Could Civil War Break Out in Turkey?
Before the 2023 elections people were asking: “What happens if Erdoğan loses?” Drawing a striking parallel with the 2012 Venezuelan election, the author discusses scenarios of violence and chaos.
Author
Ali Çağlar
39 articles · Writing for PUGAT 2021–2026 · 5 series
Articles · page 3
Fifty Shades of the Ülkücü Movement (2)
In the 1970s the ülkücü (idealist) movement spread rapidly among devout young people in the provinces; commando camps, street clashes and ties to the deep state fed a bloody era.
Fifty Shades of the Ülkücü Movement (1)
From the Republic’s citizenship-based nationalism to Nihal Atsız’s racist Turkism and the 1944 Turanism trial: the roots of the ülkücü (idealist) movement.
I Saw the Place Where They Shot Colonel Rıdvan Özden
The shadow of the 1995 killing of Colonel Rıdvan Özden falls on today’s politics. Starting from a YouTube interview, the author questions the dark reckonings of an earlier era.
On the Mersin Attack
Selahattin Demirtaş’s condemnation of the September 2022 attack on a police guesthouse in Mersin drew a harsh response from the PKK. The author assesses how this debate reflects on Kurdish politics.
Levent Göktaş: My Gun, My Prayer Rug, My State
Confessions about the assassination of Necip Hablemitoğlu have put fugitive Colonel Levent Göktaş at the centre of the agenda. The author comments on the covert fight between deep-state cliques ahead of the elections.
On the Interview with the Commander of the Gendarmerie
The Gendarmerie Commander’s interview puts the post-15 July counter-terrorism concept of “destroying it at its source” in the spotlight. The author assesses the statements in light of the gendarmerie’s last six years.
Operation Claw-Lock in the Turkey–KDP–PKK Triangle
The KDP and the PKK are two movements born of the idea of an independent Kurdish state whose paths later diverged. Operation Claw-Lock, launched in April 2022, has brought the balance in the Turkey–KDP–PKK triangle back onto the agenda.
Soldiers Who Do Not Know What They Are Dying For
Images of wretched soldiers in Ukraine reminded the author of the base area where he served on Mount Bagok. A personal account of soldiers who do not know what they are dying for.
Is Russia Ready for Urban Warfare in Ukraine?
According to former CIA Director David Petraeus, urban warfare in Kyiv was inevitable. The author assesses the difficulties of combat in built-up areas through the examples of Aleppo and Grozny.
