Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Turkey Related Subjects => Turkey Discussion Forum (Not Calis specifically) => Topic started by: Scunner on April 20, 2018, 20:21:39 PM
-
Interesting article
https://www.fredericknewspost.com/public/ap/turkey-s-weak-opposition-scrambles-to-challenge-erdogan/article_1002c0bb-2255-5337-a6bd-b1e4c5a0f3e1.html
-
Russia MK 2 :( :(
-
Well it looks as though the opposition parties are getting their act together.They are holding talks and will make an
announcement this weekend and it's being suggested they will all unite behind ex President Gul to challenge the
wee fella in the second round voting. " Could turn out nice again " :)
-
Aye, its all becoming interesting and the commentators who have been talking about Gül becoming a contender over the past few months have been proved correct. Even the HDP have indicated that they could possibly put their votes to Gül instead of their own candidate (Demirtas).
Good article in Al-Monitor about disenchanted pious Kurds who preciously supported the AKP, but due to the recent incursion into Syria are now likely to switch alliance:
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/04/turkey-elections-kurds-emerge-as-kingmakers.html (https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/04/turkey-elections-kurds-emerge-as-kingmakers.html)
While all the political manoeuvring is for good column inches in the press and fodder for discussion, we have to remember it is still a State of Emergency which means the dice are heavily loaded against any party other the incumbent. Polling officials will all be members of the AKP, as will the numerous cats on standby to be thrown into electricity sub stations across the country.
Lets just hope that the opposition parties get their **** together else it'll be another walk in the park for the wee fella and his party.
JF
-
One Turkish opposition leader showing her true colours.
(https://s17.postimg.cc/e0dtd6o7f/meral_akse.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/e0dtd6o7f/)
-
Good to see that some sort working together/coalition is being considered. But Gul, really? Same meat different gravy.
-
Actually no. He is opposed to the presidential style of government that is about to be imposed. That said, once he gets a whiff of the power...
JF
-
Yes, I know he is but there's not much to separate Gul from Reg. Gul's veneer is just rather more polished.
-
No, you're completely wrong. While they both started the AKP in 2001 I think you'll find that they are now very different, both in personalities and ideologies.
In addition to opposing the presidential power grab, Murat Yetkin sums up some of the other differences here: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/opinion/murat-yetkin/find-seven-differences-between-gul-and-erdogan-64050 (http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/opinion/murat-yetkin/find-seven-differences-between-gul-and-erdogan-64050)
and Mustafa Akyol here: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/opinion/mustafa-akyol/how-gul-differed-from-erdogan-84094 (http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/opinion/mustafa-akyol/how-gul-differed-from-erdogan-84094)
This article reinforces his attitudes towards human rights and the media: https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/turkey/.premium-who-isnt-erdogan-fighting-with-these-days-1.5729627 (https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/turkey/.premium-who-isnt-erdogan-fighting-with-these-days-1.5729627)
I mean, he is the guy who took his missus on a UK royal visit and let her wear what some commentators described as "hooker heels" :)
(https://thumb.ibb.co/hJKQyc/nat_abdullah_gul_state_vist014.jpg) (https://ibb.co/hJKQyc)
JF
-
Opinion polls taken when the assumption was that Gul would be standing as an Independent showed him as doing even worse than Kilicdaroglu (CHP) with Aksener (Iyi Party) well in front of both of them - but still behind Erdogan - when it came to second round preferences. It will be interesting to see what happens in the polls if Gul gets the backing of CHP, Iyi and HDP as a unity candidate. The problem is that Erdogan is more-or-less guaranteed MHP's 10% of the vote and that gets him over the 50% line.
-
I'm not completely wrong - we have a difference of opinion. It could be said that Gul's more moderation stance against Reg was firefighting on behalf of the religious right. Whatever way it's dressed up he is of the religious right which by it's nature isn't conducive to a secular democratic republic. This is a man who married his cousin who was half his age and barely out of school. I hope your comment that he 'let' his wife wear killer heels was tongue in cheek :)
-
Well, we aren't going to find out about Gul's popularity: he ain't standing.
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/04/gul-wont-run-turkey-president.html (https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/04/gul-wont-run-turkey-president.html)
-
Whatever way it's dressed up he is of the religious right which by it's nature isn't conducive to a secular democratic republic.
He is an Islamist, but to have any chance of dislodging the incumbent that is what it will take. I fear it'll be a long time before Turkey returns to being a secular democratic republic, although you have to ask, in recent years was it ever? Given the support for the AKP and the wee fella, it looks like a lot of Turks may not want that anyway.
All moot now that he's not running.
I hope your comment that he 'let' his wife wear killer heels was tongue in cheek :)
;)
JF
-
He is an Islamist, but to have any chance of dislodging the incumbent that is what it will take. I
Yeah, that's how I see it as well. Kilicdaroglu seems to lack any charisma and/or policies to gather more support and Aksener is likely to gain fierce opposition in equal measure to gaining fierce support. As yet, nobody else is on the horizon. So Erdogan may coast through to the executive presidency in the last election with any semblance of democracy that Turkey may see for a long while.
-
It's so depressing. The polarisation in Turkey is unbelieveable; it's as though it's three countries tacked together. Hopefully the opposition can cobble together some semblance of a coalition says she the eternal optimist.. I agree re Aksener though.