gained a role as an important actor in giving voice to people’s demands and strengthening the social bases of politics at the societal level in Turkey, especially in the last two decades. Moreover, there were considerable intentions to create a civil society that can make positive contributions to political pluralism. During the 2000s, Turkey has paid significant attention to adaption of the acquis accordingly the European Union reports which, we can say, resulted in significant changes in civil society in tandem. However, Turkey’s 2008 Progress Report emphasizes several topics related to civil society which were undermined or remained weak up to now.

Gaza Attacks: The Us, Its Arab Allies, and Turkey

Gaza Attacks: The Us, Its Arab Allies, and Turkey

Author(s): Serpil Açıkalın / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2009

Israel continues its offensives in Gaza that it began on December 27. The death toll reached 770 at the end of thirteenth day, with civilians accounting for one quarter of the deaths. Although many Arab columnists had interpreted the election of Obama as a new era for the region and had high expectations for him, the last events caused pessimism, particularly on the basis of his long silence. In spite of Hamas’ preference for the ground operation against Israel, the number of dead and injured people continues to increase. Apart from the violence in the offensive, another striking situation is the reactions of the other Arab countries and Turkey on the matter.

Determinants of German Foreign Policy toward the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Determinants of German Foreign Policy toward the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Author(s): Mohammad Abo-Kazleh / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2009

Keywords: German foreign policy; Arab-Israeli conflict; historical factor; pragmatism; national framework; European framework

The purpose of this paper is to examine the German foreign policy toward the ِArab-Israeli conflict. It particularly focuses on the driving forces in the making of this policy. It first briefly reviews German interests and priorities in the region which include, economic interests related to safe access to energy sources and boosting German exports to regional markets; security interests related to avoiding risks emerged from the Arab-Israeli conflict, terrorism and the proliferation of the weapons of mass destructions, and preventing any further increase in refugees from the region; and finally political interests which is related to the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, and enhancing stability in other regional areas such as Lebanon. These interests generally represent a pragmatic approach in German foreign policy towards the region. However, and in spite of increasing German interests there, pragmatism is not the driving force behind German Middle East foreign policy. Still, the special relationship with Israel is the guideline in making this policy. The analysis of both pragmatism and the special relationship with Israel as main determinants of German foreign policy toward the Arab-Israeli conflict shows that the interplay of these factors leaves Germany with a dilemma, because they 'do not always push in the same direction.' This in turn affect negatively German political role and influence in the Middle East. Therefore, and in the light of its growing national interests in the region, Germany needs a policy of maintaining economic ties with the Arab countries, and concurrently preserving its special relationship with Israel. If Germany succeeds in striking a balance between its strong commitments to Israel's security, and its acceptance to the Palestinian right of self-determination and interest in boosting economic and trade exchange with Arab countries, then it will be able to play a more active role in the region and may influence the attitudes of parties involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Far-Right in Europe: Abuse of EU Integration

Far-Right in Europe: Abuse of EU Integration

Author(s): Fatma Yılmaz Elmas / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2009

News on the rise of the far-right based on racism and xenophobia in the EU and its member states has recently become a usual agenda. Extreme nationalist speeches and racist posters during provincial elections in Germany, a step for the formation of a new far-right group in the European Parliament, are just some of them. The Ludwinghafen fire, in which nine Turkish people lost their lives in a four-story apartment building in southwest Germany, has become the last point causing an increase in a tense xenophobic environment.

An Analysis of Global Governance: How the State and Non-State Actors Interact in the Turkish Banking Sector?

An Analysis of Global Governance: How the State and Non-State Actors Interact in the Turkish Banking Sector?

Author(s): Ömür Süer,Selcan Serdaroğlu / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2009

Keywords: Global governance – game theory- Turkish banking sector – International Monetary Fund (IMF) – foreign direct investment

The aim of this study is to examine the issue of local and global financial governance through the analysis of the activities of banking sector in an emerging country. The paper explores the impact of foreign bank entry, as required by the structural adjustment suggestions of the IMF on the governance structure of banks in Turkey. The potential consequences of the international regulations’ implementation are analysed by taking into account the strategies of state and non-state actors and by using the game theoretical tools. The current functioning of the financial governance brings both advantages and disadvantages for all of the actors.

