Early general elections

Oğuzhan Tekin

Turkey's problem has turned into a regime crisis. Turkey's exit from the crisis is the coming elections. Therefore, the March 30 local elections are evaluated as general elections and a referendum for approval of the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) rule.

The elections are also a choice between a democratic or authoritarian regime, consensual or one-party rule, a liberal democracy or a majority of tyranny.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has come to a deadlock. He has been stuck and striving for a political survival strategy. To overcome the graft probes and allegations, he sacrificed Turkey's economic and political achievements recklessly.

He has been using each opportunity to divide society and increase polarization to attract and consolidate his supporters to “rally around his flag.”

Prime Minister Erdoğan has positioned the Hizmet movement as his main target in the AK Party election campaign. Interestingly, instead of fighting with political parties, he has been blaming and targeting the movement, a civil society group. His main election promise is to conduct an operation and finish off the movement.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has been calling on foreign countries where Turkish schools are managed by the movement to shut them down by an order of Prime Minister Erdoğan. For some African countries, long-term credit and bribery were also proposed in return. But none of the schools are closed yet.

Moreover Erdoğan has been attacking in his speeches and rallies the Alevis, nationalists, white Turks, liberals, oppositional media, business conglomerates and the Hizmet movement as part of his March 30 local election strategy.

Many other social groups are scared to express their concern over Erdoğan in fear of his anger. Now, there are two camps in Turkey: Erdoğan and Erdoğan's opponents.

On Mar. 16, the Turkish Medical Association (TBB) released a written statement related to their concern about Erdoğan's emotional well-being, citing his “polarizing, excluding and 'othering' language” against certain groups of people. They concluded, "We are worried for him, his family and the entire country."

The country is dragged into dangerous places, uncertainty and chaos. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Erdoğan has been undertaking the most provocative rallies and hate speech since Dec. 17, 2013.

Whether rational or irrational, right or wrong, lawful or unlawful, Erdoğan has been using any opportunity to strengthen his hand and keep power.

Erdoğan even used US President Obama for propaganda and perception management ends. He claimed that Obama said “the message is received” in a phone conversation after his March 7 request related to the handover of Fethullah Gülen to Turkish officials. A few days later, a White House spokesperson said Erdoğan's account concerning his conversation with Obama is not true.

For the last two months, the Ministry of Education has sent inspectors to private and public schools, prep schools and dormitories across the country to interview students about whether they have political ideas imposed on them or if their families are critical of the government. Further, the inspectors have quizzed preschool centers to profile students and their families as well. Some questions asked: “Have you witnessed any political propaganda against state officials in your school?” “Which one do you like more: Atatürk or Recep Tayyip Erdoğan?” This is totally non-pedagogical for students. It leads to politicization of schools and students.

Moreover, a friend of mine told me two teachers in their school, which is a well-known secondary school in İstanbul, fought last week in the teacher's room because one of them criticized Prime Minister Erdoğan. One got two weeks' medical leave after the fight, unfortunately. This shows the degree of polarization in the society, even among educators.

Unbelievably, Erdoğan shut down Twitter on March 21 to prevent the diffusion of corruption files. He said he is planning the same operation against YouTube after the elections. The US and the UN criticized the ban as a violation of free speech. Yet he continues to insist upon and expand the ban.

On March 23, Turkish jets shot down a Syrian F-16 around the Turkey-Syria border for the reason that it violated Turkish airspace. Opposition and prudent intellectuals are warning citizens that the ruling party may increase the tension among the countries in order to cancel the elections or even declare a war.

On March 25, in a press conference in Ankara, the main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) mayoral candidate, Mansur Yavaş, said that more than 100 armed provocateurs arrived in Ankara for the purpose of sabotaging the upcoming elections. Ankara has been administrated by the AK Party for the last decade. For the first time since before the last two elections the CHP surpassed the AK Party, some polls say. Thus, it is said that the ruling party may commit some form of intrigue to get ahead of the CHP.

Turkey has become unmanageable. Around one-third of the country approves of Erdoğan's rule; yet the rest of the country hates him. Even if he has two-thirds of the votes, he cannot manage the country any more.

Turks are mature enough to give lessons to politicians at the ballot boxes rather than mass protests in squares. I think they will prefer democracy to a sultanate.

It seems whatever the March 30 election results, Turkey needs early general elections. Hopefully, the sooner the government takes this decision, the sooner the country will relax.

Published on Today's Zaman, 26 March 2014, Wednesday