Electionpostr for the AKP party. Emrah Gurel /Press Association. All rights reserved.For many, Turkey advances towards a dark future at a fast pace. Having a rather noncommittal relationship with democracy, the Republic has muddled through with significant ups and downs. It still takes a lot of optimism to talk about political power becoming fully accountable to the public.
Politics, already a one-man-show, is becoming increasingly intolerant towards any form of criticism. It pushes dissidents off the stage. Turning the Parliament into a technical apparatus President Erdoğan is moving to lift the parliamentary immunity of deputies. Relying on a judicial apparatus that he formed when he was the prime minister, Erdoğan will target the deputies of the pro-Kurdish, left-leaning People’s Democracy Party (HDP). Following this pattern, he will further target HDP deputies and position them as public enemies in the fight against terrorism. The recent performance of the HDP gives little hope about their remaining fully inside the legitimate political sphere by distancing themselves completely from PKK terrorism. Since the last general election on November 1, Erdoğan seems to be succeeding with his political strategy of pushing the HDP further to the margins and the HDP seems to be taking the bait doubly pressed upon them by Erdoğan and the PKK.
Who benefits from such chaos?
The process of authoritarianism which became apparent in Erdoğan’s harsh and disproportionate response to the Gezi protests spiralled afresh during the corruption probe of 17/25 December 2013 which allegedly included prominent members of his party, AKP. Spinning the corruption accusations as an illegitimate attempt to dethrone him, Erdoğan broadened his recriminations against his critics. Whoever thought differently was accused of a questionable loyalty to the country, whoever articulated his criticism became a ‘potential terrorist’. Political opposition, civil society, media and academics were being silenced with different methods and the criticism of international society was fended off through the new-born patriotism of the AKP.
