How do the of the “Abant platforms” contribute to societal well being?
There has been a tendency in Turkish politics to try to deal with some very complex issues – ethnicity, religious observance, secularism, the role of the military in politics, societal cohesion and peace, work ethics, universal values – in the narrow arena of political competition. However, as a result of this politicization of the issues, hardly any change has occurred in the way that public institutions actually function and operate. The underlying problems therefore continue to perplex the nation.
In contrast to that stagnant situation, the Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) platforms have allowed issues to be aired and to enter the public space so they can be presented to decision-making. This transforms the initiatives into possibilities for social change without invalidating the normal decision-making apparatuses of the political arena.
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