set the controls federated-ly

kenan evren, head of the 1980 putsch who got himself elected president in polls "guarded" by soldiers and guns in 1983 came forth and made a correct comment for once... old age must be lifting the inhibitions on his wisdom caused by military training, apparently. he suggested that turkey can be run better if divided into some sort of federated states that he says must number eight.

for some reason, the akp government spokesmen who, normally, would stand to gain the most from decentralized rule in turkey were the first and harshest to respond - perhaps simply because they hate evren as much as the (ex) communists do. all in all, the ex-strongman's suggestion sems to be swept into oblivion.

ask me, a switch to federated state structure is one of the very few measures, short of a total and unconditional democratization, de-statization and capitalization (which look impossible), to keep the country "unitarian" - a nondescript ideal that recently seems to have acquired religious fervor. however, such a federative system, too, must be accompanied by liberalization and democratization, in-situ rule and administration, due autonomy etc. in order to function. otherwise, it will just replicate the centralized, control freak, non liberal despotism of ankara in secondary or auxillary centers. just as the 80 odd years of republican experience shows, any centrality tends not to liberate but increase control. in the chaotic and unpredictible dynamics of a capitalist world, that results in decapacitating doses of anomie. a federated cloning of ankara without copenhagen criteria liberties will simply aggravate the malady becaus it will bureaucratize the state regionally and locally.

i got a feeling that evren actually yearns for that option. instead of ankara's diminishing hold on the country, he wants tighter reins strongly held by bureaucratic sub-despotisms. why else does he not campaign for "elected provincial governors" for instance, if his (impossible and incredible) goal is freedom?