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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Aug 9 2014
As Turkey enters a new era
SERKAN DEMÄ°RTAÅ?
Nearly four months after the local elections, Turkish citizens will go
to the polls once again, this time, to elect the country's 12th
president. This election is particularly important, as it's the first
time a president will be elected through direct vote. Whoever will
claim victory on Sunday will be marked as the first `elected
president,' complicating the Turkish political and administrative
system based on a parliamentary system.
One of the most important observations regarding the presidential
election process is that its law has many shortcomings that need to be
corrected. It lacks provisions to force candidates to be more
transparent regarding donations made to their campaigns; it should
extend the pre-election process for a better campaigning and
fund-raising period; it should introduce a way to increase the number
of candidates, especially from civil society; it should bring about
measures for a fair and equal competition between the candidates and
it should oblige the resignations from official duties for candidates.
It seems the current law is tailored for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an's election to the presidency. As underlined by the election
monitors from the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) and Council of Europe, the pre-election process was fully based
on an unfair competition to ErdoÄ?an's advantage. The state broadcaster
just worked for ErdoÄ?an's campaign, while Ekmeleddin Ä°hsanoÄ?lu and
Selahattin DemirtaÅ? found hardly any chance to appear on the state
broadcaster's channels.
As suggested by Kemal KılıçdaroÄ?lu, leader of the Republican People's
Party (CHP), an obligation for the candidates to participate to a live
debate with other contenders could also be inserted into the new law,
if it is amended one day.
As for the candidates' performances, it could be said ErdoÄ?an
capitalized on the advantage he had of being prime minister and using
the state's means. He often used the concept `new Turkey' and promised
his voters that he will continue to serve the country under his new
capacity. In a bid to attract votes from the Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP), he boosted his nationalistic rhetoric, while insulting
Armenians, Alevis and Kurds at the expense of being criticized for
using hate speech.
Ä°hsanoÄ?lu's challenge was bigger, as he first tried to make himself
known to the masses. The support he had from the CHP and the MHP was
limited to the chairmen, as neither parties provided sufficient
institutional backing to him. He could not offer much to voters except
that he will be a protocol president to represent Turkey in the world
in the most respectable and credible way. He fell short in making his
arguments in many platforms and his blunders overshadowed many of his
positive messages.
DemirtaÅ? faced challenges and obstacles during his presidential
campaign, but his messages were praised by a large group, including
President Abdullah Gül and KılıçdaroÄ?lu. He opened his party to
different segments of society and received a positive reception from
them. He will likely increase his votes on Sunday's polls, which would
also strengthen his hands for the Kurdish reconciliation process.
Whoever will be elected on Sunday, the presidential polls will mark a
new era for Turkey.
August/09/2014
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/as-turkey-enters-a-new-era.aspx?pageID=449&nID=70166&NewsCatID=429
From: Baghdasarian
Aug 9 2014
As Turkey enters a new era
SERKAN DEMÄ°RTAÅ?
Nearly four months after the local elections, Turkish citizens will go
to the polls once again, this time, to elect the country's 12th
president. This election is particularly important, as it's the first
time a president will be elected through direct vote. Whoever will
claim victory on Sunday will be marked as the first `elected
president,' complicating the Turkish political and administrative
system based on a parliamentary system.
One of the most important observations regarding the presidential
election process is that its law has many shortcomings that need to be
corrected. It lacks provisions to force candidates to be more
transparent regarding donations made to their campaigns; it should
extend the pre-election process for a better campaigning and
fund-raising period; it should introduce a way to increase the number
of candidates, especially from civil society; it should bring about
measures for a fair and equal competition between the candidates and
it should oblige the resignations from official duties for candidates.
It seems the current law is tailored for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an's election to the presidency. As underlined by the election
monitors from the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) and Council of Europe, the pre-election process was fully based
on an unfair competition to ErdoÄ?an's advantage. The state broadcaster
just worked for ErdoÄ?an's campaign, while Ekmeleddin Ä°hsanoÄ?lu and
Selahattin DemirtaÅ? found hardly any chance to appear on the state
broadcaster's channels.
As suggested by Kemal KılıçdaroÄ?lu, leader of the Republican People's
Party (CHP), an obligation for the candidates to participate to a live
debate with other contenders could also be inserted into the new law,
if it is amended one day.
As for the candidates' performances, it could be said ErdoÄ?an
capitalized on the advantage he had of being prime minister and using
the state's means. He often used the concept `new Turkey' and promised
his voters that he will continue to serve the country under his new
capacity. In a bid to attract votes from the Nationalist Movement
Party (MHP), he boosted his nationalistic rhetoric, while insulting
Armenians, Alevis and Kurds at the expense of being criticized for
using hate speech.
Ä°hsanoÄ?lu's challenge was bigger, as he first tried to make himself
known to the masses. The support he had from the CHP and the MHP was
limited to the chairmen, as neither parties provided sufficient
institutional backing to him. He could not offer much to voters except
that he will be a protocol president to represent Turkey in the world
in the most respectable and credible way. He fell short in making his
arguments in many platforms and his blunders overshadowed many of his
positive messages.
DemirtaÅ? faced challenges and obstacles during his presidential
campaign, but his messages were praised by a large group, including
President Abdullah Gül and KılıçdaroÄ?lu. He opened his party to
different segments of society and received a positive reception from
them. He will likely increase his votes on Sunday's polls, which would
also strengthen his hands for the Kurdish reconciliation process.
Whoever will be elected on Sunday, the presidential polls will mark a
new era for Turkey.
August/09/2014
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/as-turkey-enters-a-new-era.aspx?pageID=449&nID=70166&NewsCatID=429
From: Baghdasarian