Turkey’s political landscape has been shaken by developments at home and in the region over the last six months. The government’s negotiations over the Kurdish issue, its recently announced democratization package, the aftermath of the Gezi Park protests, and debates over social issues have shifted the country’s democratic path onto a new course.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç discussed recent developments and the prospects and challenges that lie ahead for Turkey’s democratization. Carnegie’s Katherine Wilkens moderated.
Bülent Arınç
Bülent Arınç was appointed deputy prime minister of Turkey in 2009. One of the founding members of the ruling Justice and Development Party, he is also government spokesman and served as the speaker of the Grand National Assembly from 2002 to 2007.
Katherine Wilkens
Katherine Wilkens is deputy director of the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She has written and published on a wide range of issues, including Turkey, the Kurdish issue, U.S. policy in the Balkans, and higher education reform in the Arab world.
