In recent times, there have been persistent rumors about the potential declaration of a general amnesty on the occasion of the Republic's 100th anniversary. It is speculated that an amnesty law will be enacted, slated to come into effect on October 29, 2023. While there has been no official announcement regarding this matter, numerous civil society organizations and some political parties have been vocally advocating for a general amnesty.In the meantime, the Minister of Justice has recently announced their preparation of a judicial reform strategy document and a human rights action plan.&nbsp;Nevertheless, it remains uncertain whether these initiatives encompass the consideration of amnesty.As a well-known legal institution, general amnesty entails the dismissal of public cases and the removal of criminal convictions along with their associated consequences for the crimes covered by such amnesty, as determined by law. Given that general amnesty may lead to a state of impunity for certain offenses, it is a remedy that should be employed sparingly, reserved for truly exceptional circumstances. Frequent use of amnesties can foster a perception of impunity and potentially serve as an incentive for criminal behavior.The call for amnesty in Turkey has been driven by the significant number of individuals who have faced trials and penalties for offenses classified as political crimes, such as crimes against the state or terrorism-related charges. The alarming reality is that a diverse range of individuals, including politicians, journalists, civil society activists, academics, and those affected by state of emergency decrees, have been subjected to legal proceedings and sanctions based on vague accusations. These accusations often relate to actions that should be protected as the exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms. Consequently, this widespread pattern has generated a prevailing sense of injustice within society.Moreover, numerous international observers have highlighted the unpredictable and expansive interpretation of terrorism legislation in Turkey, often accompanied by vague and arbitrary applications of legal concepts. Notably, esteemed organizations such as the Venice Commission,&nbsp;the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights,&nbsp; and the European Commission&nbsp;have issued repeated warnings regarding the erratic application of criminal legislation, which is deemed inconsistent with the principles outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights.Furthermore, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled on several occasions that certain articles of the Turkish Penal Code, including Articles 125/3,&nbsp;220/6,&nbsp;220/7,&nbsp;299,&nbsp;301,&nbsp;and 314&nbsp; are subject to unpredictable enforcement, resulting in systemic issues that contravene Articles 10 and 11 of the Convention.There is therefore no doubt that unfair sentences have been imposed and that many people have been unjustly deprived of their liberty.However, the critical issue is whether these injustices can be redressed by a general amnesty. The main reason for the unpredictable and broad interpretation of terrorism and criminal legislation is the fact that the judiciary has been placed under the influence of the executive and the ECtHR judgments are not taken into account by the judicial authorities despite the explicit command of the Constitution. Therefore, injustice is caused by the fact that the institutional independence and impartiality of the judiciary is not guaranteed and practices have moved away from the rule of law. Therefore, the real solution is to return to the rule of law and guarantee the impartiality and independence of the judiciary.Nevertheless, it is unrealistic to anticipate an immediate development in the short term. Hence, advocating for an amnesty, particularly on behalf of those who have been unjustly deprived of their liberty, becomes imperative. It is crucial that such an amnesty prioritizes genuine victims.For instance, the government has previously amended execution legislation in both 2020 and the summer of 2023, resulting in the granting of special amnesties to ordinary criminals, leading to the release of hundreds of thousands of individuals. However, what remains deeply troubling is that political prisoners, who are widely regarded as the primary victims, were not encompassed within the scope of these regulatory changes. This raises a serious concern that a new amnesty may once again exclude political prisoners, a prospect that is entirely unacceptable.

The Freedom Observer

Frequent use of amnesties can foster a perception of impunity and potentially serve as an incentive for criminal behavior.

