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GMF celebrates its 40 year history and Founder and Chairman, Dr. Guido Goldman at Gala Dinner May 09, 2013 / Washington, DC

GMF held a celebratory gala dinner at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, Wednesday May 8.

Audio
Deal Between Kosovo, Serbia is a European Solution to a European Problem May 13, 2013

In this podcast, GMF Vice President of Programs Ivan Vejvoda discusses last month's historic agreement to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

Andrew Small on China’s Influence in the Middle East Peace Process May 10, 2013

Anchor Elaine Reyes speaks with Andrew Small, Transatlantic Fellow of the Asia Program for the German Marshall Fund, about Beijing's potential role in brokering peace between Israel and Palestine

Publications Archive

A Background to the Constitutional Referendum: Reinforcing the Politics of Polarization August 30, 2010 / Ilter Turan


On September 12, Turkey will hold a referendum on proposed amendments to its constitution. The proposed changes are aimed at broadening the constitution’s democratic content, expanding and reorganizing the Constitutional Court and the High Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors, and making the architects of the 1980 military intervention subject to prosecution. The need to change many features of the 1982 constitution might have provided the opportunity for the government and opposition to demonstrate agreement on the basic characteristics of the political system, even while disagreeing on policy matters. However, the prime minister appears to have wanted to exploit the constitutional changes to further polarization, which he feels has worked well for him. Irrespective of the outcome of the September 12 referendum, constitutional reform, rather than serving as an opportunity for integration, has created yet another occasion for reinforcing the deep cleavages in Turkish politics.