Just weeks after the expulsion of Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey has a new prime minister in the former of Binali Yildirim, a former Transportation Minister and long-time ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Needless to say, this greatly improves Erdogan’s position, ending his feud with the prime minister’s office over attempts to expand his own power, with Yildirim saying that his “top priority” is to expand Erdogan’s power, at the expense of his new post.
Historically, the Turkish prime minister holds most of the power in government, with the presidency mostly a figurehead position. Erdogan, however, has been shifting this since becoming president, seeking “reforms” that will give him near-dictatorial power.
Davutoglu, a high-profile politician himself, was clearly resistant to losing so much power, but Yildirim seems fully aware that he’s in office to do exactly that, and with Erdogan now getting a constitutional amendment allowing him to prosecute his political opponents, it seems nothing stands in his way from adding to his authority.
Washington and NATO who are constantly demonizing Putin for imagined events have this to say about Turkey’s new dictator: *crickets*
Hypocritical scumbags.
Well, it seems hard, very hard, even for Antiwar to shake off neocon narrative prism. So, let’s try to do it — less emotionally and un-loaded of romantic notions of good and evil.
Turkey is going through political turmoil on several fronts. One, there is a resurgent armed Kurdish secessionism engulfing its border regions, the very regions bordering two war-thorn countries, Iraq and Syria. The armed movement and its political wing had for decades support from the West. This has become very obvious in the latest two rounds of parliamentary elections. The only reason Turkey was not able to form a government following the first parliamentary elections was the refusal of Kurdish and other pro-Western parties (Republican Party) to join the ruling party in a coalition. Hence, new elections, where the ruling party was able to form the government outright. The episode showed Turkish electorate very vividly that Kurdish parties worked towards the undermining of political stability, and joined shrill neocon depictions of Turkish ruling party as unacceptable. Following the win, the Party was eager to transform a weak Parliamentary system — in which a secessionist minority party can paralyze and influence politics against the majority — and transform it into a presidential system.
Now, all those that see something sinister in it, must reflect on the fact that many countries for a number of reasons have a presidential form of government, and prefer the separation of legislative, judicial, administrative and executive powers. A combination of a parliamentary system, and multi-party electoral system — can literally cripple any country. Turkey’s ruling party — the majority of the 50 member body that rules it, wanted to change to system to the presidential executive. This could have been accomplished by a/ winning a two-third majority in Parliament — a practical impossibility for any party, no matter how popular, or b/ by the decision of the Ruling Party’s top governing body, and subsequent two thirds approval by the Parliament. Neocons were elated — thinking that Turkey will remain weak and malleable, as the conditions did not seem to exist. First, the party top was split with Davutoglu as a leader in slow-motion boycotting any such move. But the Parliament found a way. They voted to take the immunity from the parliamentarians if they support “terrorism”, which in Turkey means armed secessionists. This was a tricky situation for the West-influenced parties, such as Republicans, as they did not want public to see them as supporting Kurdish secessionism, and could not vote to object to stripping the immunity from those that openly support Kurdish armed rebellion. With this hurdle removed, now the issue lay squarely with the ruling party governing body. Davutoglu thus lost the support, and he resigned as the Prime Minister and party leader. The outcome, no Davutoglu supporters were elected into the top 20 member governing body, meaning that no ministers will come from the losing faction.
There is really no reason to take an issue with the change in political system that is largely being the response to the internal turmoil, terrorist bombings, secessionism, and two US-managed wars on its borders.
