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DESCRIPTION:Whither Turkey?\nStruggles, Setbacks, Possibilities \n\nA Forum \n\nMarch 4 
 (Wednesday) 2020 7:00 - 9:00 PM\n102 Wurster Hall\nUC Berkeley\n\nTurkey 
 has recently been in the news with its increasingly authoritarian 
 government, its role of hosting nearly four million war refugees from 
 Syria, its collapsing economy, and its ambitious military interventions in 
 Syria and Libya. \n\nThe poster child of the marriage of “liberal 
 democracy” and conserva- tive Islam less than a decade ago, the country 
 is now laden with severe social tensions and impending disasters (possibly 
 including a genocidal attempt against the Kurds).\n\nAt the crossroads of 
 the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, Turkey has major impacts and is 
 impacted by the current major social upheavals in three regions. 
 Understanding this country is there- fore a major key in understanding 
 global developments.\n\nJoin us for a panel of speakers with their unique 
 points of view and insights into the history of Turkey to understand how 
 the country came to the brink of social collapse and to discuss the 
 possibilities for a more egalitarian future.\n\nSpeakers\n\nProfessor Cihan 
 Tuğal (moderator): America and Turkey as “Pioneer Nations”: Leaders of 
 Extermi- nation and Populist Revolution in World History; Professor of 
 Sociology at UC Berkeley; author of numerous books and articles about 
 religious conservatism, Islamic politics, and social movements and unrests 
 in the MENA region and the US.\n\nHalil İbrahim Yenigün, PhD: Whatever 
 Happened to Turkey’s “Model Muslim Democracy”: The Barren Marriage of 
 Islam and Liberalism in Turkey and the Arab World; Lecturer of History at 
 Stanford University and UC Berkeley; author of numerous articles about 
 Islamic liberalism and Ottoman history; member of the Academics for Peace 
 Platform.\n\nMehmet Bayram: Cross-Atlantic Fascism? The Rise of 
 Erdoğan’s One-Man Rule in Historical and Global Context ; Journalist, 
 videographer and photographer for labor channels; has given reports on 
 Venezuela, Turkey, Kurdistan, and People’s Republic of Korea.\n\nDeellan 
 S. K. Khanaka: Chaw Hawar: The Kurdish People’s Quest and Struggle for 
 Dignity Activist of numerous social justice and Kurdish organizations; 
 independent researcher.\n\nAli Coşkun: Imperial Grandeur on Rotten 
 Grounds: The Expansionist Ambitions and Anti-Labor Policies of the AKP; 
 Student and independent researcher; activist for various labor and 
 immigrant rights platforms in Turkey and the US.\n\nFor more information: 
 contactberkturkey(at)gmail.com\n\nSponsored by UCB Sociology 
 Department\n\nA frontal attack on journalism is underway in 
 Turkey\nhttps://sendika63.org/2020/01/a-frontal-attack-on-journalism-is-underway-in-turkey-575209/?fbclid=IwAR3doCc4I7ZfP7H4REsPhW3Srbos_yyLRX9JvHgKr8u9HZLgouP291nsco4\n25 
 Ocak 2020 01:58 \nJournalists from Evrensel were surprised, when they 
 inquired about their press passes, to find out that they no longer had any 
 press credentials. Their press cards had been cancelled by the 
 government\n\nA frontal attack on journalism is underway in Turkey\n\nThere 
 are only a few opposition papers and media left in Turkey. This is the 
 result of a well-planned, top-down assault of the government to silence all 
 opposition.\n\nMedia organizations and papers that try to keep their 
 independence from government are struggling under harsh measures that keep 
 mounting each day in Turkey.\n\nPapers like Evrensel, Birgün, Cumhuriyet, 
 Sözcü, or Yeni Yaşam and others are keeping their heads above the water 
 only by sacrificing a lot and mostly by loyal reader support. In a land 
 where the entire mainstream has been forced to toe the government line and 
 have become government mouth-pieces, the remaining few independent media 
 have become the only source of real information.\n\nIn a coordinated move, 
 even the mainstream papers that occasionally published soft criticisms of 
 the government were attacked. Using the weapon of “tax audits” and 
 financial measures some papers were disciplined then sold to pro-government 
 businessmen. From that point on the mildest of criticisms of the government 
 ceased in the mainstream.\n\nIt was already the norm in the east where 
 any/all opposition media was banned.  Raids to newspaper stands, 
 distribution centers, the trucks who transported the papers took a toll. 
 Having an opposition paper in possession, albeit being completely legal, 
 became a crime that could land someone behind bars for years. A legal 
 publication is being treated as proof, especially in the east where the 
 population is mostly Kurdish, of one’s involvement in separationist 
 terrorism. Due to this intimidation, many people avoid buying dissident 
 papers resulting in reduced sales which triggers yet another reason for the 
 distributors or stands not to carry the papers. It is a downward spiral for 
 and independent media.\n\nBuying off and blackmailing the mainstream was 
 easy. The real opposition on the other hand had to be dealt differently. 
