Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

The recent ″March for Justice″ organised by CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu proved a wake-up call, even for secular, politically reticent Turks. Finally people have realised that, without a voice in politics, they will slowly but surely forfeit their identity. By Yavuz BaydarMore

For his reportage "Stranded. Refugees Between Syria and Europe" the writer Tayfun Guttstadt travelled to the cities of Turkey and along the Turkish-Syrian border. In conversation with Sonja Galler, he talks about the precarious situation faced by Syrian refugees, their legal status and Turkey′s lack of any kind of integration conceptMore

The referendum campaign has polarised Turkey in a way rarely seen, but instead of seeking balance and reconciliation, Erdogan immediately announced further referenda on the death penalty and EU accession talks. A risky tactic, argues Ulrich von SchwerinMore

For German-Turkish journalist Cigdem Akyol, Erdogan′s recent ′Nazi′ outbursts can be put down to electioneering. Few taboos remain in his race to win the upcoming referendum. Yet German politicians and the media will be playing into his hands if they overreact. Interview by Laura DoingMore

The Turkish president is adept at cultivating his own public image. Speaking of national unity, he mobilises supporters and denounces opponents. National unity, however, vanished long ago. Erdogan’s divisiveness is exacerbating the country′s problems. Commentary by Timur TincMore

Turkey has witnessed another dramatic week, with police raids on an opposition newspaper, mass suspensions of academics and civil servants and the jailing of the leaders of the country′s main pro Kurdish HDP party. The government insists it is fighting to defend democracy against unprecedented threats, critics claim democracy itself is now at risk. Dorian Jones looks at the latest events More

In the second part of his essay on secularism in the Islamic world, Saudi analyst Khalid al-Dakhil addresses the ready confusion, found particularly in Islamic writings, of secularism as a concept and separating religion and the state as a legal-political reality. What is the difference? More