What’s happening in Turkey?

There are two very important elections coming up in Turkey, the presidential election in April and the general elections later in the year. According to the Turkish Constitution, the president is elected by members of parliament. Current polls show that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has enough votes to elect the president, so most likely the AK Party will head for the presidential residence in Çankaya.

The main opposition and other circles are very disturbed by this situation for two main reasons. Firstly, they claim if the president and the government are from the same party, Turkey will, in a sense, surrender to one-party rule. Someone like President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who is close to the left and the status quo, hinders systemic reforms. At first, this claim may appear valid, but it is in the least not a correct and healthy analysis. On Nov. 3, 2002 the public voted, knowing the new parliament could elect a president. This is an opportunity the Constitution provides, and everyone who believes in democracy must respect the public will. Besides, there have been presidents and governments from the same party in Turkey in the past. It was like that during Ataturk’s reign, and similarly during the Menderes presidency. In the recent past, when Özal became president, Yıldırım Akbulut from the same party became prime minister. Then, the parliament elected Demirel president, and Tansu Çiller from Demirel’s party became prime minister. Thus, having the president and prime minister from the same party would not be a new phenomenon in Turkey.

The second reason some are so disturbed by the upcoming presidential elections is the fear of Tayyip Erdoğan’s Islamic-rooted party origins. “Tayyip Erdoğan cannot be president because he comes from an Islamic party tradition.” This is a claim made not only about Erdoğan but about all AK Party staff in general. Therefore, those behind this claim perceive themselves to be the real owners of the system and want to promote skepticism about others. This is a dangerous mentality. What is wrong with electing as president someone who has served this country as prime minister for four years? The answers to this question are filled with rumors, lies, allegations and unbelievable conspiracy theories. Some claim Erdoğan and his political staff have a secret agenda. This is extremely unfair considering that the AK Party’s efforts and reforms in their EU bid and democratization process are obvious. Despite the transparency of the party, efforts to make it seem there is a threat to the regime are incorrect political method.

Turkey will hold general elections following the presidential election. The new parliament will most likely be dominated by AK Party deputies. Current polls show that the AK Party will receive 35-40 percent of the vote. The 10 percent election threshold will be in effect this year as well, making it harder for smaller parties to win any seats.

While the AK Party is expected to start its second five-year term, there are some obstacles waiting ahead. In the past two years, six illegal organizations with ties to the state police were discovered. It’s obvious such organizations have an agenda to affect the elections. Their scandalous protest efforts will plant the seeds of fear in the public. There can be more mind-confusing events in the coming days. Techniques of psychological warfare could be used to cast a cloud over democracy. But Turkish democracy has the strength to overcome such dangers because previous unfortunate experiences have alerted the public and the intellectuals to such efforts.