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Erdogan is there to stay

Reader comment on item: The Erdoğan Enigma

Submitted by Nazim Cairo (France), Apr 23, 2017 at 20:26

I have a thought. I think this low percentage shows that AKP is yet cautions. Elections were relatively free and fair as they could be in Turkey early on in his rein, before 2013. They became slowly less and less fair and now are not even free, at least from now on this is absolutely obvious. Given that over half of population hates him as much as they do rigging elections right away would have had negative consequences. Gates were opened and castles were taken one by one. They started with military, then moved to police, judiciary, press and fellow islamists. Finally, even loyal friends but potential rivals like Gul and Davutoglu are disposed of. CHP and MHP marginalized, HDP destroyed.

But voters can not be discounted just yet, there should be a managed transition away from electoral democracy which becomes a sham. Something similar happened in Russia. Protests against electoral fraud will be less of a problem in the future Turkey, they would have been problematic few years ago. Plus Erdogan is vain and wants to test his mettle in elections, he genuinely likes to campaign.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (15) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Erdogan, just a criminal [95 words]CaraxMay 10, 2017 14:40239023
Erdogan is there to stay [187 words]Nazim CairoApr 23, 2017 20:26238750
1Erdogan isn't too mysterious. Kushner is. [323 words]Michael SApr 22, 2017 17:23238719
Another Enigma: Why The Religious Trend In Turkey? [160 words]DaveApr 22, 2017 14:56238711
2Manipulation [498 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Hakan ErdemirApr 21, 2017 19:04238669
Posturing for Things to Come... [147 words]M ToveyApr 24, 2017 11:00238669
A better option for NATO than an Islamic Turkey [505 words]Saul SteinApr 21, 2017 14:07238660
Theocracies do not belong to any organization of nations [107 words]PrashantApr 22, 2017 07:59238660
The possible future of NATO [166 words]Michael SApr 27, 2017 02:53238660
Old NATO vs New NATO - Talking Turkey [228 words]M ToveyMay 3, 2017 14:17238660
1Let's Call It What It Is! [23 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Barry BlackApr 21, 2017 12:47238658
Study Erdogan Speeches Against Females [40 words]DENNIS ALLEN DURKOPApr 21, 2017 12:43238657
1Mystery #3: Gulen - SOLVED - False Flag coup d'etat operation used to eliminate the opposition within Turkey [225 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Eric BermanApr 21, 2017 12:41238655
1Erdogan does not perceive that price is too high for two reasons [74 words]Eric BermanApr 22, 2017 10:08238655
1Any NATO Country Leader who Derides the West as "Crusaders" In Speeches is a Suspected Islamist [83 words]GWKApr 21, 2017 11:25238652

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