Who is escalating tensions?

Mümtazer Türköne

…Speaking to journalists on his way from Cologne to Turkey, the prime minister yet again blamed the Gülen movement for everything. His remarks cannot be taken seriously even by those who pay constant attention to conspiracy theories. He argues that the movement is responsible for everything that goes wrong. This argument has not been proven over the last six months. He refers to this argument to justify a process of purging and reshuffling police officers and other high-level officials, which he has admitted is a “witch-hunt.” Whenever someone questions the government's performance or flaws in Turkey, the Gülen movement is put under the spotlight. And whenever there is a mass protest, the Gezi figures and Alevis are accused of being behind it.

There is no reason for tension in Turkey other than the harsh style and language of the prime minister. He stages opposition to the minority in an effort to gain the support of the majority. Has he been successful? The March 30 elections show that he has been.

Political normalization in Turkey depends on the end of Erdoğan's personal warfare. If he is elected president, the new prime minister will have no reason to perpetuate this policy of tension. Instead, the new prime minister will have incentives to further cooperation. It is pretty clear that the reason behind the ongoing tension in Turkey is Erdoğan's harsh rhetoric.

Excerpted from the author's column published on Today's Zaman, 26 May 2014, Monday