Turkey, adze and the West

Dictionaries describe adze as a cutting tool shaped somewhat like an axe that dates back to the Stone Age. They are used for smoothing or carving wood by hand, similar to an axe but with cutting edge perpendicular to the handle - a peculiarity because of which it is often used in only self-serving attitudes.

In the Turkish political jargon an adze-democrat or self-catering democrat, is someone who talks about democratic ideals, norms and values as long as he benefits from them, but when it comes to talking about rights and liberties of other people he is as deaf as a post. Most of the political parties in Turkey and eminent politicians of this age are peculiar examples to the special "adze-democrat" term of Turkish politics. For example, a politician might brand the presidential governance model as treason, a move that will pave the way for federalism and thus to Turkey's eventual disintegration and spare no effort in condemning it as a treacherous proposal. The same leader, with his party's or his personal interests changed, might argue that for the integrity, the wellbeing of the country and the nation, and for the creation of a stronger Turkey, supporting the presidential governance system should become a must.

Or just a few years ago, inviting the leader of a Syrian Kurdish political party, meeting with him at various levels, including hours of discussions in Istanbul and Ankara might not be obscured with the rampant claims of organic links between that party and Turkey's separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist gang.

 Such links have not barred a senior executive of the same group from very recently attending a workshop in Istanbul, where he explained the perceptions of his party regarding what would be done the day after...