April 11, 2017
THE BASICS
Topic: Turkey
Articles
· “Turkey calls for no-fly zone over Syria – president’s spokesman” (4/8) (RT)
· “Turkey calls for Assad’s ouster, says supports U.S. missile strike” (4/7) (Reuters)
· “Syria chemical attack: Victims rushed to Turkey as hospitals overflow” (4/5) (Fox News)
· “In Turkey, Erdogan fans an Islamic nationalism to build Ottoman-style influence” (2/22) (CS Monitor)
· “Turkey threatens to send Europe ’15,000 refugees a month’” (3/17) (Yahoo News)
· “A Message From Turkey, a Nation Under Pressure” (3/15) (The NY Times)
· “Turkey Is Unraveling” (12/20/16) (The Atlantic)
Questions to Consider
· How does Turkey’s geographic position on two continents affect its role as a regional power?
· Why is Turkey a key country in the Middle East and beyond?
· How does the prolonged war in Syria affect Turkey? How does the use of chemical weapons in Syria impact Turkey? How is US military action in Syria viewed in Turkey?
· What is the current relationship between Turkey and the United States? Between Turkey and the European Union? Between Turkey and NATO? Between Turkey and Israel? Between Turkey and Kurdistan? Between Turkey and Syria?
· Why are civil liberty guarantees a concern for democracy advocates in Turkey?
· What are the results of a failed July 15, 2016 coup in Turkey?
· Who is Fethullah Gulen? Why is he the focus of government action in Turkey? Why is Turkey requesting his extradition from the United States?
· Who is Recep Tayyip Erdogan? What power does a president have in Turkey?
· What was the Ottoman Empire? What was its role in Asia? Is there a desire to recreate that empire today?
· What does Kemal Ataturk the founder of modern Turkey, mean to Turkish citizens? How has the struggle between secularism and religion been the theme of Turkey’s history?
· Why is the press a target of the Erdogan government? How does a free press guarantee other rights? Why is the government arresting judges and journalists?
· What is the PKK and what is their goal? How does the future of the Kurds connect with the future of Turkey?
· How do the artistic and architectural contributions of Turkey remind us of its important history?
THE EXTRAS
Pre-teaching, Extensions & Further Reading
· “Turkey country profile” (BBC News)
· “Turkey Architecture and Painting” (Consulate General Republic of Turkey)
· “The Paradox of the EU-Turkey Refugee Deal” (Migration Policy Institute)
· “What Happens in Turkey Doesn’t Stay in Turkey” (11/7/16) (Foreign Policy)
· “Ataturk Versus Erdogan: Turkey’s Long Struggle” (7/16/16) (The New Yorker)
Lesson Plans
· “In Turkish election, victory for democracy or shift toward autocracy?” (11/3/15) (PBS Newshour)
· “Reflections from Turkey: Exploring Politics, Culture, and Cuisine” (World Affairs Council)
· “Ebru:Turkish Marbling Art” (Adventures in Learning)
What’s the Connection?
Constitutional
· “How will Turkey change if it votes ‘Yes’ on April 16?” (4/2) (AlJazeera)
· “The next Turkish revolution after Ataturk” (2/16) (Euractiv)
Oregon
· “Turkey tells Oregon-based Mercy Corps to stop its program that helps Syrians” (3/7) (The Spokesman Review)
· “Roseburg cardiologist Cihan Cevik left Turkey 11 years ago, and never looked back” (3/5) (The News Review)
Students
· “With Turkey in Turmoil, Students Leave to Study Abroad” (8/17/16) (VOA)
Oregon State Social Science Standards
8.21. Analyze important political and ethical values such as freedom, democracy, equality, and justice embodied in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
HS.17. Explain how migration, immigration and communication (cultural exchange, convergence and divergence) lead to cultural changes and make predictions and draw conclusions about the global impact of cultural diffusion.
HS.33. Explain the role of government in various current events.
HS.35. Examine the pluralistic realities of society (e.g., race, poverty, gender, and age), recognizing issues of equity, and evaluating need for change.
HS.59. Demonstrate the skills and dispositions needed to be a critical consumer of information.
CCSS Anchor Standards
2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
We the People Lesson Connections
Middle School, Level 2
· Unit 6, Lesson 28: What is the relationship of the United States to other nations in the world?
High School, Level 3
· Unit 6, Lesson 37: What key challenges does the United States face in the future?
· Unit 6, Lesson 38: What are the challenges of the participation of the United States in world affairs?