This would include:
- A constitution that would take the country far down the road to a more Islamist state and society.
- A more presidential style of government empowering the mercurial (a nice word for personally unstable and frighteningly arrogant) Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to become the chief executive.
- The government can now infiltrate, take over, and transform the remaining hold out institutions, especially the armed forces and courts, along with the reemainder of the media that has not yet been bought up or intimidated by the Islamists.
- A government whose policy is to align with Islamists like iran, Syria (not Islamist but part of the Tehran-led alliance), Hamas, Hizballah, and perhaps the Muslim Brotherhood.
- A government against U.S. and Western interests.
- A government that, to put it bluntly, hates Israel and many of whose members hate Jews.
This is a disastrous day for the United States and for Europe; for the prospects of stability and peace in the Middle East. And it isn’t great news for the relatively moderate Arab states either.
It is the end of the republic as established by Kemal Ataturk in the 1920s and modified into a multi-party democracy in the 1950s.
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Yet how many people in the West actually appreciate what is happening? How many journalists will celebrate the election as a victory for democracy? Lenin once reportedly remarked that he would get the capitalists to sell him the rope with which to hang them. The AKP has gotten the West to provide that rope as a gift.
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As far as I know, the islamist party has lost seats, it got the majority but not enough to change the constitution at will (as they wanted), so let’s hope for the best even if the chances to go back to a secular Turkey are really thin now.
Wishful thinking in the extreme, X. The probability of Turkey returning to secularism is precisely zero.
Next big step for Turkey is to acquire nuclear weapons. They won’t stand for Iran being the only regional player with them (Iran WILL acquire them). There is no argument between the muslim countries as to whether or not The West ‘needs’ to be Islamized – that’s a given – the argument is who should be in charge of it/whose playbook is the one used going forward.
The only thing left now is the U.S. pullout of NATO and the establishment of the United Palestinian Sympathetic States of Europe.
How about re-ordering that to the Palestinian United Sympathetic States of Europe, Yo.
A much better acronym, n’est pas?
The only problem with that is the diseased Democrats would never agree to a pullout…
Since Europe, like the new Nazi Turkey, hates Israel and Jews, and want all of us exterminated, I’m sure the EU sees this as a great day.
As for Israel, it just added Ankara and Istanbul to its list of nuclear targets.
I have been to Turkey 10 times. I have met many Turks and all of them knew I was Israeli/Jewish because they asked me where I was from and saw my Star of David. They could not have been nicer to me. I found Turkey to be secular and modern (for the most part) The young people do not dislike the West and one tour guide made it a point to thank the Israeli people for all the aid that was sent during the many earthquakes over the past 10 years. Ataturk is worshipped there, his photo is everywhere. I feel very saddened and concerned by what is happening. There is nothing positive about Islam. It only brings death and destruction.
Well, guess what? 50% of the people who were nice to you voted for Adolf Hitler Erdogan.
I venture it will never be safe for you to go ever again.
I never plan to.
This article is silly hasbara nonsense.
To have changed the constitution one party would have to have 2/3 of the vote.
Turkey is the largest democracy with a secular constitution in the ME.
Turkey continues to be a loyal ally to America in the early 50s.
The current Lieberman/ bibi regime hates Turkey–too bad –Turkey is a key member of NATO and an ally of the US.
victor, a democracy, or for that matter a sane government, does not throw journalist who criticize them in jail nor does it censor the internet nor does it rant and rave about the global zionist conspiracy to rule the world
Oh it doesn’t? Like journalist in America not being jailed for refusing to reveal whistleblowers?
Complete and utter nonsense. I’m not saying Turkey isn’t heading the wrong direction, but ignorance and arrogance is not the path upon which to proceed. This country needs to toss out it’s own facist elitist before wagging the finger.
journalist being jailed for not revealing their sources is quite a bit different from journalist being jailed for merely disagreeing with the government. the turkish government is going so far as banning books and jailing bloggers that are critical of it’s rule. and their new internet filter is reminiscence of communist china (or maybe islamist iran?)
No one should have the right to publicize military and state secrets, especially under the guise of “journalism”, i.e., “I demand my 15 minutes of celebrity”. Otherwise, why make spying illegal? Journalists know what the laws are. If they don’t like them, have them changed. It’s not as if the news media have no influence. You have no concept of real fascism.
just a small little fact for doug. according to the organization for security and co-operation in europe, turkey has the highest number of imprisoned journalists (57) in the world – more than russia, china or iran
I’m afraid you had a little typo. Let me correct it for you. This is how your comment should be read:
“This comment is silly Turkish propaganda nonsense:
To have changed the constitution one party would have to have 2/3 of the vote.
Turkey is the largest democracy with a secular constitution in the ME.
Turkey continues to be a loyal ally to America in the early 50s.
The current Lieberman/ bibi regime hates Turkey–too bad –Turkey is a key member of NATO and an ally of the US.”
