Grand national assembly of Turkey main chamber. Wikicommons/VOA. some rights reserved.In politics, a Hot Potato is a topic so contentious that it causes damage to a candidate whether he shows himself to be for it or not. For a campaign to be successful, so argue strategists, such issues are best to be avoided altogether, or, better yet deflected onto the opposing candidate.
The term evolved from a nineteenth century game, in which participants would sit in a circle and pass a lighted match, piece of paper, or candle around until the flame burnt someone’s fingers. The group would then choose an embarrassing or painful challenge for the loser to perform. In later times the flame was substituted with a hot potato, but the lesson remained the same. Try not to burn your fingers. Perhaps the most poetic part was the accompanying rhyme: “Jack’s alive and likely to live. If he dies in your hand you’ve a forfeit to give”.
As Parliament convened on June 23, the only forfeit to give was power. And while the elections have been correctly identified as a victory for identity politics, the ensuing political instability is likely to continue, as any coalition government will have to assume the costs of the AKP’s looming financial debt crisis.
