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Monday, 6 August 2007
Erdogan to Form New Government
Turkey's president on Monday asked Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to form a new government after the ruling party's resounding victory in July 22 elections, Erdogan said. Read more..Labels: domestic politics
Gul future uncertain as Erdogan picks team
(Financial Times) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister, is to begin putting together his new cabinet on Monday despite uncertainty whether his prospective foreign minister will seek the presidency. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics, presidential election
Sunday, 5 August 2007
Turkey's Continued Polarization is Biggest Challenge for New Government
(Worldpolitics review) The Turkish nation delivered its verdict last week, even taking Erdogan and his supporters by surprise. Turkey's parliamentary elections on July 22 resulted in a decisive victory for Prime Minister Recep Erdogan, of the Islamic-rooted party AKP. The AKP's 47 percent of the vote has reaffirmed the party's place as one of the most powerful political parties in the history of Turkish elections, claiming an even larger share of the vote than was realized in 2002. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics
Saturday, 4 August 2007
AK Party and the Military: Always tense and distanced
(The New Anatolian) Relations between the Turkish Armed Forces and the ruling Justice and Development Party in the past five years has been tense and the two sides have kept each other at a distance. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics
Turkish Parliament Set to Open
A new Turkish parliament dominated by the Islamic-oriented party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is being sworn in Saturday, preparing the way for a new majority government — Turkey's second in 20 years. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics
Turkish opposition blames others for electoral defeat
CHP leader Deniz Baykal got a less than ringing endorsement from his party’s deputies at their first post-election meeting. Read more...
Labels: CHP, domestic politics
Friday, 3 August 2007
Reelected Turkish PM sees new "european style" constitution
(Eurasia daily) Fresh from his July 22 electoral victory, returning Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced plans to draw up a new, “more democratic and civilian constitution”. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics, new constitution
Thursday, 2 August 2007
CHP likely to support new constitution
Today's Zaman reports that CHP shares some of the AK Party’s opinions about this new constitution.
See also our dossier on the debate around new constitution.
See also our dossier on the debate around new constitution.
Labels: domestic politics, new constitution
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
AKP rewriting constitution for more democracy
(Turkish daily news) The victorious AKP is pushing for a new constitution it describes as more democratic, civilian and simpler. A commission set by the AKP is drafting the new constitution to introduce in Parliament after the presidential election.
Labels: domestic politics, new constitution
It's About Modernization, Not Religion
(Commentary by Soli Ozel) The parliamentary elections in Turkey were a momentous event for a variety of reasons. The ruling AKP that has its roots in Turkey's Islamist movement and is the inheritor of a long line of Islamist parties has won in a landslide. For a causal Western observer reading ever simplistic reporting in the media, this can be cause for concern to the extent that this might mean a sad loss for secularism. But I see no reason to withhold the analytical tools we use for any other democratic election when analyzing those in Turkey. Therefore, the starting point ought to be that the elections in Turkey were not about the future of secularism in the country. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics
Commentary: Turkey's post-election outlook
(Middle East Times) The extent of the Justice and Development Party's (AKP) recent victory in Turkey's parliamentary elections has exceeded everyone's expectations, including those of the party members themselves. According to the final election results, it won 340 of the 550 seats in the parliament, a majority not often witnessed in the Turkish political scene. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics
Turkish president to meet opposition leaders
(NTVmsnbc) Turkey’s President Ahmet Necdet Sezer is to meet with the leaders of the two largest parliamentary opposition parties three days before the parliament reconvenes after the July 22 general election. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics
Turkey’s Quest to Modernize Remains on Track
(Commentary by Soli Ozel, political scientist at Istanbul Bilgi University) Rare are the moments in a democratic country’s history when a sitting government increases its level of support substantially, as Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) did last Sunday. These elections consolidate a spectacular realignment that has brought disparate social forces together to challenge the existing distribution of power and privilege. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics
An Analysis of the Turkish Election: Prime Minister Erdoğan on Top of the World
(Commentary, Turkish weekly)Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s victory in last Sunday’s election came as a surprise not because of the outcome, but because only a few people were expecting him to win with such a landslide. Mr. Erdoğan’s AKP (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi – Justice and Development Party) took 46.6% of the national vote and gained 340 seats in the Turkish Assembly. For the first time in half a century, an incumbent party has increased its vote. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics, elections2007
Turkey's political opening
(Euractiv) The Turkish parliamentary elections held on 22 July 2007 were a "remarkable step towards democratic consolidation and civilian rule", writes Gunes Murat Tezcur for the Open Democracy website.
Tezcur believes that the July 22 election reinforced the AKP's position as the "single most authoritative force in Turkish politics". It increased its share of the vote by 13 percentage points to 47%, giving it control of 340 of parliament's 550 seats.
