Tweet
OPINION: TURKEY ECONOMIC BOOM OVERINFLATED ERDOGAN'S EGO
June 21, 2013 - 16:17 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - No one could imagine a few months ago that the
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would return home from
his triumphant trips abroad to salvage his ten-year-old rule and bury
his Ottomanist dreams in the conflagrating protests at Taksim Square
in Istanbul. Pretty soon the wave of protests extended throughout
the country, but mainly at the major cities of Ankara, Izmir, Adana
and Gaziantep, Edmond Y. Azadian writes in "Turkey Aflame" editorial
published by The Armenian Mirror-Spectator.
"Settled firmly on his throne, Mr. Erdogan was bullying Armenia,
threatening Syria and pressuring Israel for an apology for the
latter's raid on Mavi Marmara Flotilla. Turkey's economic boom and
regional superpower status - encouraged and aided by Western powers
and Russia - had inflated Mr. Erdogan's ego to supreme arrogance.
Several countries in the region which were following Turkey's rise
with alarm had a legitimate concern to cut Erdogan's imperial ambitions
to size," the article says.
"Through U.S. mediation and blessing, Turkey had partnered with
Israel to rule the Middle East through joint hegemony. But Erdogan
took that position as a license to dictate his will even to Israel,
leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of his American sponsors. At home
he had managed to tame the military, which had ruled the country under
authoritarian rule for many decades, since the days of Ataturk. Today
many members of the military brass are waiting in jails for their
day in court as conspirators bent on overthrowing Erdogan's Islamist
government. The Deep State was so deep that a backlash was not in
Erdogan's calculations. Despite the fact that the country was veering
towards an Islamic rule with Ottoman caliphate in perspective, Erdogan
continued to enjoy popularity because the prosperity he had brought
to the country, until a spark at Taksim Square upended Mr. Erdogan's
political calculations. The protests began with an environmental issue
of saving some trees on Taksim Square and degenerated and splintered
into many issues, most importantly against Erdogan's authoritarian
style."
The article goes to say: "It has been reported that police have
used gravestones from the nearby Armenian cemetery to disperse the
protestors. Indeed, Taksim Square was built on an Armenian cemetery
designated as such by Sultan Suleyman I in 1560. The Kemalist
protestors are against the removal of the Ataturk Cultural Center,
which was built in the 1930s on top of the razed St. Hagop Armenian
Cemetery and the adjacent Khor Virap Church. The 16th-century cemetery
occupied a space of 56,000 square meters and the church and other
buildings an additional 500 square meters. In 1915, the cemetery
was declared by the government to be abandoned property. In 1934,
the Istanbul Court transferred the property to the city. In 1938 and
1939, the cemetery and the church were destroyed to make way for the
construction of Gezi Park."
"It is interesting that a Kurdish leader, Cengiz Alkan, has added some
additional historic facts to the above information. In a statement this
week, he announced that there used to stand a monument in memory of
the victims of the Armenian Genocide at that location. His conclusion
must have been more inflammatory to the fanatical Turks as he stated,
"Those who visit Gezi Park must be aware that there was a Genocide
memorial monument in place in 1919. We hope that someday in the future,
another Genocide monument would stand." As to how a Genocide monument
could exist at that time, we have to remember that in the immediate
aftermath of World War I, Istanbul was under Allied occupation. There
were also other demonstrators in Gezi Park who were warning that one
day Armenians would return to claim their cemetery.
One young demonstrator shamed the government that Istanbul had a
boulevard in the name of the murderer Talaat Pasha and yet not one
in the name of Hrant Dink," it says.
The Armenian aspect of Gezi Park seems to be the least of the worries
for Mr. Erdogan, who has bigger fish to fry. His entire power structure
seems to have been shaken from its foundation and there seem to be no
end to the demonstrations, embarrassing Erdogan's administration on
the world scene, weakening the economy by a sharp drop in the Turkish
stock market as well as the lira against the dollar. It was precisely
those economic achievements of Erdogan and the AKP Party which have
enhanced the prestige of Turkey globally, the article says.
Despite all these adverse developments, it says, Prime Minister Erdogan
remains defiant. He bused 300,000 of his supporters to Ankara for
a counter demonstration, a measure designed precisely to exasperate
the situation and increase the polarization in the country.
