Sırrı Süreyya Önder

Issue #257

Announcement: Turkey recap is hosting a live webcast Monday with Selim Koru, writer of Kültürkampf and author of the book New Turkey and the Far Right.

We’ll review the peace process, developments in Turkish politics and respond to questions from the audience.

Join us at this link Monday, May 12 at 0900 EST / 1300 UTC / 1600 TRT.

In this week’s recap:

• Peace figure, lawmaker commemorated

• TRNC gets new presidential complex

• X blocks Imamoğlu’s account

• Domestic and diplomatic wraps

• A proper gander at propaganda

Also from us this week:

• Sibel Hürtaş on how healthcare privatization raised C-section rates.

• Tomorrow, Emily Rice Johnson on new inflation stats in Economy recap.

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Funeral ceremony for Sırrı Süreyya Önder Sunday. Source

Sırrı Süreyya Önder’s life interlaced many threads of contemporary Turkish society, and so did his funeral this week, offering a snapshot of the present moment and all its loose ends.

Önder died at 62 years old Saturday following a cardiac arrest and heart surgery on April 15. He was a leading figure in the ongoing peace process and served as deputy speaker for parliament with DEM Party after gaining prominence as a filmmaker, actor and screenwriter.

Also known for his activism in the 2013 Gezi protests, Önder might be most affectionately remembered for his sense of humor, which appealed to citizens across the political spectrum.

“[He used] humor and colorful language in a very effective way,” said Berk Esen, associate professor of political science at Sabancı University in Istanbul. “That really is what made him a very powerful politician.”

“Many voters who do not otherwise support DEM Party, or previously HDP, I think tend to have a positive view, even a sympathetic view of Sırrı Süreyya Önder,” he added.

As a result, his funeral ceremony in Istanbul Sunday was one of the largest such gatherings in recent political history.

Born in the Kurdish-majority province of Adıyaman, Önder came from an ethnically Turkmen background and could bridge societal cleavages, most prominently through his roles in the 2013-2015 Turkey-PKK peace process and the present-day negotiations.

Önder also served multiple jail sentences, with the most recent one in 2018 on terror-related charges that not long ago presented him in a very different light on mainstream media, Esen noted.

“He was arrested under the watch of the AKP government, and now, fast forward six or seven years [and] he’s getting this very positive coverage, not just in the opposition press but in the pro-government media, as well,” Esen told Turkey recap.

The shift came in October with the renewed peace process initiated by MHP chair Devlet Bahçeli, who ended his 99-day health leave from Turkish parliament to join Önder’s commemoration there Wednesday.

At the same time, the peace process has been highly contentious in Turkey, deepening polarization between nationalist and pro-Kurdish segments of society. DEM made a statement today indicating a sharp device was found beneath Önder’s car in what may have been an assassination attempt before his death.

In this context, initial commentary on Özel’s attack at Sunday’s funeral also focused on the political and ideological implications of current events.

While the motive remains unclear, we know Özel was slapped by a man who claimed to be ‘a child of the Ottomans’ and who was quickly arrested. Whether or not this was a spontaneous act, as the assailant claimed, may never be known.

Though Esen said the attacker’s actions and apparent knowledge of Özel’s program suggest he may have been “operating with someone else”.

“I can't point fingers,” Esen said. “But this is a political incident and whoever did it probably wanted to send a clear message to Özgür Özel to basically stay within certain limits, not cross the line, you know, not take to the streets.”

“And in that sense, it's quite worrisome because if Özgür Özel can be slapped, he can be attacked more severely next time,” he told Turkey recap.

More on CHP pressure and the peace process below.

Erdoğan inaugurates the new presidential complex in North Cyprus. © TCCB

Vassal estate: TRNC gets new presidential complex