Discussions on General Amnesty

Aposto World

2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquakes

How to join the earthquake relief now

The 7.7 and 7.6-magnitude earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş have become one of the biggest natural disasters in the history of the Republic of Turkey. We, the people of Turkey, stand in solidarity to repair the damage caused by the earthquakes that have affected 10 provinces and more than 13 million people.<h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Kahramanmaraş</h3><ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Kahramanmaraş, a city of 1,15 million inhabitants, suffered significant destruction, especially in Elbistan and Pazarcık, the epicenters of the two earthquakes. Among the damaged areas are Trabzon Street, Azerbaijan Boulevard, and Mufti Square.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">In a statement around noon today, Vice President Fuat Oktay announced that in Kahramanmaraş, 530 people have died, and 2 thousand 900 people have been injured.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">It has been later stated that over 4,060 search-and-rescue personnel have been deployed to the city.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Elbistan-Nurhak and Nurhak-Kapıdere Station-Gölbaşı roads have been closed.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Citizens in Elbistan, the epicenter of the second 7.6-magnitude earthquake, have expressed that the relief efforts have not reached them yet.</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Hatay</h3><ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Hatay, with a population of 1,7 million, is one of the cities heavily affected by the earthquake. It has been announced that many buildings in the city center, including the İskenderun State Hospital annex building, have collapsed, and thousands of people have been trapped under the rubble.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">A fire broke out in the Iskenderun harbor because of a container that was tipped over during the earthquake.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">State hospitals in the districts of İskenderun and Antakya have collapsed.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Nearly 2 thousand buildings collapsed in the city.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">It is reported that the airport in the region has become unusable and people trying to reach the city have been advised to enter via Adana or Gaziantep. It is also reported that part of the Hatay-Reyhanlı road has been destroyed due to the earthquake.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">It has been noted that an emergency response ship has departed from Istanbul to Iskenderun as of 09.30 am today.</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Malatya</h3><ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Located 200 kilometers northeast of Kahramanmaraş with a population of 809,000, the city was severely damaged by the Elazığ earthquake back in 2020.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Malatya is one of the four provinces, along with Hatay, Adıyaman and Kahramanmaraş, where search and rescue efforts have been concentrated most intensely. There is currently 1,912 search-and-rescue personnel in the region.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">More than 500 buildings collapsed in the earthquake, and most of the buildings in the city are in an uninhabitable state.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Electricity has been supplied to the region in a controlled manner, the airport is functioning and flights are taking off from the city to different provinces. Citizens have been staying in areas such as sports halls, cultural centers, and dormitories.</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Adıyaman</h3><ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the city of 632 thousand inhabitants, 162 km from Kahramanmaraş, there is debris in Alitaşı, Yenimahalle, Sümerevler, Yunus Emre, Çarşı and Fatih neighborhoods.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Although it has been reported that there is 1,721 search-and-rescue personnel in Adıyaman, people in the region state that the efforts are not sufficient.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Çelikhan road has been closed and the Balıkburnu bridge on Çelikhan-Sürgü road collapsed.</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Adana</h3><ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the city of Adana with a population of 2,2 million, 11 buildings collapsed. It has been reported that devastation occurred in the Çukurova district and Turgut Özal Boulevard.&nbsp;</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Adana Airport has become a regional base for logistics. Volunteers from Turkey and abroad, as well as planes carrying supplies and search-and-rescue teams, are using the airport to reach the earthquake zones.&nbsp;</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Repair work on the Tarsus-Adana-Gaziantep (TAG) Motorway has been largely completed, and the motorway is currently open to traffic.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">It has been announced that 119 search-and-rescue teams are on duty in the city.</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Şanlıurfa</h3><ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the city with a population of 2.1 million, 201 buildings collapsed, and the destruction in the Halliliye district has been extensive. Search and rescue operations are continuing on İpekyol Street.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Beyazgül said in a statement today that some houses have been destroyed, but there is no significant destruction in rural areas with single-story houses.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Turkish Jockey Club (TJK) has opened the hippodrome in Şanlıurfa to the citizens affected by the earthquake.</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Gaziantep</h3><ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the city of Gaziantep with a population of 2.1 million, Islahiye and Nurdağı districts are the major destruction areas.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">The historical Gaziantep Castle, one of the symbols of the city built on a hill in the city center, has been partially destroyed in the earthquake.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">It is reported that there is a natural gas outage in the city where 1,314 personnel are on duty; therefore, the bakeries cannot operate.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Fractures and rubble occurred on the highways, and the entrances to the city are made through a single open lane.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Mayor Fatma Şahin stated: "80 percent of Islahiye and Nurdağı is paralyzed. More than half of the district is missing right now. This is a complete disaster."</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Diyarbakır</h3><ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">With a population of 1,8 million, Diyarbakır has also suffered great destruction. It has been reported that 21 buildings collapsed in Kayapınar district, Bağlar district, Emek Street, İskan Evleri Street, Yenişehir district, and Elazığ Street.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Temporary shelter areas have been established in the indoor sports halls of 10 schools in Bağlar, Kayapınar and Yenişehir districts, and tents have been set up in Selahattin Eyyubi Square.&nbsp;</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">It has also been stated that there is 562 search-and-rescue personnel in the city, and the efforts are ongoing.</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Osmaniye</h3><ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the city with a population of 557 thousand, 85 buildings collapsed. Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), Turkish Armed Forces, The Gallipoli Peninsula Historical Site Management, Manisa Fire Brigade and Kuşadası Search and Rescue Association (AKUT) are continuing search-and-rescue operations.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Kurum said, "We ask our citizens not to take this road unless they have to and to give priority to our aid teams."</li></ul><h3 dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">Kilis</h3><ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the city with a population of 150 thousand, 13 people have been reported dead. It has been announced that there is no one trapped under the rubble.</li><li dir="ltr" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">A building has been reported to have collapsed in the central district of the city.</li></ul>

