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BETWEEN SULTAN AND ATATURK: ERDOGAN WINS TURKEY'S PRESIDENTIAL RACE
By Aren Torikian on August 11, 2014
ANKARA (A.W.)--On Aug. 10, the Republic of Turkey held direct
presidential elections for the first time in its 91-year history, won
by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Previously, incumbent Abdullah
Gul and his ten predecessors had all been elected by Turkey's Grand
National Assembly. The change to a direct vote came after a push by
Erdogan, who was also the front-runner coming into the election.
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the country's first
direct presidential election on Aug. 10 (Photo by Nanore Barsoumian,
The Armenian Weekly)
Erdogan and his right-leaning Justice and Development Party (AKP)
were running against independent Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and Selahattin
Demirtas of the People's Democratic Party (HDP). A former professor
and Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,
Ihsanoglu was nominated by Turkey's two largest opposition parties,
with the idea of drawing some religious voters from Erdogan. Demirtas,
the Kurdish candidate, sought to unite mostly left-leaning groups
such as the LGBT community and environmentalists, in addition to
Kurds. At just 41 years of age, Demirtas is sometimes referred to by
his supporters as the "Kurdish Obama," especially when compared to
the 60-year old Erdogan and the 70 year-old Ihsanoglu. Demirtas is
known for his recognition of the Armenian Genocide, whereas Erdogan
recently referred to being called "Armenian" as an insult.
Erdogan, who as Prime Minister oversaw massive economic growth over
the last 10 years, led opinion polling throughout the campaign, and
raised eight times more money than the other two candidates combined.
His campaign is alleged to have abused governmental power, such as
the distribution of free coal to the residents of Izmir, and the
comparatively little air time given to Messrs. Ihsanoglu and Demirtas
on state-run television. On Election Day, Erdogan took just under
52 percent of the vote, with Ihsanoglu collecting over 38 percent,
and Demirtas the remaining percentage, just under 10 percent.
Demirtas predictably led in Kurd-dominated Eastern Turkey, particularly
in areas along the borders with Iraq and Iran. Ihsanoglu won the vote
in most Western districts, mostly along the Mediterranean Sea. The AKP
and Erdogan carried the rest of the country. It is worth noting that
Demirtas' performance, although garnering only a tenth of the vote,
was significant. His party trebled its vote percentages in Ankara,
while doubling it in Istanbul and Izmir, per The Economist.
The role of the President in Turkey is somewhat symbolic, although
Erdogan has indicated he wants to strengthen the position, potentially
extending his ten-year rule of the country as Prime Minister ten
more years, as President. Erdogan's potential changes could include
giving the President the constitutional power to appoint ministers
and dissolve parliament.
On Aug. 28, Erdogan will give an oath in front of parliament, in
which, among other things, he promises to abide by Turkey's Kemalist
principle of secularism, as well as to protect human rights. How he
will balance the secularism with his own Islamist leanings, not to
mention his penchant for restricting rights such as freedom of speech,
remains to be seen. Erdogan seeks to win another 5-year term in 2019,
which would keep him in power until the centennial of the Turkish
Republic's founding by Kemal Ataturk, a man to whom Erdogan, despite
believing in different ideals, seems to aspire. Erdogan's first visit
after winning election was a stop for prayer at the Eyup Sultan Mosque,
the traditional coronation venue for Ottoman sultans. Perhaps he sees
himself somewhere between Ataturk and a sultan.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2014/08/11/ataturk-sultan-erdogan-wins-turkeys-presidential-race/
By Aren Torikian on August 11, 2014
ANKARA (A.W.)--On Aug. 10, the Republic of Turkey held direct
presidential elections for the first time in its 91-year history, won
by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Previously, incumbent Abdullah
Gul and his ten predecessors had all been elected by Turkey's Grand
National Assembly. The change to a direct vote came after a push by
Erdogan, who was also the front-runner coming into the election.
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the country's first
direct presidential election on Aug. 10 (Photo by Nanore Barsoumian,
The Armenian Weekly)
Erdogan and his right-leaning Justice and Development Party (AKP)
were running against independent Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and Selahattin
Demirtas of the People's Democratic Party (HDP). A former professor
and Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,
Ihsanoglu was nominated by Turkey's two largest opposition parties,
with the idea of drawing some religious voters from Erdogan. Demirtas,
the Kurdish candidate, sought to unite mostly left-leaning groups
such as the LGBT community and environmentalists, in addition to
Kurds. At just 41 years of age, Demirtas is sometimes referred to by
his supporters as the "Kurdish Obama," especially when compared to
the 60-year old Erdogan and the 70 year-old Ihsanoglu. Demirtas is
known for his recognition of the Armenian Genocide, whereas Erdogan
recently referred to being called "Armenian" as an insult.
Erdogan, who as Prime Minister oversaw massive economic growth over
the last 10 years, led opinion polling throughout the campaign, and
raised eight times more money than the other two candidates combined.
His campaign is alleged to have abused governmental power, such as
the distribution of free coal to the residents of Izmir, and the
comparatively little air time given to Messrs. Ihsanoglu and Demirtas
on state-run television. On Election Day, Erdogan took just under
52 percent of the vote, with Ihsanoglu collecting over 38 percent,
and Demirtas the remaining percentage, just under 10 percent.
Demirtas predictably led in Kurd-dominated Eastern Turkey, particularly
in areas along the borders with Iraq and Iran. Ihsanoglu won the vote
in most Western districts, mostly along the Mediterranean Sea. The AKP
and Erdogan carried the rest of the country. It is worth noting that
Demirtas' performance, although garnering only a tenth of the vote,
was significant. His party trebled its vote percentages in Ankara,
while doubling it in Istanbul and Izmir, per The Economist.
The role of the President in Turkey is somewhat symbolic, although
Erdogan has indicated he wants to strengthen the position, potentially
extending his ten-year rule of the country as Prime Minister ten
more years, as President. Erdogan's potential changes could include
giving the President the constitutional power to appoint ministers
and dissolve parliament.
On Aug. 28, Erdogan will give an oath in front of parliament, in
which, among other things, he promises to abide by Turkey's Kemalist
principle of secularism, as well as to protect human rights. How he
will balance the secularism with his own Islamist leanings, not to
mention his penchant for restricting rights such as freedom of speech,
remains to be seen. Erdogan seeks to win another 5-year term in 2019,
which would keep him in power until the centennial of the Turkish
Republic's founding by Kemal Ataturk, a man to whom Erdogan, despite
believing in different ideals, seems to aspire. Erdogan's first visit
after winning election was a stop for prayer at the Eyup Sultan Mosque,
the traditional coronation venue for Ottoman sultans. Perhaps he sees
himself somewhere between Ataturk and a sultan.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2014/08/11/ataturk-sultan-erdogan-wins-turkeys-presidential-race/