According to a Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency, more than 150 Turkish soldiers and police officers have been killed since July 7 in armed attacks blamed on the PKK, which has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since the 1980s. Only the A&G polling firm, shortly before November 1st, predicted a majority government for the AKP.
Advertisement
The action came only a day after the United States and two European observer missions expressed concern about media intimidation during the election campaign.
“We spotted a discrepancy of 10,000 out of the total 48,000,000 votes cast across Turkey”, it said, adding that this difference amounted to just 0.02 percent of the entire vote and noting that this level of difference was no greater than it was in the June 7 election. Five months of fearmongering and attacks and counterattacks were meant to appeal to the instinct of rallying around the sitting government.
“It is obvious that the current system does not meet Turkey’s needs”.
The names who will be placed on the economic management team in the new government will be a road marker on how investors will see Turkey for coming years.
Critics warn that an emboldened Erdogan, who is seeking to expand his presidential powers, could become more autocratic and further polarise a country already deeply divided on political, sectarian and religious lines. “There was no word on Israel, or Jews as a threat or lobby that want to harm Turkey”, as there have been from AKP officials in the past, she said.
Emboldened by its surprise election victory, the AKP has since gone on the offensive against both the Kurdish rebels and opponents of Erdogan, including critical media.
Speaking in the capital, Erdoğan said the prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, would consult opposition leaders on rewriting the constitution.
Turkey may hold a referendum on changing the constitution to create an executive presidential system and discussions on the issue will accelerate in the period ahead, President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said on Wednesday.
Those close to Erdogan say a presidential system would give Turkey the firm leadership it needs to prosper and argue that the constitution, born of a 1980 coup and still bearing the stamp of its military authors, badly needs replacing. “It is still valid today”, he said.
Ayhan Bilgen, spokesperson for the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), also said the AKP is not honest on a new constitution. A few speculate that the AKP could initiate consultations with opposition parties over a possible referendum. Erdogan is keen on doing away with Turkey’s parliamentary form of government to create a strong executive presidency.
Advertisement
The AKP has not enough seats to make constitutional amendments alone.