Implications of the Danube River Dispute on International Environmental Law

Implications of the Danube River Dispute on International Environmental Law

Author(s): İbrahim Kaya / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2009

Keywords: Gabcikovo-Nagymaros case; River Danube; International Court of Justice; International Environmental Law

International environmental law has emerged recently. Yet, its development is very dynamic. However, there remain controversies surrounding the content and normative value of its principles. The principle of sustainable development is to name only one example. The paper seeks to explore the International Court of Justice’s judgment, on the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros case concerning the implementation of a treaty concluded between Czechoslovakia and Hungary with respect to the utilization of the waters of the River Danube, in order to find out what implications the dispute had on the principles, both on substantive and procedural ones, of international environmental law. The author discusses the judgment and concludes, despite the fact that neither the World Court offered a final settlement nor the parties have found a negotiated solution of the dispute so far, the judgment made a considerable contribution to the further understanding of the principles of international law on the environment.

Amendment in Article 301 and Its Effects on EU-Turkey Relations

Amendment in Article 301 and Its Effects on EU-Turkey Relations

Author(s): Mehmet Özcan / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2009

Article 301 of Turkish Criminal Code was amended as we emphasized in the USAK/ISRO paper prepared by ISRO Centre for EU Studies and dated December 2007: “Turkish Criminal Code (TCC) Article 301 and 301s of the European Union”. Article 301 is the one of the most debatable issues in the EU accession process with its limiting characteristic of freedom of speech. It is known that since the new Criminal Code came into effect in 2005 there has been an increase in the number of the cases sued in the framework of article 301. Since 2002, in the framework of the article 301, there have been 1481 cases and 745 of those resulted in conviction of the accused. An increasing number of cases have made the issue a litmus paper for Turkey-EU relations and the EU officials have begun to put the article on the agenda.

US Presidential Elections and the Moscow-Washington Line

US Presidential Elections and the Moscow-Washington Line

Author(s): Habibe Özdal / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2009

After Obama’s victory in the US presidential elections, the attention turned on the up-coming US policies over the world issues. While all the newspapers were predominantly emphasizing Obama’s victory that was likened to a revolution, Moscow witnessed a very consequential speech of Medvedev. During his first national address since he took over the presidency from Putin, Medvedev pointed out very important issues on both domestic issues and foreign affairs. First of all, Medvedev clearly stated that as a response to the US missile defense deployment, which are to be built in Poland and the Czech Republic, Russia will deploy an Iskander missile system in Kaliningrad, close to Poland’s border, to neutralize the US. This project has come into existence as a response to the US’ plan to place a missile system in Eastern Europe.

Turkey and Agreement with IMF: Neither Compulsory, Nor Adequate

Turkey and Agreement with IMF: Neither Compulsory, Nor Adequate

Author(s): Mustafa Kutlay / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2009

As the financial crisis deepens, governments around the world have started to search for alternative measures to mitigate its effects. As can be remembered, the first comprehensive recovery plan (amounted at 700 billion dollars) came from the United States in October. The U.S. was followed by the European governments, and national recovery plans were declared by the Head of States and Governments of the EU member countries. Accordingly, Gordon Brown’s England declared 500 billion pounds for a recovery plan. Merkel’s Germany put into force approximately 500 billion euro of emergency measures. The French President, who recently declared the “end of Laissez-faire,” created an economic packet amounting to 320 billion euro. In short, the first reaction to the financial crisis in the developed countries was very quick, and the leaders in those countries gave the signal that they would do whatever necessary in order to prevent the bankruptcies to spread over the entire system.

Nonviolent Communication in Political Conflicts

Nonviolent Communications in Political Conflicts

Author(s): Havva Kök / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2009

Keywords: Nonviolent Communication; Human Needs Theory; Political Conflicts

This paper explores aspects of a communication model called Nonviolent Communication1 used in conflict resolution. The basis of this model is empathic connection and the use of four key concepts: observations, feelings, needs, and requests. The paper aims to make contributions to the more general fields of conflict resolution by introducing the premises, skills, and consciousness of Nonviolent Communication. First, the paper defines Human Needs Theory that establishes the basis for the Nonviolent Communication approach. Second, it gives a general description of Nonviolent Communication, its view, practice, and result, and a demonstration that this model can practically and effectively be used in political conflicts. It focuses on two aspects: one is Nonviolent Communication as a basis for a conflict resolution method in political disputes; second are ways in which it might be used to help diminish conflict in political issues. Because this is a new area of study the emphasis here is on establishing a theoretical ground for Nonviolent Communication practitioners who want to use Nonviolent Communication as a conflict resolution method. An indepth examination of the method in practice, along with other research, remains to be done.