Turkey's Greatest Natural Disaster

2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes

On January 24, 1980, the economic reform program prepared by Turgut Özal, then-Undersecretary of the Prime Ministry, and adopted by the Nationalist Front government headed by Süleyman Demirel, was a public announcement of a structural transformation that went down in history as the ‘January 24 Decisions’.Neoliberalism instead of the import-substitution systemThe import-substitution system, which had offered a development strategy to developing countries, particularly in Latin America, since the 1960s, was implemented in Turkey for about 20 years. However, it collapsed after a major currency crisis. Turgut Özal, who wanted to implement in Turkey the neoliberal economic policies pioneered by Ronald Reagan in the US and Margaret Thatcher in the UK in line with the global economic and political system, implemented a radical economic reform package which was prepared in this direction.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/0/1670149773990.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="1.79" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">AAThe new political order and ideological doctrine created by the military coup of September 12, 1980, together with the restructuring of the economy in line with neoliberal reforms, created a new political-economic order that is still valid in 2022. One of the most prominent features of this new system, which has many goals and consequences, such as the systematic contraction of workers' rights, the suppression of trade union activities, the continuous growth of capital at the expense of labour, and the domination of labour, and the reduction of real wages, has been the redefinition of the duties and responsibilities of the state.Since 1980, the state apparatus, which was supposed to serve as a mediator, arbitrator, and bridge between workers and employers, or between the constitution and citizens, has allied with capital in almost every field against workers, citizens, and disadvantaged segments of society, while all institutions and law regulating the economy, politics, and social life have been designed by this job description.Patching instead of reformingIn this period, when we are about to enter the 100th anniversary of the Republic, the opposition parties that want to overthrow the authoritarian AKP government, which has been in power for 20 years, and rebuild a ‘democratic-secular-egalitarian’ Turkey have failed to produce a vision that would radically change the dominant ideology and political-economic order established in 1980, even though they have produced policies to reorganise the economy, politics and social life and prepared a constitutional amendment package for a radical reform, especially the opposition alliance. This blockage is most prominent in economic policies.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/0/1670149810539.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="1.77" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">HabertürkThe policies proposed by the opposition parties to get out of the economic crisis, which has been going on since 2018, but has been dragging the middle and lower classes of society towards the hunger line since last year, do not fundamentally change the system. No reform package would reorganise the distribution of both income and wealth, revive the collapsing welfare state, and act as a mediator/arbitrator between labour and capital rather than siding with capital against labour. The economic reform packages and crisis exit prescriptions proposed by the CHP, İYİP, and DEVA Party do not propose a new economic model, but emphasise the idea that the current system is not working due to the wrong policies of the government and that the system can be put back on track with the right policies proposed by them.For example, Ali Babacan, the leader of the DEVA Party, states that during his ministerial term there was a large inflow of foreign resources into Turkey, but as a result of the authoritarianism of the government and the elimination of the rule of law, the inflow of foreign resources stopped and outflows began. While this proposition is partially true, Babacan's proposals for solutions and reforms for the Turkish economy do not go beyond suggesting that once his party comes to power, capital inflows to Turkey will increase again and per capita income will rise.Likewise, CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu thinks that he can solve Turkey's chronic unemployment problem by ‘appointing a university graduate assistant to every muhtar’ or finding the solution to Turkey's low savings rate or current account deficit problems by attracting foreign investors from London to Turkey.These examples demonstrate that the opposition parties that want to overthrow the AKP government, which has ruled Turkey for 20 years, and build a new Turkey are unable to move even one step away from the dominant political-economic order and ideological domination that was put in place in 1980 and which experienced both its peak and collapse with the AKP. Created 42 years ago, we have repeatedly experienced that it is not possible to make a fundamental reform and create a new political, social and political-economic order with the existing institutions that regulate economic life in Turkey, one of the most advanced countries in the world in terms of income inequality, in a vicious and narrow political arena whose borders have been narrowed day by day during the AKP rule.Lessons to take from the Swedish modelPrevious experience shows how difficult it is to make a fundamental reform, build consensus among social actors, and create a new balance between capital and labour. But there are many examples to show that these are not impossible. In this sense, the political and economic transformations that took place in Sweden from the 1920s to the 1990s, even though the country is socially, politically, geographically, and economically very different from Turkey, will give us an idea of how it is possible to build a new system.The egalitarian and inclusive economic model created in Sweden, which has