PDF Dosyası - Ankara Üniversitesi Kitaplar Veritabanı

prosses and lavv and order issues. The republican State is to become ademocratic State. This involves transparency and accountability. In Turkey,the State and public administration operate as "black boxes". The recentscandals, vvhich displayed the extent of the criminalization of thepublic space, should be an occasion to proceed vvith far-reaching reformof the State institutions and administrations. indeed, curbing corruptionand de-criminalizing the State and political parties is a basic requirementof democracy.Another feature of a democratic state is the deconcentration of povverand decentralization of the administration. Devolution of central prerogativesto regions, departments and municipalities bring the public authoritycloser to local realities and to the needs of the citizens. In recent years,more decision-making povver vvas granted to municipilaties. Much moredecentralization is needed. The example of France, another land of Statecentrality, vvhich implemented an ambitious programme of decentralization,vvith elected regional assemblies, increased povver to departmentalassemblies and to municipalities can be follovved.3. The Public debate: a fundamental requisite of democracyA comparative advantage of democracy is its ability to adjust continuouslyto nevv situations and generate appropriate solutions and decisionsthrough negotiation and mutual concession, betvveen competing organizedinterests. At the centre of this prosses, there is the continuous debatein the public space, in vvhich ali stake-holders in democracy vvouldparticipate, vvithout taboos, or holy covvs, to raise majör political and societalissues and to look for solutions supported by a majority of citizensand political forces. public debate vvould contribute to the policy-makingprocess.It is striking to notice hovv limited is the critical and contradictorydebate on vital issues such as the Kurdish question, human rights, a nevvdefınition of citizenship and nation, the management of diversity in society,the declining quality of life and grovving social inequalities and pauperization,gender and environment. Innovative ideas and proposals fromcivil society do not penetrate the political sphere, yet, unless democraticallydebated, there vvill be no maturation and a relative consensus onvvhat vvould be the solution to the flavvs of democracy. Thus the establishmentof conditions for a public space of free debate on ali important pastand present issues in Turkey is a majör priority.4. The MediaThe role of the media is, of course, crucial in fostering the public debateand beyond, supporting the democratic process as a vvhole. There is247