Does the West Want a Democratic Turkey?

For what it is worth, the Western antagonism did nothing but further unite the Turkish people. Today, the people are aware of their power and this has made them stronger than ever; a notion that the West has long taught but little supported.

Democracy and democratic values have long been at the epicenter of international affairs. Universally applied democracy has come to determine not only internal but also international affairs. Despite this, democracy has remained a controversial issue and, not in a few cases, has been used as a tool in the hands of those who claim to be standard bearers of democratic values: the West. On July 15, the Turkish state structure was threatened by a coup attempt, which aimed to overthrow the Turkish government and democracy. Governmental institutions that represent democracy in Turkey such as the Grand National Assembly (TBMM) or media outlets were bombed and innocent civilians who strove to defend their nation were killed. More than 250 men, women and children were killed during the coup attempt organized by the Gülenist Terror Organization (FETO), which eventually failed to achieve its goal. Read more… [Politics Today, July 29, 2016]

#Terror#Europe#Gülen Movement#Turkish Foreign Policy#Fethullah Gülen#Hizmet Movement#Gulen Community#Türkiye's Foreign Policy#Türkiye#Coup Attempt#Gülenist Terror Group#2016#Gülenist Terror Organization#Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)#15 July 2016 Turkish Coup D'état Attempt#Western Media

MUHİTTİN ATAMAN

Prof. Ataman graduated from the Faculty of Political Science in the Department of International Relations at Ankara University. Ataman earned his MA at Central Oklahoma University, and PhD at University of Kentucky between 1996 and 1999. He worked as an RA and a faculty member afterwards in the Department of International Relations at Abant İzzet Baysal University from 1993 until 2014. Ataman is currently a faculty member at the Faculty of Political Science in the Department of International Relations at Social Sciences University of Ankara. Prof. Ataman worked at SETA for three years as a part-time researcher in Foreign Policy Research Department. Currently, he serves as SETA's Director of Foreign Policy Studies and conducts academic research on Turkish foreign policy, the Middle East politics and the Gulf politics. Ataman is also the Editor-in-Chief of Insight Turkey, a journal published by SETA Foundation.

GLORİA SHKURTİ ÖZDEMİR

Dr. Gloria Shkurti Özdemir holds a BA in Political Science and International Relations from Albania. She completed her master's studies at Sakarya University, presenting a thesis titled “A Lethal Weapon that Became the Cure-all for Terrorism: Discursive Construction of the U.S. Dronified Warfare.” Her doctorate was obtained at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, where her research focused on the application of artificial intelligence in the military, specifically examining the U.S.-China rivalry. Her primary research interests revolve around emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, and their implications for international relations, U.S. foreign policy, and drone warfare. Currently, Gloria is a researcher in the Foreign Policy Directorate at the SETA Foundation. Additionally, she serves as the Assistant Editor of Insight Turkey, a journal published by the SETA Foundation.

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