one of the strongest welfare systems in the world, is based on a long-standing state-capital-labour coalition. The state, which plays the role of mediator/arbitrator between capital and labour, is also the guarantor of the Swedish welfare model.The SDP (Social Democratic Party), which wanted to find a solution to the economic crisis of the late 1920s and to create an economic model targeting full employment, organised public hearings, and forums across the country to ensure that the ideas on which this new model was based were accepted by the society as well as politicians and bureaucrats. In this economic model, which emphasised full employment, strong social welfare mechanisms, and capital incentives; the state, which acted as a mediator between workers and employers, also reformed institutions and created new ones by this economic and political order.The point to highlight here is that, to fix the old system that was in a crisis, first of all, an idea to implement a new system should be put forward, and forums, meetings, and open sessions should be organised to ensure that it is accepted by all components of society, and then the existing institutions should be reformed according to the new order. To carry out a fundamental reform, it is necessary, first of all, to generate the ideas on which a new system is to be built, and for this to be accepted and adopted by society.Another important role of the state was to formalise and protect the informal agreement between workers and employers in the new economic model. In the economic order created with the goal of stable economic growth for employers and full employment for the working class, institutions were structured in line with these objectives. After about 20 years of institutional transformation and establishment of order, by the 1950s, the institutions that created the welfare state model in Sweden were in a stable state of functioning. The Swedish model of social democracy was based on the ideas of full employment, equality, and welfare.‘Without these ideas, the construction of such an institutional order would have been impossible.’ says Prof. Mark Blythe, who has done important work in the field of political economy, about the social democracy implemented in Sweden. Today, we see that the CHP claims to create an ‘equal and just economic order’ by emphasising its social democratic identity. However, the implementation of social democracy in Turkey can only be achieved if the existing institutions and the political and economic system undergo a radical change and the idea of social democracy is embraced by social actors. Therefore, it does not seem possible to change the current economic system based on deep inequalities by making small changes to the existing system or adding new ones to the existing institutions.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/11/0/1670149857879.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="1.79" width="550" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Sverige RadioIn the 1970s, as the working class demanded greater rights and employers saw their profits decline, the social democratic system that had been established in Sweden in the 1930s began to slowly break down. Although major developments in the global economy, particularly the oil crisis, had an impact on the Swedish economy, it was the breakdown of the consensus between workers and employers that started the transformation of the system. While the employers had reached a consensus among themselves to change the existing system, in 1976, a pro-capitalist centre-right coalition came to power by overthrowing the Social Democratic Party. Under normal circumstances, the centre-right coalition was expected to make a radical transformation of the economy, taking into account the demands of the owners of capital.In a political and economic system in which the institutional structure established in the 1930s was functional, the right-wing parties failed to implement the reforms expected of them and faced a strong reaction from the owners of capital. The prime minister of the time is quoted as saying ‘Because we are still bound by the ideas of the working class.’ when asked, ‘Why do we still produce policies in favour of the working class despite having a pro-capitalist government?’. To overcome this intellectual and institutional entrapment, employers pursue long-term policies, creating a new economic model that will produce results in favor of capital through think tanks and sharing it with the public, while at the same time carrying out promotional activities with large advertising budgets so that the ideas of the new model are accepted by both politicians and society. They fund academia in the same way, constantly funding studies on the effects and benefits of neoliberal policies. As a result, both the establishment and the transformation of social democracy in Sweden are only possible if strong ideas about a new economic order are created and accepted by society, politics, and economic actors.Being able to go beyond the current boundariesIn the 2023 general elections, we see that the opposition alliance, which set out with the goal of rebuilding a democratic Turkey, could not go beyond the political and economic boundaries established in the 1980s, which are still dominant today. In an economic order where social income inequality is increasing day by day, the establishment of a system based on social democracy, as the CHP claims, can only be possible by producing a new idea, reaching a consensus between workers, employers, and the state, and reforming the entire institutional structure according to this new consensus.We can say that the same change is valid for the constitutional amendment package. The constitutional amendment package, which was prepared only by reaching a consensus among the party staff, will not be more than a small patch on the existing system unless it reflects a social demand and a social consensus is reached. If we want to redraw the boundaries of politics and build a new economic model based on equality, prosperity, and production, we need to come up with a strong and new idea to build these elements upon.