"Intoxicated by his party's successes and his achievements,
Erdogan believes nothing can destroy his government. And indeed,
demonstrators - as violent as they are - lack the leadership and
structure to dislodge the prime minister. All that can happen may be
that domestically he has to tone down his rhetoric and authoritarian
style and internationally, refrain from fomenting trouble for Turkey's
neighbors. Therefore, Erdogan's survival hinges on compromise, even
if grudgingly. Otherwise, he can precipitate his demise faster than
his opponents can fathom," Mr. Azadian concludes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
June 21, 2013 - 16:17 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - No one could imagine a few months ago that the
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would return home from
his triumphant trips abroad to salvage his ten-year-old rule and bury
his Ottomanist dreams in the conflagrating protests at Taksim Square
in Istanbul. Pretty soon the wave of protests extended throughout
the country, but mainly at the major cities of Ankara, Izmir, Adana
and Gaziantep, Edmond Y. Azadian writes in "Turkey Aflame" editorial
published by The Armenian Mirror-Spectator.
"Settled firmly on his throne, Mr. Erdogan was bullying Armenia,
threatening Syria and pressuring Israel for an apology for the
latter's raid on Mavi Marmara Flotilla. Turkey's economic boom and
regional superpower status - encouraged and aided by Western powers
and Russia - had inflated Mr. Erdogan's ego to supreme arrogance.
Several countries in the region which were following Turkey's rise
with alarm had a legitimate concern to cut Erdogan's imperial ambitions
to size," the article says.
"Through U.S. mediation and blessing, Turkey had partnered with
Israel to rule the Middle East through joint hegemony. But Erdogan
took that position as a license to dictate his will even to Israel,
leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of his American sponsors. At home
he had managed to tame the military, which had ruled the country under
authoritarian rule for many decades, since the days of Ataturk. Today
many members of the military brass are waiting in jails for their
day in court as conspirators bent on overthrowing Erdogan's Islamist
government. The Deep State was so deep that a backlash was not in
Erdogan's calculations. Despite the fact that the country was veering
towards an Islamic rule with Ottoman caliphate in perspective, Erdogan
continued to enjoy popularity because the prosperity he had brought
to the country, until a spark at Taksim Square upended Mr. Erdogan's
political calculations. The protests began with an environmental issue
of saving some trees on Taksim Square and degenerated and splintered
into many issues, most importantly against Erdogan's authoritarian
style."
The article goes to say: "It has been reported that police have
used gravestones from the nearby Armenian cemetery to disperse the
protestors. Indeed, Taksim Square was built on an Armenian cemetery
designated as such by Sultan Suleyman I in 1560. The Kemalist
protestors are against the removal of the Ataturk Cultural Center,
which was built in the 1930s on top of the razed St. Hagop Armenian
Cemetery and the adjacent Khor Virap Church. The 16th-century cemetery
occupied a space of 56,000 square meters and the church and other
buildings an additional 500 square meters. In 1915, the cemetery
was declared by the government to be abandoned property. In 1934,
the Istanbul Court transferred the property to the city. In 1938 and
1939, the cemetery and the church were destroyed to make way for the
construction of Gezi Park."
"It is interesting that a Kurdish leader, Cengiz Alkan, has added some
additional historic facts to the above information. In a statement this
week, he announced that there used to stand a monument in memory of
the victims of the Armenian Genocide at that location. His conclusion
must have been more inflammatory to the fanatical Turks as he stated,
"Those who visit Gezi Park must be aware that there was a Genocide
memorial monument in place in 1919. We hope that someday in the future,
another Genocide monument would stand." As to how a Genocide monument
could exist at that time, we have to remember that in the immediate
aftermath of World War I, Istanbul was under Allied occupation. There
were also other demonstrators in Gezi Park who were warning that one
day Armenians would return to claim their cemetery.
One young demonstrator shamed the government that Istanbul had a
boulevard in the name of the murderer Talaat Pasha and yet not one
in the name of Hrant Dink," it says.
The Armenian aspect of Gezi Park seems to be the least of the worries
for Mr. Erdogan, who has bigger fish to fry. His entire power structure
seems to have been shaken from its foundation and there seem to be no
end to the demonstrations, embarrassing Erdogan's administration on
the world scene, weakening the economy by a sharp drop in the Turkish
stock market as well as the lira against the dollar. It was precisely
those economic achievements of Erdogan and the AKP Party which have
enhanced the prestige of Turkey globally, the article says.
Despite all these adverse developments, it says, Prime Minister Erdogan
remains defiant. He bused 300,000 of his supporters to Ankara for
a counter demonstration, a measure designed precisely to exasperate
the situation and increase the polarization in the country.
"Intoxicated by his party's successes and his achievements,
Erdogan believes nothing can destroy his government. And indeed,
demonstrators - as violent as they are - lack the leadership and
structure to dislodge the prime minister. All that can happen may be
that domestically he has to tone down his rhetoric and authoritarian
style and internationally, refrain from fomenting trouble for Turkey's
neighbors. Therefore, Erdogan's survival hinges on compromise, even
if grudgingly. Otherwise, he can precipitate his demise faster than
his opponents can fathom," Mr. Azadian concludes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress