Erdogan could secure power after his term: “We will be together to the grave”

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Turkey had a choice. Between a fresh start with Kemal Kilicdaroglu (74) – or a continuation of a quasi-autocratic regime under Recep Tayyip Erdogan (69). The country chose the second option.

And this despite the fact that the Turkish opposition had the best chance in years to overthrow the “Erdogan system”. Six opposition parties had agreed on a comprehensive reform program and on a presidential candidate.

The economy was and is plagued by inflation – last year it was more than 86 percent. Two earthquakes killed 50,000 people and destroyed an area the size of Bulgaria. Favored by shoddy construction methods, corruption and failed disaster relief efforts.

So many mistakes – and yet again president

But none of that was enough to overthrow him: Erdogan got 52.14 percent of the vote, Kilicdaroglu 47.86 percent, according to the election authority after counting 99.43 percent of the vote. This means that the man who single-handedly led Turkish politics for 20 years will remain in power for at least another five years. “At least” is the key word here. During his victory speech, Erdogan shouts: “What did I say? We will be together not only until Sunday, but to the grave.”

It is possible. Under the constitutional amendments introduced by Erdogan in 2017, a president can run for a third term in his second term if parliament calls new elections before the end of his term. With Erdogan’s coalition securing 323 seats out of 600 in this election, he could easily secure another term – and remain in power into the 2030s.

The West gets a bitchy partner

On Sunday, the Turks had the choice between the authoritarian-Islamic incumbent party and a Kemalist-social-democratic challenger. The fact that they ultimately chose Erdogan says something about the mood in the country and where Turkey will be in 2023.

This must also be taken into account in the global West. While it is an open secret that Brussels and Washington hoped that Kilicdaroglu would win the election, they now have at least five years to come to terms with Erdogan. That can be difficult. And yet you must continue to have a kind of convenience friendship with Turkey.

Because Turkey has developed into a major player, especially when it comes to NATO and refugee issues and the war in Ukraine. Pressure from the West could even bear fruit here. It becomes more difficult when it comes to human and minority rights or accession to the EU. Because if the second round really was a referendum on Erdogan, Turkey would also decide against Europe on Sunday. The land faces east, not west. And Western Turkish relations are not yet at their nadir.

Source: Blick