TOURISTIC AND COMMERCIAL WEAVING SAMPLES OF RAZGRAT- RADOVSKI (ZINCIRLI KUYUCUK / BULGARIA)

ZİNCİRLİ KUYUCUK’DA TURİSTİK VE TİCARİ DOKUMA ÖRNEKLERİ

Author(s): Mehmet Ali Eroğlu / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 1/2013

Keywords: Medieval Turkish weaving art; hand crafts; flow-painted

Turkish weaving art that is an inevitable source of modern hand crafts created the environments and conditions that helped emerge a number of techniques currently in use. Though the Turkish art that flourished rapidly due to various political, ideological and cultural reasons makes itself clear in all of its branches, the rapid development of medieval Turkish art represents an exceptional and unique case. Thanks to its highly creative approach, advanced aesthetical understanding and craftsmanship skills, works of art produced by Turkish masters constitute the best pages of the history of the world art. Splashed-incised wares among medieval Turkish weaving are apparent in the long-term tradition of production that began in the 9th century and continued until the 14th century. Despite the embellishment that is composed of plain practices such as coating, it is seen that such weaving ware is in high demand among people.

SPLASHED-INCISED WARES IN THE ISLAMIC CERAMIC ART AND IMITATION THEORY

İSLAM SANATINDA AKITMALI-KAZIMALI SERAMİKLER VE TAKLİT TEORİSİ

Author(s): Mezahir Ertuğ Avşar,Lale Avşar / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 1/2013

Keywords: Medieval Islamic ceramic art; Chinese sancai ceramics; flowpainted abrasive embellishment

Islamic ceramic art that is an inevitable source of modern Islamic art created the environments and conditions that helped emerge a number of techniques currently in use. Though the Islamic art that flourished rapidly due to various political, ideological and cultural reasons makes itself clear in all of its branches, the rapid development of medieval Islamic art represents an exceptional and unique case. Thanks to its highly creative approach, advanced aesthetical understanding and craftsmanship skills, works of art produced by Islamic masters constitute the best pages of the history of the world art. The present study focuses on Chinese sancai ceramics of Tang period that is seen as the possible origin of splashed ceramic technique and analyzes the links between the two traditions, and similar and different sides are examined.

PURPOSE OF THE RESTORATION MOSQUE, CURRENT APPLICATIONS, PROBLEMS, PROSPECTS AND SOLUTIONS TO A TRIAL

CAMİ TEZYİNATININ YAPILIŞ AMACI, GÜNÜMÜZDEKİ UYGULAMALARIN SORUNLARI, BEKLENTİLER VE ÇÖZÜM ÖNERİLERİNE İLİŞKİN BİR DENEME

Author(s): Bekir Kabakci / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 1/2013

Keywords: Ornamentation; Art; Calligrapher; Church

Decorative Arts: "Arabic" trappings "is a word derived from the root, equip, decorate, embellish" (Sözen, Tanyeli 2007) have the same meanings. Central Asia is based on the foundations of Turkish decorative arts, the history of the Turks took to the stage to present the first takeover period of time with different issues in society due to the different beliefs and ideas produced decorative elements. By ornamentation, significant mobilization of body and space has been made plain way purified. Artist applied decorations in mosques, and the thrill of God to express his feeling, an atmosphere of spiritual worship in order to ensure a more prosperous temples adorned with abstract embroidery resorted to. Implemented some changes in the supply of decorations from region to region, and although rpm revolutions most significant feature of realism that mimics nature as to avoid violence, abstracted objects to be expressed.

