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Talk turkey

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strengthened his fort with the indefinite extension of the emergency. In effect, a theoretically democratic…

Talk turkey

Recep Tayyip Erdogan (FACEBOOK)

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strengthened his fort with the indefinite extension of the emergency. In effect, a theoretically democratic Turkey, westernised a century ago by Kemal Ataturk, now faces the thoroughly undemocratic prospect of what they call “rule by decree”. The emergency, it would be pertinent to recall, was introduced as a “temporary measure” after last year’s abortive coup; signals emitted from the presidential palace suggest that it shall continue till the country achieves “welfare and peace”… within no time-frame and according to President’s Erdogan’s lights. The perception of “welfare and peace” can be a matter of subjective reflection.

As both have been scarce commodities over the past few years, Turkey is seemingly headed for a monolithic presidential dictatorship of sorts for some time yet. His power will be untrammelled not least because the sweeping decree will not be subject to “parliamentary oversight”, let alone a review by a constitutional court. Indeed, his authority could turn out to be as unchallenged and repressive as that of some of the leaders of the Arab region, deposed or otherwise. In the aftermath of the coup that wasn’t, the facts and figures pertaining to his authority are mind-boggling ~ a sweeping purge within the military, suspension of 140,000, imprisonment of 40,000, and the winding down of 1500 civil rights entities.

Erdogan cannot be unaware of the caveat sounded by Amnesty International, one that effectively places his country on notice. “Catastrophic” has been the impact of the purges and the emergency on the lives of hundreds of thousands of Turkish families, ever since the measure was imposed. More than 100,000 people have not just lost their jobs in a completely arbitrary process, but have had their personal and professional lives shattered as well. However much he played to the Pakistan gallery while on a recent visit to the subcontinent, his problems and policies at home are bound to intensify the groundswell of opposition to his regime. The almost intractable domestic troubles can overshadow the diplomatic grandstanding abroad.

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The fact of the matter is that Erdogan has alienated both the people and the army. The deepening crisis within has to an extent impinged on the government’s policy towards migrants. Arguably, the emergency might have been justified in the aftermath of the failed coup in which no fewer than 250 people had perished. Having said that, the measure is now being used to muffle the faintest dissent. As in most countries, it is a “weapon” to stifle criticism of the ruling AK Party… and not to counter the genuine threats to national security. The President of Turkey is palpably wobbly at the knees, and he can scarcely afford to ignore the warning advanced by the Council of Europe ~ “If the government rules through emergency powers for too long, it will inevitably lose democratic legitimacy”. Mustafa Kemal must be spinning in his grave.

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