Spektrum

The only way out of the crisis is to go beyond small packages of improvements and try to change the role of the state.

Political economy, social democracy and the power of ideas

• The&nbsp;EU is working on an emergency intervention and a structural reform of the electricity market, in a bid to try to dampen soaring power prices, <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.ft.com/content/02f848fc-3b80-4ddc-ba4f-26109d79db89" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen</a> said. In accordance, Czech Republic's PM Petr Fiala, the country that currently holds the rotating EU presidency, discussed his price-cap plan with Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz at bilateral talks in Prague. They have also convened an extraordinary meeting of energy ministers on Sept 9.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/1/1661799020055.jpeg" style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="1.79" width="550" alt="Commisioner Ursula von der Leyen" fr-original-style="display: block; float: none; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">via FT<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Context: The spike in power prices, which have soared almost 10-fold in the past year, has fueled inflation and dramatically increased the economic burden on businesses and households recovering from the pandemic.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">In other news: Belgium's Energy Minister has also called for an <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.euronews.com/2022/08/29/eu-faces-several-terrible-winters-without-price-cap-minister" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">EU-wide price cap on gas</a>, adding a warning that the bloc will endure several "terrible" winters without controls on natural gas prices.</li></ul>

Studies on circular economy are mostly conducted in different industries around the world. Research in academia or the business world focuses on the textile, food, and electronics. One of the main reasons for this is the current structure of sectors such as construction and healthcare, which cannot easily move away from traditional ways of doing business and have a more "cumbersome" structure compared to other sectors.Although the transition of sectors with traditional processes to circular economy will not be as fast as expected, transformation is becoming a legal obligation, especially for the cement, aluminum, fertilizer, electricity, iron and steel sectors, which are on the agenda with the European Green Deal. So, can Organized Industrial Zones (OIZs), where companies operating in these sectors are located, contribute to the circular transformation of these sectors?Our discussion this week includes the steps that Organized Industrial Zones, which have the potential to facilitate the transformation process of different sectors in the transition to a circular economy and support the formation of industrial symbiosis, can follow.<h3 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">What is an Organized Industrial Zone (OIZ)?</h3>Republic Of Turkey The Ministry of Industry and Technology defines OIZs as follows:<blockquote fr-original-style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); border-color: rgb(92, 142, 77); border-width: 4px; font-style: italic; padding-left: 10px;" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); border-color: rgb(92, 142, 77); border-width: 4px; font-style: italic; padding-left: 10px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; border-left-style: solid; box-sizing: border-box;">“The good and service production zones, which are formed by allocating the land parcels, the borders of which are approved, for the industry in a planned manner and within the framework of certain systems by equipping such parcels with the necessary administrative, social, and technical infrastructure areas and repair, trade, education, and health areas as well as technology development regions within the ratios included in zoning plans and which are operated in compliance with the provisions of the Law no 4562 in order to ensure that the industry gets structured in approved areas, to prevent unplanned industrialization and environmental problems, to guide urbanization, to utilize resources rationally, to benefit from information and informatics technologies, and to ensure that the types of industries are placed and developed within the framework of a certain plan.”</blockquote>Although the definition of OIZs includes the orderly conduct of industry-oriented activities, there is another remarkable point. Technology Development Zones (TDZs) are mostly located within universities and OIZs. We also see that many TDZs in Turkey are working to increase university-industry cooperation.In this context, OIZs are not only areas where industry-oriented activities are organized, but also where technological development is carried out.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/7/3/1661339203187.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" width="550" ratio="1.78" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"><a fr-original-style="" href="//unsplash.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">unsplash.com</a><hr fr-original-style="" style="height: 0px; overflow: visible; border-bottom: none; clear: both; user-select: none; break-after: page; box-sizing: border-box;"><h3 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">🔎 Key Strategies</h3>According to a <a fr-original-style="" href="https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/486571617995781752/circular-economy-in-industrial-parks-technologies-for-competitiveness?utm_source=aposto" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">report published by the World Bank in 2021,</a> OIZs have the potential to not only reduce the environmental impact of industry-oriented activities, but also to be a pioneer of economic growth, especially by adopting the term "green transformation", which has become more popular recently.The process of transition to circular economy should be carried out completely differently for the sectors in OIZs. The main reason for this is, of course, the necessity for each sector to carry out a total systematic transformation within the framework of its own dynamics. In this context, it may be quite difficult for OIZs to take specific steps for the sectors they include. However, OIZs can facilitate the transformation process within each sector by providing infrastructure and technical support to the companies operating within them.Let's take a look at the strategic steps that are critical for unlocking this potential and the development of both industry and technology with the circular transformation strategies to be implemented in OIZs:➡️ Often the first and most important environmental impact of industrial zones is related to the use of energy resources.&nbsp;Today, the energy resources required for manufacturing are mostly provided by fossil fuels. Carbon emissions from fossil fuels are one of the main causes of climate change. From this point of view, it is the most critical step for decarbonization that OIZs provide the companies operating within them with the opportunity to use renewable energy sources.➡️ Another step that is closely linked to the use of renewable energy sources is the inclusion of common infrastructure systems in OIZs that will allow efficient use of resources and, if possible, reuse them&nbsp;in different ways. For example, infrastructure works such as the establishment of common steam networks or carbon dioxide (CO2) recovery facilities or increasing the possibilities of biofuel use can be considered.➡️ In order to ensure that resources remain in the cycle, which is the first principle of the circular economy, enabling companies to share every resource they use with other companies in different ways, especially with the network systems to be created within the OIZ, can be considered as the third step. For example, a food company's waste generated as a result of its manufacturing processes could be utilized by another company producing biofuels to encourage upcycling, which is the most important principle of circular economy. Although it is not preferred, in the same example, the use of food waste can also be considered as animal feed in this step. Although it is a practice that reduces the value of the resource, this industrial symbiosis that can be established within the OIZ is critical in terms of keeping the resources within the cycle.➡️ Another critical strategy, perhaps the first to be considered, is for companies in OIZs to understand circular economy principles and adopt circular business models. Technical and theoretical support for companies to redesign their products and services according to circular economy principles will be critical for accelerating sectoral transformation, especially in preventing waste generation. In this context, although a simple "circular economy principles" training comes to mind, it may be of critical importance that companies get technical support that is not limited to these theoretical trainings, especially considering the lack of awareness.➡️ Although recycling is the last resort in circular economy, it is an extremely important step for closing the gap,&nbsp;especially in industrial zones. For this reason, it is necessary to ensure that recycling and sorting facilities that companies operating in OIZs can directly benefit from are active in these regions in order to close the loops. Of course, the most important point here is that these recycling facilities should not be the first choice. We can say that following the principles of circular economy and especially technical cycles, which are critical for the industry, and transferring waste to recycling and sorting facilities as the last choice is perhaps the most important strategic step for the correct execution of circular transformation.➡️ Finally, supporting the companies operating in OIZs to implement innovative circular business models&nbsp;in order to manage energy, water and waste processes correctly are among the critical strategic steps. Another important part of this step is to support companies in their digitalization processes by accelerating the transformation of traditional ways of doing business. Digitalization is not only a transition to modern industry, but also allows resources and raw materials to be managed much more effectively with data science. For this reason, OIZs should support the companies they host in the circular transformation process in digitalization as well as support their transition to innovative business models.Looking at the strategic steps we have shared above, it is possible to see the duties and responsibilities of not only manufacturers or consumers in circular transformation, but also stakeholders such as OIZs that can contribute to circular transformation through both infrastructure and regulatory changes. These duties and responsibilities can not only reduce environmental impact but also ensure the continuity of economic growth.🔎&nbsp;Circular Economy 101’s take: Just as we, as consumers, cannot become circular individuals on our own with the basic circular consumer behaviors we practice in our own homes, manufacturers, legislators and, as we have seen in this article, OIZs cannot act in accordance with the circular economy on their own. The circular economy is a system of thinking and doing business that requires the highest level of cooperation and assigns important tasks and responsibilities to all stakeholders. The only thing that needs to be done is for each stakeholder to analyze and understand their own duties and responsibilities correctly and start implementing them in the most accurate way.