EXHIBITED HAND WOVEN CARPETS AND RUGS IN CRIMEA HANSARAY

KIRIM HANSARAY’DA SERGİLENEN EL DOKUMASI HALI ve KİLİMLER

Author(s): Mehmet Ali Eroğlu,Ahmet Aytaç / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: 1/2013

Keywords: Hand woven; Turkish Art; Rug

EXHIBITED HAND WOVEN CARPETS AND RUGS IN CRIMEA HANSARAY

Thematizing the the history of the German minority in contemporary Croatian literature (on the occasion of the novel Unterstadt by I. Šojat-Kuči)

Tematiziranje povijesti njemačke manjine u suvremenoj hrvatskoj književnosti (u povodu romana Unterstadt I. Šojat-Kuči)

Author(s): Vladimir Geiger / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 12/2012

Nakon svega što se u novijoj povijesti dogodilo, od prisutnosti Nijemaca na europskom jugoistoku i u Hrvatskoj ostale su samo krhotine. Ipak, nedvojbeno je, Nijemci su imali velik utjecaj, napose u panonskome dijelu, u Slavoniji, Srijemu i u Baranji, gdje su bili najbrojniji u Hrvatskoj i gdje su ostavili znatne tragove na svekolike oblike življenja sve do naših dana. Prisutnost Nijemaca u panonskoj Hrvatskoj od početka njihova znatnijeg naseljavanja u 18. stoljeću do njihova “nestanka” sredinom 20. stoljeća umnogome je odredila povijest tog dijela Hrvatske.

Tamás Palosfálvi dissertation n Križevac County medieval nobility

Disertacija Tamása Palosfálvija o srednjovjekovnom plemstvu Križevačke županije

Author(s): Marija Karbić / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 12/2012

Tamás Pálosfalvi, The Noble Elite in the County of Körös (Križevci) 1400-1526, doktorski rad, CEU Budimpešta, 2012, 436 str.

“Books I have read”: Dora Pejačević as an individual reader

"Books I have read" - Dora Pejačević kao čitateljica

Author(s): Dinko Župan / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 12/2012

Keywords: Dora Pejačević; history of reading; individual reading; reading diary; books; literature; philosophy; music; Našice

The composer Dora Pejačević (1885-1923) was born in Budapest, but she grew up in a family palace in Našice where she composed most of her compositions. The most important piece of her compositions is her Symphony in F Sharp Minor for Full Orchestra Op. 41. (1916/7; 1920). The first performance of her Symphony was in Dresden in February 1920, conducted by Edwin Lindner. Dora Pejačević had a great passion for books and reading, so she recorded all the books she was reading in her reading diary - My Book Record. My Book Record was a printed notebook which contains three parts: Books I have read, Books I wish to read and Books worth reading. In this article the author analyses this reading diary, which Dora Pejačević was writing between 1902. and 1921. From perspective of the history of reading the author analyses: what, how much, when, where and how the composer was reading. The author puts the books and the writers from the reading diary in several categories: books according to the language and themes, writers according to their sex and nationality. In the supplement to the article the author gives a transcription of the biggest part of the composer’s reading diary which was named Books I have read.

Sketches of the political work of Gjuro Pilar, member of Parliament from Brod

Crtice o političkom radu brodskoga saborskog zastupnika dr. Gjure Pilara

Author(s): Mato Artuković / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 12/2012

Keywords: Dr. Gjuro Pilar as a politician; elections for the Croatian Parliament 1883; People’s Party; Serb Independent Party; Serb Club; elections in Brod in 1883

This work analyses the political work of Dr. Gjuro Pilar, Member of Croatian Parliament (Sabor) from Brod, elected in 1883 during the fi rst parliamentary elections after the reincorporation of the Military Frontier. Pilar did not show any great political talent and in that domain he was far behind his own achievements as a scientist. Political opponents of the Party of Right acknowledged Pilar’s great scientific reputation and personal honesty, but considered him to be “a veritable child” as far as politics was concerned. In Parliament he signed the “Declaration” of the twelve newly elected Members of Parliament of the Military Frontier disputing the validity and constitutionality of the Hungarian-Croatian Agreement. The result of his eight-month work in the Croatian Parliament were two interpellations in which Pilar’s sensitivity to the everyday problems of common people is visible and a speech in which he emphasized the role of the bureaucracy in elections siding with the governmental candidate, which was the characteristic of all parliamentary elections in Croatia.

“Nobody can help us, unless we help ourselves!” - Healthcare situation and problems of the Czech and Slovak minorities in interwar Yugoslavia (1918-

“Nitko nam ne može pomoći, ako si ne pomognemo sami!” - Zdravstvene (ne)prilike češke i slovačke manjine u međuratnoj Jugoslaviji (1918.-1941.)

