Turkey's Erdogan Seeks An Expanded Role As President
12 replies, posted
[URL="http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/08/10/339266869/turkeys-erdogan-seeks-an-expanded-role-as-president"]NPR Link[/URL]
[quote=NPR]
On Sunday, Turks vote in the first direct popular election for president. Up until now, the president was appointed by parliament and the post has been largely ceremonial. Erdogan is out to change that.
On the stump, Erdogan plays to a conservative Muslim base, using language that some critics see as hate speech. He compares the Israelis to Hitler and uses epithets such as "baby killers" when referring to civilian casualties in Gaza.
He is also pledging to be an active president — something that raises alarm bells among secular Turks, who prefer the current checks and balances, limited though they may be. Turkey's president is mandated by law to be impartial, nonpartisan, and above the fray of day-to-day politics.
Analyst Ersin Kalaycioglu at Sabanci University says Erdogan has no interest in being that kind of president.
"Therefore, he wants to be the prime minister and also the president; have immaculate immunity, no accountability, but make decisions," Kalaycioglu says. "Under those circumstances, of course, we have a big, big problem with how to manage Turkish democracy if the president decides to play such a role."
[B]'A Man Of Public Service'[/B]
Erdogan's supporters tend not to be worried about his recent authoritarian tendencies, jailing journalists and cracking down on street demonstrations. Halil Uzuncu, 61, says what matters is how much better his neighborhood looks since Erdogan came to power in 2002.
"Services, that's all that matters," Uzuncu says. "That's what we look for, and he delivers. We can see he's a man of public service, and that's why we're all voting for him."
[B]Power To Transform The Presidency[/B]
In a trendier part of Istanbul, where cafes and restaurants are replacing warehouses and empty buildings, Ihsanoglu supporters say they just hope they can hold Erdogan to less than 50 percent of the vote and force him into a runoff.
Hasan Huseyin, once one of Turkey's most famous fashion photographers, won't be voting because he's a Turkish Cypriot. Useyin says given the way Turkey is heading, he's planning to pull his investments and move.
"I'm in the art world, as you may call it, the creative sector, and I have felt that over the last seven-eight years it's very hard to be that creative anymore," he says. "So if I still want to do my own thing, I think it's time for me to go to another country."[/quote]
[QUOTE] I think it's time for me to go to another country [/QUOTE]
Well If protesting is dangerous, conform, leave, revolutionize or hide.
What are the odds he and the AKP actually succeed in transforming Turkey into a presidential republic? I'd be genuinely worried if I were Turkish though either way, Erdogan has gone all in on Putinism.
ALL my Turkish friends on facebook are upset with the results of election, they all wrote like 5+ line statuses.
[QUOTE=cucumber;45650765]they all wrote like 5+ line statuses.[/QUOTE]
I hope no one got hurt
[QUOTE=SlightReturn;45650168]I think it's time for me to go to another country[/QUOTE]
He gone and won it
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28729234[/url]
read the title as "Turkey estrogen"
Ataturk would be ashamed of the current state of Turkey(in terms of the state/political).
ıts happenıng
I feel bad for my friends that voted for Demirtaş, they wanted him to win
Theres like 16 million vacation birds that didnt come back to vote, and if they were here Ekmeleddin would win.
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