Which steps should OIZs take in terms of resources and bussiness models?

How can we transform organized industrial zones?

<a fr-original-style="" href="https://twitter.com/OzlemGurses" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Özlem Gürses</a>We are tired.Tired of news, tired of politics, tired of polarization, tired of hardship, tired of unemployment, tired of polemics.Last week was Eid. But there was no Eid atmosphere, no eagerness to celebrate Eid.There are no "niceties" left in anyone's life.The easy rich are in the depths of unconscious ostentation, and the poor are already in the bondage of mediocrity.There is rudeness, nobility, and anger.*****Yet, for the last 20 years, &nbsp;the government has been "winning" the elections with more and more votes.It's a government, in the words of the President, is "moving from apprenticeship to mastery."A government that has increased its power in every election, leaving no corner unturned.It's the longest uninterrupted run in the history of the Republic.And we have ended up as the third unhappiest and second angriest country in the world.Hundreds of thousands of young people have emigrated. Desperate parents long for their children.Women, doctors, and lawyers are murdered every day.Young people who are detained and pushed and shoved on the streets for the "crime" of being like them, expressing their thoughts...And the boatman fights we witness every evening on the screens in the name of "journalism," the endless political heroism, the ambushes, traps, and disgraces we wake up to every morning.*****Until recently, the "party of winners" had convinced its voters that "they had won too."Both our aunt sorting beans on the sofa bed and our uncle with an unemployed grandson were excited by the politics of work, unprecedented prosperity, Greater Turkey, and decisions from the heavens.Now it is slowly but surely becoming clear that while the AKP and a small group of others have consistently won, Turkey has lost irreparably...We have a country that has lost justice, fraternity, the middle class, a value system that prioritizes achievement through hard work, creative and free-thinking, women, youth, nature, and joy.A country of losers by winning.*****Unfortunately, the country was caught in one of the most shocking epochal turns in the world with such a cadre.It's a political mind that is far from trying to understand the new world and the younger generations and envisions "winning" as just getting out of the ballot box.Over the past 40 years, Turkey has added deep wounds on top of the problems it could not solve, which will not be easy to heal.Politics has turned into a deadlock that does not produce solutions to problems; on the contrary, it creates new crises every morning."Democracy," one of the greatest inventions of humankind, is bleeding under wild capitalism and populist rhetoric...But how do we "get out" of here?*****In Italy, Generation Z was asked, "Are parliaments or political parties indispensable for the survival of democracy?"Young people say to parliament: "We can do without political parties, and we will find a way to elect our representatives."This point of view, which is defined as "apolitical" in our lands and it's often underestimated, is a conscious choice and describes an "antipolitical," that is an anti-political political system.We can also call it the "solve the problems, brother" system.And at this point, "swing voters," the largest voter group in the country, cannot find a solution in any political party.*****We are tiredFor my part, I am tired of both power and opposition.I am waiting to see when the period that has locked politics in this quibble game will end.When will we, like adults, openly and face-to-face discuss our real problems and sincerely seek solutions?When will it be valuable not to be in power or to be in opposition, but to be able to sit around a table thinking not only the same but also very differently?When will we learn to win not by winning but by giving up?*****P.S. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Aposto, whom I follow with pleasure and curiosity, for this creative and innovative idea. I wish you all a happy and peaceful Eid.

