On Future Turkish Political Leadership

19 Nov

[Prefatory Note: In a jointly written article, Bulent Aras and I made the case for a more assertive role for Ahmet Davutoglu in the new Turkish governing process that is emerging in the aftermath of the AKP victory in the November 1st snap election. In essence we are claiming that Turkey would benefit from a greater sense of equilibrium in the relationship between Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Davutoglu. Such a course of action has the potential of diluting the severe form of polarization that has dominated the Turkish political scene in recent years as well as restoring Turkey as a politically stable and economically dynamic country that could spread a much needed moderating influence beyond its borders. The credibility of such a role depends on three factors: restoring a meaningful peace process with representatives of the Kurdish people; lending support for a Syrian compromise based on an inconclusive and flexible approach; adopting a regional posture of independence that is not seen as distinct from the approach being taken by the United States. This ambition is in our view connected closely with a willingness of Erdogan to confine his presidential role to the existing constitutional framework and to support a process of constitutional reform that does not displace the present parliamentary system.]

 

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/11/winner-turkey-elections-151110083204683.html

 

One Response to “On Future Turkish Political Leadership”

  1. rehmat1 November 21, 2015 at 5:36 pm #

    Aykan Erdemir, former MP (CHP) and a senior fellow at Zionist think tank, Washington-based ‘Foundation for Defense of Democracies’, has claimed AKP victory for PM Davutoglu that could inspire him to “stop working under tutelage and shadow of of Erdogan. If the two fail to arrive at a modus vivendi about the future parameters of power sharing, election celebration could soon lead to infighting in the AKP ranks, adding further fuel to Turkey’s political chaos and conflict.”

    Önder Sığırcıkoğlu, Turkish intelligence whistleblower who escaped to Syria last year – in an interview has claimed that Turkey is still ruled by Crypto Jews.

    The AKP’s foreign policy has always been based upon pragmatism and negotiating its role as an important regional player which has resulted, not in the development of political Islam but in the emergence of Turkey as an important global actor, showing that recent claims and traditional understandings of the Justice and Development Party’s foreign policy as somehow Islamized are simplistic and derive from misleading theories and political propaganda (here).

    On a positive note – Turkish lira strengthened after Sunday’s results.

    http://rehmat1.com/2015/11/02/turkeys-islamists-are-back/

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