The only issue to watch for is if the Turkish policy changes in the near future. And that means Kurds in Turkey and the region, as well as the policy towards Syria. Worth watching will be the relationship with NATO and EU. For one, love-hate relationship with NATO will have to come to its logical conclusion. Majority of population echoes Erdogan’s views that NATO does not want to see Turkey strong and economically prosperous, and that it was proven beyond doubt by Western castigating of Turkish stand on Kurdish secessionism. Second, war in Syria that Turks see as NATO and US failure resulted in millions of refugees flooding Turkey. And with it, bombings in Turkish cities. Policies towards EU have been rocky, and will get worse for the time being. The issue of refugees and the funding of “Turkey” to help stem the crisis, is a sore point. Davutoglu has negotiated the deal — and it is not a good one. It gives EU the image of saintly trying to address the issue and rewarding Turkey with billions of euros. Nothing can be further from truth — Turkey did not receive one euro. The balk of money is going towards a brand new EU bureaucracy — FRONTEX, that is — EU border control. I am not sure that British citizens have any idea that their leadership is getting ready — quietly — to give over the control of its external borders to FRONTEX. So, EU is creating a new super state, by controlling the borders of EU. The money also goes to the new EU wide FBI equivalent. Second, the money went into patrolling Mediterranean and returning refugee boats — mostly to Libya. And third, the money went into international busybodies such as Soros Open Society and other affiliates, as well as Gulen Foundation (“moderate” Turkish cleric in “voluntary” exile in US) for providing services to refugees — health care and education. It is important to note that it is Soros group that is most active in sending refugees to Europe. All refugees show up with the booklet provided to them by Soros organization in which in multiple languages is described how to get to Germany via Balkan route. On it, their rights as refugees are listed, as well as precise maps showing how to come to various towns, and how to contact the humanitarian groups there. Those groups, all funded by Soros and Gulen — were on the forefront of organizing protests in European countries against restrictive measures that slow down refugees. They advocate the breaking of national immigration rules, or EU immigration rules — and emphasize the existence of “universal human rights” that are above the mere “nationalistic” laws.
Turkey is to receive refugees REFUSED by EU countries, and for each refused, receive one Syrian refugees. This is a bureaucracy Turkey does not need — as it is virtually impossible to categorize people. For example, many Iraqi’s that fled US occupation and subsequent turmoil ended in Syria. The rise of “rebels”, various Al-Qaeda and ISIS outfits, had them flee again. They may not have Syrian passport, but have documents that they resided in Syria. Such procedures will result in fast return of people in distress from European countries back into Turkey, while Turkey will be stuck with sorting out the status of migrants. A recipe for a disaster for any nation. However, it is too early to write off the power of neocons. If need be, they will activate Gulen corrupt layers in various offices, from prosecutors to universities, from press to police. I would think that they may have to give it up, as Turkey banned and took over Gulen’s media, and banned Soros, but you never know. Money burrows where the drills cannot.
There is a consolidation of power, and the consolidation has a huge support in public. But where it goes from here, will be interesting. Knowing the Erdogan’s penchant for unpredictability and good old fashioned Levant intrigue, we are not likely to see the outcome of the power struggle any time soon. Perhaps in bits and pieces, but those will be visible only to those that know, from experience, how to read Turkish tea leaves.
It should be the priority for Turkey to strengthen relationship with Iraq, Iran and repair relationships with Russia. By ending its posture that was out of step with the region, Turkey cannot hope to gain anything relying on Saudi Arabia or US. Stabilization in the region is the ONLY way for Turkey to reverse the flow of refugees. There is NOTHING that it will gain from Europe, other then an entanglement and economic downturn. Example of such entanglement was one of the 72 conditions that Turkey was to fulfill for its citizens to get visa free travel to Europe. That was a carrot — hoping that Erdogan was going to be pushed aside as Davatoglu negotiated the deal. But when Erdogan revealed that one of the demands is to drop the laws on terrorism, and thus legitimize the armed secessionism in Kurdish region — that did not sit well with the public, and Europe did not smell as a rose any more. If Davotoglu and Europe hoped to force Erdogan to go along with it — gambling that the allure of visa free travel to Europe was stronger to any national goal — they were so wrong. The public opinion — as opposed to many eastern European countries that sold their dearest national interests for visa free travel — did not at all wanted to trade their national interests for the shiny mirrors of EU. Erdogan waited for the issue to be raised, and took the risk by going public.
Considering how much neocon meddling there was and still is in Turkey, I am surprised by the easy manner in which we parrot the neocon views on the world when it comes to complex issues in foreign lands. Why their uber emotional approach, designed to drag us into getting involved in yet another country’s internal affairs — so effective? What are we doing wrong? Have we not learned enough about their style, the method of pinning all on “dictators” and “corrupt” leaders of foreign lands. To me, every time I hear their shrill voices, is a reason to pause, to learn, to consider. And not thrust a whit.