     

 Losers by winning

<a fr-original-style="" href="https://twitter.com/Nesrinnas" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">Dr. Nesrin Nas</a>The government's economic policy, which focuses on growth rather than inflation, creates "the severity of uncertainty" and increases despair.The first six months of 2022 were the most rapidly increasing period of inflation in the 99-year history of the Republic, excluding the years of the Second World War. When I started this article, Turkey's CDS premium was around 900. And the markets were anxiously awaiting the FED's decision.Finally, the FED raised interest rates by 75 basis points to prevent 8.6% annual inflation from becoming sticky, with foresight that the world's war and supply constraints were permanent.Unlike the FED, we hold on to keep the negative real interest rate at minus 56% with our reserves of minus 53 billion dollars and 73% CPI inflation, arguing that the risks are temporary. Moreover, we do not have another magical tool in our saddlebags like currency hedged deposits (FX hedged deposits), which kept the exchange rate below 18 liras for a while, albeit for a short time. The lack of excitement over the recently announced income-indexed bond is proof of this. In addition, there is very little individual demand for foreign currency anymore. Because the demand for foreign exchange comes from the forced import channel, the diagnosis is wrong.Moreover, in Turkey, where 72% of total deposits are held in foreign currency, including KKM (currency hedged deposits), and where 72-74% of the energy and commodities and 11-12% of capital goods required for production have to be imported, the President says that interest rates will cut further.<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">The government's priority is growth, not inflation</h2>With a growth rate of 7.3% in the first quarter of 2022, the economy shrank by 4.3% in dollar terms. Minister Nebati says, "We chose growth, not inflation," while the President, the head of the legislature, the executive, and even the judiciary, says things are going well despite some problems.The President has put those who say things are not going well in their place and warned the President of TÜSİAD (Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association) with the following harsh words:"We are growing poorer...we should not continue with an approach that contradicts the science of economics," also prioritizes the turning of the wheels. But the wheels are finding it increasingly difficult to turn. Because the foreign currency to lubricate the wheels is about to run out.To get a realistic idea of the economic outlook, one should look at quarter-on-quarter growth, not annual growth. The growth rate from the last year's last quarter to the first quarter of this year was only 1.2%, and the growth rate from the third quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter was 1.5%.Meanwhile, the two most important cogs of growth are close to stalling; private consumption and exports fell by 2.8% and 3.2%, respectively. Unfortunately, we are in a much worse place than six months ago.We have spent 157 billion liras so far on the RCC. Worst of all, inflation is almost four times higher than in November 2021 and 2.5 times higher than in December. Meanwhile, producer prices increased by 8.76% month-on-month. The annual increase is 132.16%.Consequently, poverty is on the rise. According to Ipsos Research, 84% of the population in the country is just trying to survive. According to the United Nations, 14.8 million people in Turkey are starving.<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">The hybrid system is the turning point</h2>2018 is a turning point for us. That year, with the transition to a hybrid system, called the Presidential government system, which rejects political responsibility, public accountability, and transparency, and puts all power and authority in the hands of a single person, everything started to break down. So total collapse accelerated.The legal and economic institutional infrastructure, which had been badly damaged until then, was largely destroyed. The Central Bank and TurkStat were severely damaged. Yet the reputation and credibility of these two institutions are vital. It's led to a currency-inflation spiral. One-quarter of inflation comes from abroad and three-quarters from the exchange rates level we have distorted at home.Undoubtedly, the government is trying to prove not only the "interest rate is the cause and inflation is the consequence" thesis, but also the "impossible trinity" hypothesis in the economy. As a result, the interest burden, which will be passed on to future years and generations, increases without increasing the debt stock due to inflation. The foreign trade deficit and the current account deficit are growing.Worse: The likelihood that this journey to the heights of irrationality will end in either an exchange rate shock, an interest rate shock, a balance of payments problem, or all three simultaneously has increased dramatically.<h2 fr-original-style="" style="margin: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-weight: 500; padding: 0px; box-sizing: border-box;">The real survival problem</h2>In short, no one can even predict what look like tomorrow might. It is a form of violence. We call it the violence of uncertainty. Bekir Ağırdır puts it this way:<blockquote fr-original-style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); border-color: rgb(37, 44, 60); border-width: 4px; font-style: italic; padding-left: 10px;" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); border-color: rgb(37, 44, 60); border-width: 4px; font-style: italic; padding-left: 10px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; border-left-style: solid; box-sizing: border-box;">In Turkey, uncertainty is one of the most visible elements you can feel on the street, at work, and at home. It has become a hegemonic feeling. And you see tens of millions of people oppressed under this feeling.</blockquote>In a country where 20 million voters under the age of 30, the so-called "home youth," try to live on pocket money from their families, this preferred policy and approach is tearing them away not only from the future but also from the country. And the single decision-maker points to February and March 2023 as the brightest days, ignoring impoverishment, inflation, and the need for economic and political reform.For young people, this is the clearest violence of uncertainty. It destroys their hopes and confidence not only in the future but also in their country. It is the actual survival problem. The main priority of politics should be to eliminate this violence and create a predictable and secure future for everyone. It is the only way to mend the broken hearts of young people and restore their trust.