I always knew I took the time to read Revelations for a reason.
d(^_^)b
http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
“Because the Only Good Progressive is a Failed Progressive”
Your next to last paragraph is right on the money. As for the West losing big in regard to the Turkish election that depends on whether the people in Washington and Europe continue in the delusion that Turkey is something it is not. As for Turkish membership in NATO the US will probably go along with whatever fantasy the Europeans concoct to avoid kicking it out. Turkey’s membership should have been deactivated the moment it refused to let US combat divisions move into Iraq from Turkey. But you’re talking about what amounts to a government program here and these things never die a natural death. At the very least it will be years before the US stops giving military aid to Turkey. In the meantime this aid will likely end up in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood types and clues like rent-a-mobs going on multi-day benders denouncing the US right outside our embassy will be ignored.
Culture drives institutions, not the other way ’round. Turkey is still Turkey, but the culture may be changing slightly in favor of the West. This election is not evidence of it, but it’s there.
Yeah, yeah, Turkey is getting ever closer to the West. Remember how once upon a time, before the AKP was first elected, Turkey had a non-Islamist government? But nevermind prehistory, now the AKP got “only” half of the votes, which must mean Turkey is really getting closer and closer to the West. Whatever. Just don’t build a strategy on the basis of this assumption.
The NATO rules are
An attack on any one member is an attack on all
Iraq did not attack any NATO member.
If Turkey enabled an attack on Iraq it would face retaliation
Germany and France vetoed any defense of Turkey and said that if it allowed a US invasion from its territory the they would end its hopes of joining the EU
Colin Powell is clear about this matter.
Hasbara is pushing its propaganda all over this this site
–hasbara has no credibility
–stop wasting your money and your time
–it aint working
but feel free to keep pushing this hack PR
VICTOR….YOU’RE MY GUY! These maroons on this web site just cannot see the acorns from the pine trees. Hey, I bet you’re also into EOF (Extreme Organic Farming). I really think that the root cause to all this right-wing propaganda – which is really a failure of understanding on their part – is a lack of proper nutrition because of chemically depleted fruits and vegetables. Also, their precious bodily fluids are corrupted by years of excessive floride consumption (tap water…geez!). You agree with me, don’t you buddy? We get it, don’t we? YOU’RE MY MAN!
It’s the electrolytes.
Awww.
She likes you Victor. Nothing wrong with your “precious body fluids” eh Vic?
Anyway, maybe with all this Syrian – Iran stuff heating up on the border the Turkish government will get back to improving its relationship with the US and Israel. In the long run that is in the best interests of everyone including the repressed Syrians, Iranians and Lebanese.
WAAAAA!! What’s the matter republi-cry babies? DEMOCRACY didn’t go your way in Turkey? What a bunch of maroons. All you neocons ever talk about is “democracy….gotta invade Iraq to spread democracy…blah, blah”. But now that democracy worked to put some people into power WHO YOU DON’T LIKE, you whine. The Turkish people have spoken. Now here’s the reality: the republicans are bought and paid for by the Israeli Lobby, that’s why you see this article. You’re actually attacking the Turks FOR VOTING! The real culprit is the Zionist Entity and the extreme lack of organic fruits and vegetables in the southeast USA. That and the overuse of chemical fertilizers. And Dobermans, too many Dobermans running around.
ah yes lovelyearth, yes yes we get it, if you don’t agree with a muslim then you are part of the evil global zionist conspiracy to rule the world. erdogan said so himself just last week
The people of Nazi Germany were speaking when they once cheered some guy named Hitler. But by the time something was done about it, he had already run amok. Must have been something he ate.
I suppose “LovelyEarth” would be a little more credible if he/she paid attention to the spell check function. Of course, s/he did spell “maroons” correctly, so I suppose that racist gaff of calling the participants in this posting one of the South’s 16 degrees of “black” is o.k. I suspect, however, that s/he meant to say moron, but I digress.
The BBC reports final results as Erdogan’s team lost 15 seats, 326 vs 341; Far Right lost 17 seats, 54 vs 71; Kurds gain 9, 35 vs 26; and the seculars gain 23, 135 vs 112. Depending on where one wants to place the Kurds on the political spectrum, I think we can say the center gained a bit and the left/right lost a bit. Probably results in status quo for the next four years.
“LovelyEarth” is obviously a satire. At least I hope so. It’s becoming ever more difficult to tell the difference.
“maroon” is a bugs bunny reference.
Surely, Ataturk is flippin’ in his grave. I give Turkey 10 yrs. till it is another Iran. Things were MUCH better in the 1980s under the military gov’t. Sure wish that they would revolt. Just go to Turkey & check things out for yourselves. They treat Christians like dirt & allow muslims to kill ‘em. They now hate Jews & America. This was NOT the case in the 1980s as we were there both then & just recently. 20 yrs. ago almost no one wore the burka. Now? Just look at ‘em in downtown Istanbul. The anti-US & Israel propaganda continues. They even have films about US soldiers killing people in Iraq just to harvest their organs & sell ‘em! And…a lot of Turks actually believe this crap. I say keep ‘em out of the EU & let the military take over & send Ergodan packing to Iran or Saudi Arabia…if they can! The fact is that the Turkish Government is certainly no friend of ours now.