Author(s): Vlatka Dugački / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 12/2012

Keywords: Czech and Slovak minorities; healthcare; Kingdom of Serbs; Croats and Slovenes; Kingdom of Yugoslavia

This work takes an interest in the healthcare, hygienic and social problems among the members of the Czech and Slovak minorities based on archival documents stored in the National Archive in Bjelovar, the National Archive in Osijek and the Croatian National Archive in Zagreb, Czech and Slovak minorities’ newspapers, as well as annual reports of the Slovak National Secondary Modern School in Bački Petrovac. The problems that the members of the Czech and Slovak minorities were facing were not different from those that the domicile rural population was exposed to. Underdeveloped economy and backwardness, accompanied with tuberculosis, were affecting everybody the same. Along with chronic and infectious diseases, alcohol was the basic social problem of that period. Against its abuse members of both minorities fought with educational lectures, advices and adverts in the newspapers, as well as with publishing books on the subject in their mother tongue. Wanting the guidelines of the healthcare education to be available to everyone, minority newspapers had sections dedicated to rural economy, households, hygiene, feeding habits and correct upbringing of children, while lectures were accompanied with fi lm projections dealing with healthcare and social problems, by which cinemas in local centres became an important segment in the battle for the health of the population. A major breakthrough was the fact that women were included in the healthcare education. Aside from being educated how to participate in anti-alcohol propaganda, by organizing women’s societies, aside from the education, keeping company and charitable work, their selfconfidence was also made stronger, which represented a considerable social shift. From all of the above, one can conclude that the members of the Czech and Slovak minorities were aware of the educational trends of the day, which they successfully applied in practice.

Land reform enforcement on ecclesiastical estates in the Đakovo deanery 1945-1948

Provedba agrarne reforme na crkvenim posjedima u Đakovačkom dekanatu 1945.-1948.

Author(s): Slađana Josipović Batorek / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 12/2012

Keywords: Catholic Church; land reform; Bishop Antun Akšamović; Đakovo Deanery; People’s Republic of Croatia

This paper gives a review of the process of the enforcement of the Land Reform and Colonisation Law on the parish estates and lands of other ecclesiastical institutions in the Đakovo Deanery. The introductory part of this work presents the legislation at a federal level and later in the Federal Republic of Croatia, i.e. the People’s Republic of Croatia, as well as its principal regulations. The reaction of the Catholic Church to the law was extremely negative because it was extremely severe in relation to ecclesiastical estates and had the tendency to impoverish the Catholic Church and weaken its infl uence on society. Further, the relation of Bishop Antun Akšamović to the communist government is described in brief, as well as his attitude to the Land Reform and Colonisation Law and his mediating role in securing a more favourable position for the Diocese during implementation of the law. The central section of this work describes the implementation of land reform in estates of nine parishes of the Đakovo Deanery, in estates of the diocese and the estate of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in Đakovo. All numerical data are illustrated in tabular form at the end of the work. After the end of World War II the communist government rapidly started to settle property relations and to allocate lands to those cultivating it, to the peasants. For this purpose the Federal Land Reform and Colonisation Law was enacted on August 23, 1945; on November 24 of that same year a corresponding law for the territory of Federal Croatia was passed. Since this law was overly severe to ecclesiastical property and the divestment of land above 10 ha was foreseen by that law, its enforcement further exacerbated the relations between the Catholic Church and the state. During the hard post-war period, when the Catholic Church, like the majority of the population, was left in dire straits, the land reform dealt a heavy blow from which the Church could not recover for a long period of time. All over the country, including the territory of the Đakovo Deanery, the Catholic Church lost most of its high-quality lands, covered by the land reform, lands that had up to that time been the major source of income for the livelihood of the clergy as well as for church institutions and organizations. The main motive for the communist government to pass most of the laws, such as the Land Reform and Colonisation Law, was the assumption that by being deprived of its material basis the Catholic Church would be frustrated in its intention to continue to be the ideological and moral basis of society. With these laws the communist government affected the Church property and deprived the Church of its main sources of income, paying attention neither to the legally acquired assets or the legal peculiarities of the Catholic Church as a religious, educational and charitable institution.