             

Severity of uncertainty

• <a fr-original-style="" href="https://apnews.com/article/boris-johnson-ireland-brexit-northern-d691e9e9a0a1c5c3ef71a98a07334ba9" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">British PM Boris Johnson renewed UK's threats</a> to break a Brexit agreement with the European Union, namely the Northern Ireland (NI) protocol, if the EU doesn’t agree to overhaul the post-Brexit trade rules. Johnson blamed the political crisis that has been obstructing NI from forming a new government.<img src="https://images.aposto.com/2022/4/1/1652731697978.jpeg" style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px; border-style: none; position: relative; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box;" ratio="1.79" width="550" alt="Northern Ireland protocol" fr-original-style="display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; max-width: 550px;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">Phil Noble/File Photo<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Behind the scenes: After the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein won the most seats in a new Assembly election this month, Democratic Unionist Party refused to form a government, let alone the assembly to sit, until the UK scrapped the NI protocol. Johnson urged the leaders of both political parties to get back to work and "focus on everyday issues." While the DUP wants the Protocol scrapped, most other parties in Northern Ireland want to keep it.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">The backstory: The protocol that came into effect in 2021 allowed Northern Ireland to access the EU single market and was designed to avoid the need for customs checks between NI and the Republic of Ireland following Brexit. However, it subjected the goods moving into NI from Britain to customs checks if they have the chance of being later moved into the EU. British officials criticized the protocol for effectively creating a sea border between NI and the rest of the UK, one that causes major harm to businesses in NI.</li></ul>

• <a fr-original-style="" href="https://amp.ft.com/content/d8949f4b-e8c9-4548-9244-123496127611" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: rgb(9, 9, 9); text-decoration: none; background-color: transparent; outline: none; cursor: pointer; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: auto; box-sizing: border-box;" target="_blank">UK equity crowdfunding platform Seedrs</a> has been bought by the US startup investing platform Republic in a $100 million (€88mn) deal. The acquisition came after a merger between Seedrs and rival Crowdcube was blocked by the UK antitrust authority (CMA) on the grounds that they were “the only two sizeable suppliers of equity crowdfunding to start-ups in the UK.”<ul fr-original-style="padding-inline-start: 20px;" style="padding-inline-start: 20px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1em; list-style-position: inside; box-sizing: border-box;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Backstage: Seedrs co-founder Jeff Lynn criticized the CMA for holding back the Crowdcube deal, saying that a merger was the only realistic option. Seedrs has provided £1.5 billion (€1,76bn) of seed funding to startups via its platform to date.</li></ul>

Republic ile ilgili hikayeler