Tezcur believes that the July 22 election reinforced the AKP's position as the "single most authoritative force in Turkish politics". It increased its share of the vote by 13 percentage points to 47%, giving it control of 340 of parliament's 550 seats.
He claims that if the AKP can translate its popular mandate into major political reform, then Turkey may emerge as the "only Muslim-majority country where secularism and democracy coexist".
Labels: analysis, domestic politics, elections2007
Towards a new constitution in Turkey?
A new constitution, more democratic, more civilian and more simple, is top of the ruling AKP government's agenda, which emerged as the victor of the July 22 parliamentary elections. Read more...
Labels: Akp, domestic politics, new constitution
A tight schedule awaits Parliament
(Turkish daily news) Turkey enters a new phase from now until the end of September, when a new president, a new speaker of Parliament, a new government and new ministers will be elected. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics
Constitution vote scheduled
A referendum on changes to Turkey's constitution, which include the election of the president by a popular vote, has been schduled for October 21, the country's electoral council has said. Read more..
Labels: domestic politics
Tuesday, 31 July 2007
AKP’s Victory: Politics of Identity and Economic Effectiveness and Empowerment
(Global Politician) The recent July 22, 2007 elections in Turkey heralded a victory for the Islamist (AKP) Justice and Development party over the other contenders. Six years after the tragic event that occurred in New York City and nearly five years after the United States invaded Iraq, the Middle East and Arab world has been viewed in terms of oversimplified categorizations, for example, Islamist/Moderate, Religious/Secular, and Sunni/Shia. The Turkish elections were viewed in a similar context: Islamist vs. Secularist. Looking deeper than the Islamist vs. Secular paradigm that framed the election from a western media perspective, one would see that oversimplified Islamist-Secular paradigm, in relation to the elections, was more about Turkey’s identity and the strong correlation between economic progress and political empowerment. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics, elections2007
Monday, 30 July 2007
Turkish army chief says president must be secular
(Reuters) - Turkey's top general on Monday reiterated that the military wanted the next president to uphold the country's secular values, potentially reviving tensions between the secularist establishment and the government. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics, presidential election
20 Kurdish independents join DTP
(The New Anatolian) Twenty Kurdish independent deputies who were elected from the eastern and southeastern provinces on Monday joined the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP). Read more...
Labels: domestic politics
Sunday, 29 July 2007
First struggle will be for the speaker of Parliament
The opposition and ruling parties will face off for the first time since elections in the selection of the new speaker of Parliament and his office. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics
Saturday, 28 July 2007
I Believe Turkey Will Emerge Stronger From This Process, Erdogan
(Turkishpress) "I believe Turkey will emerge stronger from this process. The 60th government will make Turkey go through a new period of leap forward," said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. Read more...Labels: domestic politics
Friday, 27 July 2007
The Armed Forces respect the national will
(Comment by Mehmet Ali Birand) Abdullah Gül clearly declared on Wednesday that his presidential candidacy continued. Right afterwards, the prime minister delivered a speech that showed he supported this decision. Read more...
Labels: domestic politics, elections2007
Is MHP dressed to be hero of democracy in new Parliament?
(Turkish daily news) Today if one asks who is happiest with the Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) success in entering Parliament, the answer will be unanimous: Abdullah Gül. Read more..
Labels: domestic politics, elections2007
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
Baykal rejects calls to resign amid growing uneasiness
(Turkish daily news) The Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal on Tuesday said that he won't resign despite a clear disappointment of the elections results. Read more...
Labels: CHP, domestic politics, elections2007
Saturday, 14 July 2007
Time Magazine: Turkey's Great Divide
In a recent article (Turkey's Great Divide) Andrew Purvis from Time Magazine tackles the issues around coming elections and Turkish domestic politics. Here is a quote:
"These elections promise to be the most hotly contested in memory, and turnout may reach historic highs. Seaside cottages are renting for half price on the balloting weekend as Turks plan to flock back to the cities to vote. Conspiracy theories are rife as parties accuse each other of undermining Turkish democracy. At stake are policies vitally important in Turkey and beyond, including the question of whether or not to send Turkish forces into Iraq, Turkey's stalled membership talks with the E.U., and economic and democratic policies at home. On most of these issues, Turks are deeply divided.
And nowhere do the fault lines run deeper than among young Turks. A generation not previously known for its activism is rallying around secularist, pro-Islamic or nationalist flags in unprecedented numbers — a political awakening attributed by some to the ideological currents of the present campaign. Their convictions and involvement are key in a nation where nearly 70% of the population is now under 35, the highest proportion among industrialized economies. And political parties are making tremendous efforts to woo the young. An attempt by the AKP to lower the age of eligibility for a seat in parliament from 30 to 25 just narrowly missed being implemented. "We are forcing them to get involved," Gul told TIME. "They are the future of this country." Mark Parris, a former U.S. ambassador to Turkey now at the Brookings Institution in Washington, says 2007 is pivotal: "This could define the kind of country that Turkey is for a generation.">>
Labels: domestic politics, elections2007
Friday, 13 July 2007
Turkey downturns in accountability, political stability, says Worldbank
A research paper (Governance Matters 2007) published by the World Bank covering issues measuring a government’s performance on the world stage reveals interesting findings on Turkey.