 Government watchdogs started scanning the internet. The government agency 
 in charge of ensuring “moral and decent” publications turned their 
 focus on opposition. The sites that reported on corruption and absurdities 
 of the government or its allies were cut from access one by one.\n\nThen 
 came the inside jobs. If the opposition papers were too harsh, and did not 
 budge after regular intimidations, internal contradictions were used.  
 Administrative tricks and external support to those closer to the 
 government or its ideology came into play to change the boards of some 
 papers that resulted in turn to changing the paper’s policies and 
 guidelines.\n\nIf this wasn’t enough to silence the opposition, recently 
 came a decision by the government that the paid government announcements 
 and advertising would not be given to the opposition papers. This is as 
 good as a death sentence to papers that stay alive on reader subscriptions, 
 sales and paid government announcements alone. These papers do not get much 
 private advertising because of their political position of being against 
 corruption, capitalism and privatization of social services. The government 
 announcements may be the only substantial income in the face of falling 
 sales, official banning and intimidations.\n\nPaid government ads and 
 announcements, while starving the opposition, has become the source of 
 corruption on how the government launders money to allies. Newspapers 
 spewing out ruling AKP party propaganda but selling hardly a hundred or two 
 copies are gifted with huge government bank advertising and paid 
 announcements. These papers are nearly always owned by business people who 
 also have other contracts and relationships to AKP officials. The 
 government provided funds to the allied media are shared among both givers 
 and receivers. The important part is that when these “newspapers” that 
 only exist to praise the government and gobble up the majority of the 
 government funds, the rest are starved and left to die.\n\nJust when 
 everyone thought the government in Turkey hit rock bottom in its assault 
 against the opposition in known methods, a new preventive measure was 
 revealed yesterday. Journalists from Evrensel were surprised, when they 
 inquired about their press passes, to find out that they no longer had any 
 press credentials. Their press cards had been cancelled by the 
 government.\n\nThis actually should not come as a surprise since the whole 
 plan was in effect when the agency that gives the press credentials was 
 moved to function under the Presidential Communications Administration.  
 Since then all new applications for press credentials had been effectively 
 frozen.\n\nThen it came out that the cancellation of press credentials was 
 not limited to the Evrensel newspaper. Other opposition papers, Cumhuriyet 
 and Birgün were also facing the same issue. Journalists working for these 
 papers no longer had a press id.\n\nThe attack against the journalists was 
 even bigger than originally thought. It wasn’t only those reporters out 
 on the street, but administrators, page designers, editors, redactors, and 
 even those working for the journalists’ unions had had their cards 
 cancelled.\n\nThe journalists are inquiring about the reason for the 
 revocation of their cards, however, the government refuses to answer. 
 Questions have been completely ignored with no acknowledgment, explanation, 
 owning, refusing, denying or announcing the decision by the 
 government.\n\nThe journalist union Basın-İş which is a part of the 
 labor confederation DİSK, published a condemnation of this method of 
 silencing dissent in the media.  In a tweet, the union said, “We are 
 reminding again. The press card given by the government is not a license of 
 journalism.” The union is advocating the formation of a joint commission 
 by the press organizations to administer and give press 
 credentials.\n\nSendika.Org News\n\nEducation unions join in solidarity 
 with Turkish 
 teachers\nhttps://ei-ie.org/en/detail/16178/education-unions-join-in-solidarity-with-turkish-teachers\n\nText 
 by: Education International  Published: 06.03.2019 Last edited:  
 27.03.2019\nTopics in this post:democracyHuman and Trade Union RightsHuman 
 Rightstrade union rightsTurkey\nEducation trade unionists from around the 
 world meet in Ankara on 6 and 7 March for the “Education Trade Unions, 
 Rights, Freedoms and Governments International Symposium”, in solidarity 
 with embattled Turkish education unionists struggling for the respect of 
 their rights, their profession and for education as a whole.\n\nEducation 
 International (EI) General Secretary David Edwards, in opening remarks to 
 the symposium, organised by EI member organisation Eğitim Sen, recalled 
 that “last year EI celebrated its anniversary. We looked at the many 
 changes that took place in that quarter century; progress and setbacks.” 
