Thursday September 23 2010 / Internationalization
Thirty years after the coup in Turkey
On 12 September 1980 the army seized power in Turkey. While the coup ended a period of social tensions and violence, it also launched a period of political repression. This period still has a tangible legacy, such as the Turkish constitution.
In the past few years many changes have taken place in Turkey: the voice of civil society is growing and there is an increasingly open public debate on formerly taboo topics such as the Kurdish issue, the role of the army and (sexual) diversity. However, does Turkish democracy have sufficient checks and balances at its disposal? Can it secure the interests of the various groups within the political spectrum? Issues on democratization will be discussed, as well as freedom of expression, civil society and the role of the army in Turkey.
With: Baskın Oran (human rights activist and professor of International Relations at the University of Ankara), Esra Arsan (Arsan journalist and teacher at Istanbul's Bilgi University) and Marietje Schaake (European Parliament for D66).
Moderator: Lily Sprangers (Director Turkey Institute).
Organized by: Turkije Instituut in cooperation with Stichting IDI (Internationaal Democratisch Initiatief).
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