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Does One Say 'I Am' To Be?

18.04.2014 12:15

I will keep talking about the presidential elections. At this stage, this actually means that we will be discussing whether Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will run for president. Recent developments show that he will. Erdoğan's candidacy will herald a new situation in Turkey. What will happen if he becomes president? Will this be good or bad for Turkey?Efforts by the prime minister to reshape the state as a party state in the aftermath of the corruption and bribery probe on Dec. 17 will enter a new phase if this happens. Obviously, Erdoğan wants to ensure that the process he initiated will continue after he becomes president. It appears that this is the number one issue he is working on before announcing his candidacy. His hate-filled speeches where he pledged to combat the so-called parallel state after the March 30 mayoral elections are a clear sign of this.The judiciary gets attacked by Prime Minister Erdoğan when it delivers judgments he doesn't like. For instance, most recent

I will keep talking about the presidential elections. At this stage, this actually means that we will be discussing whether Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will run for president. Recent developments show that he will. Erdoğan's candidacy will herald a new situation in Turkey. What will happen if he becomes president? Will this be good or bad for Turkey?
Efforts by the prime minister to reshape the state as a party state in the aftermath of the corruption and bribery probe on Dec. 17 will enter a new phase if this happens. Obviously, Erdoğan wants to ensure that the process he initiated will continue after he becomes president. It appears that this is the number one issue he is working on before announcing his candidacy. His hate-filled speeches where he pledged to combat the so-called parallel state after the March 30 mayoral elections are a clear sign of this.

The judiciary gets attacked by Prime Minister Erdoğan when it delivers judgments he doesn't like. For instance, most recently, Erdoğan denounced an Adana court's ruling to release police chiefs who were arrested over allegations of conducting illegal wiretaps. In addition, he has strongly condemned the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK). He not only said he does not respect the Constitutional Court's decision on the Twitter ban but also implied that the court was under the influence of the so-called parallel structure. And he keeps directing accusations against the opposition parties.

If we recall that Erdoğan is decided on this course of action and also determined to become the president, it becomes evident that our greatest issue is to try to understand whether he will keep up this “fight” if he is elected president. Obviously, he doesn't sufficiently trust his friends who would take over his former role to carry out his mission. The fact that he's considering a co-chairmanship is indicative of this lack of trust.

Perhaps a person who intends to run for president should be more moderate, constructive, embracing and reasonable. However, Erdoğan seems very resolute on carrying out his fight against the so-called parallel state even if he becomes president. Therefore, he will keep strongly criticizing the judiciary and any rulings he believes are against him, even as president.

The problem here is this: The president is responsible for coherence and harmony in the operation of the judicial, executive and legislative branches. Will Erdoğan be able to perform this role if he persists with his current attitude? He will not. In this case, the state will continue to experience new crises. This is not fortune-telling; this is a foreseeable eventuality.

As I noted earlier, the polarization he causes in the political and social structure is another dimension of the problem. Will a person who is extremely loved by some and equally hated by others be able to reunite the people? The question could be paraphrased as follows: Can a position that is meant to unite the people and settle disagreements be used to carry out a personal fight?

This is why Turkey will likely have new crises and problems if Erdoğan becomes president. The presidency is not a role that can be taken on by merely saying, "I am."

Of course, it is still a possibility that Erdoğan will give up on running for the presidency despite his strong desire to hold the position.

However, a process of normalization based on democracy, supremacy of law and freedoms will remain our key topic of discussion in Turkey.

CAFER SOLGUN (Cihan/Today's Zaman)



 
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