I feel honored to be able to write a review of this book, just as I was immensely honored to have had a small part in its creation. My contribution came through my work with Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED), one of the organizations which assisted my friend Mehmet Gün in conceptualization of the so called “middle democracy” theme. I want to say a little about how I came to know Mehmet and about the work that was involved in bringing this book to fruition.
I met Mehmet when my colleague, TÜRKONFED’s Deputy Secretary-General, Emre Tamer, joined the Arbitration Association of Istanbul, an organization led by Mr. Gün. As a part of that association’s work, Mr. Gün wanted to start a public discussion on the “Quality in Judicial Services and the Elements of Quality” report, which he had authored as the President of the Judicial Reform Working Group of Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD). The most appropriate organization to lead this work was naturally TÜRKONFED, a nation-wide business confederation with extensive outreach. This led to an introduction being made between the two of us. Even though we are from the same ecosystem, this was the first time we had met.
Our work together began in earnest in 2016, in Samsun, a city which happens to be of great historical significance in the war of independence of Turkey. Our first event was a roundtable meeting hosted jointly by TÜSİAD and TÜRKONFED which focused on the topic of Quality in Judicial Services. Mr. Gün’s rhetoric that “the rule of law is the basis for economic prosperity” became the slogan of this meeting and the series of meetings that followed. It was clear for anyone to see during that discussion that this simple yet powerful philosophy struck a chord and along with the other insightful solutions that Mr. Gün proposed during the meeting, created a glimmer of hope for all businesspeople who attended, as it did for me too. We continued these meetings, with Mehmet as the spokesman, in different locations all around Turkey.
On this journey, we were able to explain the root causes of the problems in our judiciary, as well as their impact, to the different businesspeople we met. They, in turn, had an impact on shaping our thinking; and through their input, we focused more and more on how democracy could be strengthened through the rule of law. All in all, we visited five cities in Anatolia. In each new place, I was deeply impressed by Mr. Gün for two reasons in particular. Firstly, in every conversation he had, it became clear to me that he is both profoundly patriotic and sincerely committed to the principle of the rule of law. The depth of the belief he has in these two ideals is a rare thing. I was also very much impressed by the gift he has for facilitating discussions and how naturally he can establish frank yet respectful exchanges, even when there is a significant difference of opinion between parties. These were both crucial elements in making our journey the success it was.
Before this journey, one principle that we had already established was the relationship between the “middle income” and “middle democracy” traps – which we did in TÜRKONFED’s report “Towards a New Constitution.” We also wanted to prepare a report on the “Middle Democracy Trap” where we could explore how similar concepts apply to democracy too. It was clear to me from the moment that we first discussed the topic: Mr. Gün, if he was willing, with his intellect and extensive legal experience, was the perfect candidate to be our writer and spokesperson to the Board of Directors of TÜRKONFED on this issue.
This idea was accepted by the management of TÜRKONFED. After the initial planning work – which involved input from the esteemed intellectuals Dr. Haluk Tükel and Bekir Ağırdır – Mr. Gün swiftly set to work and produced this book within a year. Thanks to Mr. Gün’s diligent efforts, the final product by far exceeds the scope of an ordinary policy document. It clearly explains the root causes of the problems, as well as carefully articulating the proposed solutions and why current scholarship backs up their suitability.
I can say with complete confidence that the business world in Turkey, and business people in Anatolia in particular, agree with the proposals put forward in this book, and they have faith that these solutions can effectively solve the most pressing problems in areas such as the rule of law, fundamental human rights, and the freedom of thought and expression.
After it was published in 2018, this book made it into its second edition within a very short time. Around 10,000 copies were sold. To our great satisfaction, the “Structural Reforms” conferences held all over Turkey and attended by regional business federations and bar associations, were also a huge success. A particular highlight for us, one which pays testament to the credibility of these proposals, was the remark made by the EU representatives who attended the conference organized in Ankara on 24th October 2019, who commented that the proposals were in exact harmony with EU proposals.
Having told you the story of how this book came about – I hope you will appreciate the immense collective effort led by Mr. Gün that ultimately brought this publication to life. An intellectual and a committed patriot, Mr. Gün strives for democratic development in Turkey thought his work and efforts. I am proud beyond words to be a part of this nobel journey.
