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OPINION: TURKEY NEEDS ERDOGAN
CNN
Aug 8 2014
By social entreprenur Yavuz Yigit, Special to CNN
Editor's note: Yavuz Yigit is a 29-year-old social entrepreneur who
works with youth in community services. He has previously worked
for the youth branch of the AKP. Follow him on Twitter. The opinions
expressed in this commentary are solely those of Yavuz Yigit.
(CNN) -- Leading Turkey in a political partnership with Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, the country's prime minister, would be "very good." That's
the view of his biggest rival in this weekend's presidential elections,
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.
The comment might seem unusual for a politician, but it reflects
Turkey's admiration for Erdogan.
Ihsanoglu, speaking on Turkish television, continued in the same
vein, noting he liked Erdogan's leadership and admired his work as
prime minister.
Yavuz Yigit
According to the polls, more than half of Turkey agrees. Erdogan has
won a record three terms as prime minister and polls show he's likely
to win Sunday's presidential elections.
This is because Erdogan has led the country with actions, not words.
Erdogan has always been known by what he has achieved. His oratory
is impressive, but it's not his winning point.
Before Erdogan was elected mayor of Istanbul in 1994, there were
frequent water cuts, garbage piled through the streets and air
pollution. He solved the problems in just three years.
Erdogan then co-established his own party, the Justice and Development
Party, or AKP, and ran in the general elections. He was known
colloquially as the saver of Istanbul and in 2002, he was voted in
as prime minister, with 34% of the vote.
What these women posted online is a sin
At the time Turkey was facing its biggest economic crisis. Inflation
rate ran above 30% and overnight interest rates had hit 63%.
Why are Turkish women posting these images?
Under Erdogan, inflation declined to single digits and GDP tripled.
His commitment to doing business with emerging markets such as Russia
and China meant the country secured nearly $130 billion in foreign
investment, compared to $15 billion during the previous 80 years.
Ä°hsanoglu: No need for tension in region
Visitor numbers soared, from 16 million in 2003 to 35 million in 2013.
The economic upturn helped Turkey fund schools, hospitals, highways,
railways, airways and universities.
And, looking at the figures, it seems naive to question how Erdogan
continues to dominate Turkish politics. The recipe is simple: He is
beneficial for the people, and they want him as their leader. Further,
when compared to the AKP, the opposition party CHP looks incompetent.
But Erdorgan's success is not just economic. Turkey has a long way to
go towards full democracy, but Erdogan has tackled three significant
problems. Firstly he has, for example, allowed the army to do its
one and only job: Be an army.
Secondly, he has backed the "solution process," designed to bring
peace with the Kurdish region. The "Kurdish Problem" has cost more
than 30,000 lives and up to $450 billion.
Thirdly, Erdogan has also modernized Turkish society by lifting the
headscarf ban in universities and public, liberating religious women.
Erdogan, in a first for the country, also expressed condolences to
the Armenian people for the massacre in 1915, during WWI.
Further, he initiated reforms that empowered non-Muslim communities,
such as the 2008 Law on Foundations that enabled property worth $2.5
billion, previously occupied unjustly by the state, to be returned
to minorities.
It won't be a surprise if Erdogan is elected as president. Under his
leadership, democratic and economic improvements will continue. It
is good now -- and it will hopefully get better.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/opinion-erdogan-yigit/
CNN
Aug 8 2014
By social entreprenur Yavuz Yigit, Special to CNN
Editor's note: Yavuz Yigit is a 29-year-old social entrepreneur who
works with youth in community services. He has previously worked
for the youth branch of the AKP. Follow him on Twitter. The opinions
expressed in this commentary are solely those of Yavuz Yigit.
(CNN) -- Leading Turkey in a political partnership with Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, the country's prime minister, would be "very good." That's
the view of his biggest rival in this weekend's presidential elections,
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.
The comment might seem unusual for a politician, but it reflects
Turkey's admiration for Erdogan.
Ihsanoglu, speaking on Turkish television, continued in the same
vein, noting he liked Erdogan's leadership and admired his work as
prime minister.
Yavuz Yigit
According to the polls, more than half of Turkey agrees. Erdogan has
won a record three terms as prime minister and polls show he's likely
to win Sunday's presidential elections.
This is because Erdogan has led the country with actions, not words.
Erdogan has always been known by what he has achieved. His oratory
is impressive, but it's not his winning point.
Before Erdogan was elected mayor of Istanbul in 1994, there were
frequent water cuts, garbage piled through the streets and air
pollution. He solved the problems in just three years.
Erdogan then co-established his own party, the Justice and Development
Party, or AKP, and ran in the general elections. He was known
colloquially as the saver of Istanbul and in 2002, he was voted in
as prime minister, with 34% of the vote.
What these women posted online is a sin
At the time Turkey was facing its biggest economic crisis. Inflation
rate ran above 30% and overnight interest rates had hit 63%.
Why are Turkish women posting these images?
Under Erdogan, inflation declined to single digits and GDP tripled.
His commitment to doing business with emerging markets such as Russia
and China meant the country secured nearly $130 billion in foreign
investment, compared to $15 billion during the previous 80 years.
Ä°hsanoglu: No need for tension in region
Visitor numbers soared, from 16 million in 2003 to 35 million in 2013.
The economic upturn helped Turkey fund schools, hospitals, highways,
railways, airways and universities.
And, looking at the figures, it seems naive to question how Erdogan
continues to dominate Turkish politics. The recipe is simple: He is
beneficial for the people, and they want him as their leader. Further,
when compared to the AKP, the opposition party CHP looks incompetent.
But Erdorgan's success is not just economic. Turkey has a long way to
go towards full democracy, but Erdogan has tackled three significant
problems. Firstly he has, for example, allowed the army to do its
one and only job: Be an army.
Secondly, he has backed the "solution process," designed to bring
peace with the Kurdish region. The "Kurdish Problem" has cost more
than 30,000 lives and up to $450 billion.
Thirdly, Erdogan has also modernized Turkish society by lifting the
headscarf ban in universities and public, liberating religious women.
Erdogan, in a first for the country, also expressed condolences to
the Armenian people for the massacre in 1915, during WWI.
Further, he initiated reforms that empowered non-Muslim communities,
such as the 2008 Law on Foundations that enabled property worth $2.5
billion, previously occupied unjustly by the state, to be returned
to minorities.
It won't be a surprise if Erdogan is elected as president. Under his
leadership, democratic and economic improvements will continue. It
is good now -- and it will hopefully get better.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/opinion-erdogan-yigit/