This is a commentary prepared by the political editor of commonspace.eu
There are two ways in which one could read the results of the Turkish elections held on Sunday (7 June). The ruling Justice and Democracy Party(AKP) that supports President Recip Tayip Erdogan has emerged as the largest party but without securing an overall majority. Instead of changing the constitution to give Erdogan more powers, as it had hoped to do, the AK Party now finds itself struggling to keep the government.
Pessimists will say that the uncertainty resulting from the fact that no party won an outright majority will harm the Turkish economy, and will lead to political crisis. Others will point at the dangerous situation that may develop if President Erdogan decides to ride roughshod over parliament, as he surely will be tempted to.
But there is another way to look at the results, and this is much more positive. In Turkey, democracy has won. Whilst the AK Party remains popular, and by far the largest political force in the country, its wings have been trimmed by an electorate that was becoming increasingly concerned at the authoritarian streak that one could start detecting in the actions of President Erdogan and his supporters. In that sense democracy has prevailed.
These elections, although marred by some violence, were also on the whole free and fair - not something that should be taken for granted in what is after all a reasonably new democracy. In terms of turnout, with more than forty six million people voting, this has probably been the largest expression of popular will in Europe - if one accepts that elections in Russia are far from being free and fair - in a single national election in recent years.
The third reason why the elections should be considered positively is the fact that the new party that represents the interests of Turkey's Kurdish minority, HDP - the People's Democratic Party passed the threshold and will have a significant number of MPs. In the current situation of no overall majority this will give the Party an important role in forging the future of Turkey, and that should be welcomed. The Kurdish minority has for a long time been disenfranchised, due to Turkey's unfair constitutional provision that requires a party to secure 10% of the vote to win seats in Parliament. HDP efforts to broaden its appeal to include leftists and progressive forces, apart from Kurds, has succeeded, and it could be also that there was some tactical voting by other opposition parties who wanted HDP to pass the threshold.
Recip Tayip Erdogan has dominated the Turkish political scene for more than a decade. He remains popular, especially in the heartlands of Anatolia and with the more socially conservative elements of Turkish society. He has presided over a period of radical and long overdue change in Turkey, conducted mostly peacefully and within the legal parameters. Last year Turks elected Erdogan as their president - a post that is hugely symbolic but carries few real powers. It is clear after this election Turks do not support his latest initiative to give the Turkish presidency executive powers. That opinion must now be respected, and Erdogan has to make the effort to be less divisive in his views and opinions. Turkey should continue to modernise and reform in order to secure its place as a modern and prosperous country, a country that has much to give to Europe and to the world.
source: This commentary was prepared by the political editor of commonspace.eu
image: Supporters of the pro-Kurdish HDP in Diyarbakir celebrate their party's entry into Parliament after the Parliamentary elections held in Turkey on 7 June 2015. (Picture courtesy of Todays Zaman).