 He regretted that “one thing that has not changed, unfortunately, is the 
 danger and threats to teacher trade unionists and their leaders in 
 Turkey.”\n\nEğitim Sen and its global union, EI, have a “long joint 
 history”. He mentioned issues of the right to organise and bargain, the 
 fight to teach and learn in one’s mother tongue, overcoming the attempted 
 ban on the union, imprisonment of teacher leaders without due process, mass 
 dismissal of teachers and other workers in the public services following 
 the failed coup d’état, ongoing, interminable trials, attacks on 
 academic freedom and attempts to transform education into 
 indoctrination.\n\nOngoing dangers and challenges\n\nEdwards suggested that 
 among the lessons to be learned from our common experience in Turkey 
 are:\n\n“Democracy is fragile. It must be fought for every day;\n“All 
 human rights are linked, and repressive governments are not likely to pick 
 one out of the pack for abuse and leave the others intact, at least not for 
 long;\n“Fighting for rights and justice means that you are never alone; 
 and\n“Trade unionists and their leaders with courage, determination, and 
 solidarity may be defeated, but they will never be destroyed.”\nDemocracy 
 needs trade unions\n\nEdwards stressed that the fight for trade union 
 freedom in Turkey is part of larger picture; a global battle for human 
 rights and democracy, saying, “although workers struggle to form trade 
 unions in very undemocratic situations, for them to thrive, there needs to 
 be the oxygen of democracy. That is one of the reasons that the existence 
 of democracy is so fundamental to our own existence. Businesses prospered 
 in Pinochet’s Chile and are doing quite well today in China and Saudi 
 Arabia. But, trade unions only prosper in freedom.”\n\nEmphasising that 
 “just as trade unions need democracy, democracy needs trade unions,” he 
 also said that “it is not an accident that autocratic governments fear 
 trade unions. Even in repressive systems, independent unions are islands of 
 democracy and, as such, provide hope. Hope is the enemy of 
 tyrants.”\n\nTo have hope, one must have vision; for trade unions, it is 
 a vision of freedom, social justice, and peace, Edwards affirmed that, 
 “being here today and witnessing your courage and commitment and 
 solidarity comforts and reaffirms both that vision and that hope. Together 
 education trade unionists are a tough, resilient bunch. And, they hold a 
 lever to move the world”.\n\nIn her remarks to the symposium, Susan 
 Flocken, Director of the EI European Region, the European Trade Union 
 Committee for Education (ETUCE), said, “Freedom of expression, the right 
 to organise and to bargain collectively along with fundamental human 
 rights, including women’s rights, are not a reality for many of our 
 colleagues in Turkey”.\n\nShe added that “through our participation in 
 the symposium, we express our solidarity with our colleagues, teachers and 
 unionists, who remain victims of a repressive regime and of the derailing 
 of education policy in the country.”\n\nFlocken observed that, “It is 
 clear from this symposium that you continue your high commitment to trade 
 union values and quality education and the future of Turkey. Being here 
 with you today and the visit to the EU delegation later is a sign that we 
 deliver concrete actions together.\n\nAn EI delegation asked for a meeting 
 with Turkey’s Minister of National Education, Prof. Ziya Selçuk to 
 discuss trade union and education issues. There was no response to the 
 request for dialogue from the Government of Turkey.\n\nThe purpose of the 
 symposium\n\nThe international symposium organised by Eğitim Sen features 
 discussions of Turkish trade unionists with their colleagues from Europe 
 and other regions. Sessions cover trade union rights violations, including 
 country cases, the role of unions on education policy and their relations 
 with governments, issues of academic freedom and the roles of trade unions 
 and governments, and furthering gender equality through trade union action 
 and education policy.\n\nIn the opening session, Eğitim Sen General 
 Secretary Velat Kara set the stage for the discussions by describing the 
 overall trade union situation in Turkey. He said that conditions, “are 
 still very serious and the pressure on our trade union is still going 
 on.” .\n\nHe informed the gathering that “more than 1,600 of our 
 members were dismissed by law decrees and are still waiting to get their 
 jobs back. A commission was formed after the state of emergency for dealing 
 with the applications of those dismissed for legal remedy. The process 
 takes too long and it seems that our members have to wait for a very long 
 time for a real remedy. International solidarity is crucial for us and our 
 members.”\n\nThe symposium is part of the ongoing struggle to defend the 
 rights of teachers to have free, independent unions and the collective 
 power to protect freedom and basic human dignity. It deepens the 
 international understanding and unity in defence of common trade union 
 values.\n\nMembers of the international delegation present at the symposium 
 to show support for Turkish colleagues are, among others: DAÜ-SEN, KTOEOS 
 and KTÖS/Cyprus, FNEC FP-FO, SNES-FSU and SNESUP-FSU/France, GEW/Germany, 
 DOE and OLME/Greece, NASUWT and UCU/UK, and NEA/USA.\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/27/18831106.php
SUMMARY:Canceled:  Whither Turkey? Struggles, Setbacks, Possibilities A Forum
LOCATION:102 Wurster Hall\nUC Berkeley
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/27/18831106.php
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