Turkey and Egypt are great losses. Let’s see what the Saudis do now. Do you believe they will remain a (sort of) ally when all the regional Muslim powers changed sides, Pakistan is seeking new friends in China following the Bin Laden incident, and the US under Obama proved to be an unreliable and delusional ally? Rubin was right to mention the Age of Aquarius in some post since this admin does seem to inhabit some corny 60s musical rather than the real world, and the Middle East is as far as can be from a 60s musical.
As per the Saudis, the news there is not bad in the near term, but further out, WATCH OUT! King Abdullah is pushing 88 or something and Crown Prince Sultan isn’t far behind. The next in line is the [current] Minister of the Interior, a fellow named Prince Naif [or Nayef], who is a skull-busting Salafist. The Vice Minister of the INT is his younger brother Ahmad, who would fill in for him if he’s King.
I was one of the last US diplomats to interview Prince Naif, I’m told, and I can assure you he hates Americans. The Ambassador I escorted was treated brusquely and almost with a susurrus of sneering contempt. He treated Louis Freeh like a houseboy when the head of the FBI came to personally look into the terrible bombings in Dhahran.
The good thing right now is that I do believe that, even though Iran & Venezuela kept OPEC from raising production, the Saudis are going to do so anyway, keeping prices down a wee bit.
What happens after the death of king Abdullah will be “interesting” for another reason. In the Iranian regime’s vision (link to a shortened version of a film created and distributed by the Iranian regime as a preparation for the apocalyptic appearance of the Mahdi), the death of king Abdullah will mark the imminent reappearance of the Mahdi. According to the film Iran is supposed to lead an Islamic war on the non-Muslim world, particularly on Israel and the US who were created and are ruled, like many other countries, by the Devil worshipping Freemasons who conspire an evil global government (don’t blame me, it’s what they say), so we can expect things to start rolling fast after the death of Abdullah.
“The AKP got almost–remember that almost–everything it wanted. It will be in power for four more years, infiltrating institutions, producing a new constitution, intimidating opponents, altering Turkish foreign policy, and shifting public opinion to dislike Americans and Jews more.”
The people of Turkey have spoken: the past is to be abandoned to a glorious future. This is a foreshadowing of our own election in 2012. Do not refuse to believe that the world has changed. People do not wish to be free. That day has passed. The legacy of Ataturk will soon lie in the dust beside the legacy of Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin.
Europe doesn’t doesn’t exist anymore. America only barely so. There is nobody at home. So who cares if Turkey turns Islamist and incites against israel? No fact can compete with the seductive powers of political correctness. ‘oh that’s not antisemitism, that’s being critical -as good friends sometimes are. And whats wrong with Islam? The religion of peace…’
Don’t expect anyone to wake up. They have no intention to.
Even more reason to ‘take out’ Iran, now. Set the tone before WWIII is required to save the planet from this growing cancer.
At least, the cockroaches will crawl back into the dark for a century or two.
An interesting post. I was in Istanbul for the past week during which time the electioneering for yesterday’s election was at full volume (think of loudspeakers blaring from vans driving around and around). I certainly saw no evidence of hatred of Jews or America, but then I don’t speak Turkish… Coming home last night I decided to do a bit of research on Turkish politics about which I knew very little. This is an interesting post from Der Spiegel which gives some perspective: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,767427,00.html
tjan here is a place you can keep up with what is going on in turkey http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/
one thing you won’t read in any reports but that i have been told by several turks, who don’t know each other by the way, is that the akp buys votes from the poor in the outlaying small villages
i was in istanbul 4 years ago and have many friends there and it pains me to see what is happening to this beautiful country and these wonderful people.
Thanks! I read a print version of this paper and appreciate the online version. Really interesting perspectives and not just on news of Turkey.
In the short term I do share Mr. Ruben pessimism. As a Jew who was born and grew up in Turkey I can predict That Erdogan will not survive his term.( In Turkey’s history No elected politician ever rule for that long). Within a year or two the most, their economy will sink to the bottom. For the last
10 years, What propelled Turkey’s economy is the green money coming from wealthy Gulf states As the Arab world gets more chaotic the money flow into Turkey will dry up. Once it does Watch Turkey’s political system collapse on its own weight. At that time another coup d’etat is a real possibility.
Good job, EU
You forced the Turkish military to step back, to allow ‘democracy’
Congrats, you created an ultra-Islamic state, replacing the pro-Western ally we once had
Want to give me a couple paper cuts and squirt lemon juice on them while you’re on a roll?
Why do nations who have had some success in their social and economic structure by not followinga n islamic agenda, suddenly change course and adopt the losing Islamic values while knowing full well how unsuccessful the Islamic way has been?
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