The report, titled “Governance Matters VI: Aggregate and Individual Governance Indicators” for the period 1996-2006, concludes that Turkey lost considerable ground in the categories of “Freedom of Speech and Accountability,” “Quality of Law and Legislation” and “Political Stability,” when compared to 2005. On the other hand, Turkey scored an upturn in “Government Efficiency,” “Rule of Law” and “The Fight against Corruption.” In terms of average governance points, Turkey was awarded 51.25 for 2005 and 50.8 for 2006.
(Source: Today's Zaman)
(Source: Today's Zaman)
Labels: domestic politics
Monday, 9 July 2007
Turkey's Islamist Crossroads
Amir Theri, New York Post, writes on upcoming elections:
"Talk to Turks of any political persuasion and you are sure to hear how proud they are that Turkey is "the only democracy in the Muslim world."
"Talk to Turks of any political persuasion and you are sure to hear how proud they are that Turkey is "the only democracy in the Muslim world."
And, yet, as the current general-election campaign heads for its feverish crescendo, many Turks fear that their country may cease to be a democracy on or soon after polling day on July 22." Read more...
Labels: domestic politics, elections2007
Sunday, 17 June 2007
Towards a referendum on direct presidential elections
Lack of clarity on election of the next Turkish President goes on. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer refused Friday to approve a bill that would allow for direct presidential elections, a move that will result in a national referendum on the measure. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer refused Friday to approve a bill that would allow for direct presidential elections, a move that will result in a national referendum on the measure. The AKP is trying hard to hold a referendum simultaneously with the general elections on July 22, but a law reducing the time period for holding a referendum from the current 120 days to 45 days is still under investigation by Sezer. If the AKP cannot change the timetable for the referendum, it will take place on Oct. 21.Labels: domestic politics, elections2007
Monday, 11 June 2007
Political risks facing Turkey
Turkishdailynews reports that according to Eurasia Group analyst Wolfango Piccoli, “the outlook for a continued Justice and Development Party (AKP) majority government is uncertain." Piccolli adds: "The approaching snap election could result in a fragmented, multi-party legislature and a difficult cabinet building process.”
Eurasia Group thinks that exacerbating the AKP's troubles, opposition parties have taken steps toward consolidation that increase the probability of a fractious electoral outcome. Fragmented governments commonly result in larger budget deficits and reduced macroeconomic stability. Thus, this foreshadows potential problems for Turkey's political environment and budget deficit, as well as for monetary and economic reform policies. The falling government score hints at future budget problems. The political fight that precipitated this election was over the parliament's selection of a president, in which intrusion by the army, a boycott by the opposition of the parliamentary vote and a questionable supreme court ruling that invalidated the ruling AKP's selection of its own Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül as the candidate for president.
According to Eurasia Group together these actions raise concerns about the equal and systematic application of the law and the supremacy of civilian government. In the near term, the AKP may indeed weather this storm and prevail in the July 22 election, but the potential for three or more parties winning parliamentary representation but no single party winning a clear majority is high enough to warrant close monitoring of the campaign.Risks in these political and economic areas could emerge if the election returns a disparate multi-party outcome, forcing investors to question the future of the progress the AKP has. As a result of these developments, Turkey's aggregate government stability rating dropped significantly in the June index from 74 to 67.
Eurasia Group thinks that exacerbating the AKP's troubles, opposition parties have taken steps toward consolidation that increase the probability of a fractious electoral outcome. Fragmented governments commonly result in larger budget deficits and reduced macroeconomic stability. Thus, this foreshadows potential problems for Turkey's political environment and budget deficit, as well as for monetary and economic reform policies. The falling government score hints at future budget problems. The political fight that precipitated this election was over the parliament's selection of a president, in which intrusion by the army, a boycott by the opposition of the parliamentary vote and a questionable supreme court ruling that invalidated the ruling AKP's selection of its own Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül as the candidate for president.
According to Eurasia Group together these actions raise concerns about the equal and systematic application of the law and the supremacy of civilian government. In the near term, the AKP may indeed weather this storm and prevail in the July 22 election, but the potential for three or more parties winning parliamentary representation but no single party winning a clear majority is high enough to warrant close monitoring of the campaign.Risks in these political and economic areas could emerge if the election returns a disparate multi-party outcome, forcing investors to question the future of the progress the AKP has. As a result of these developments, Turkey's aggregate government stability rating dropped significantly in the June index from 74 to 67.
Labels: domestic politics, elections2007
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