The once great power in the Middle East, Turkey, is continually being divided which causes worry for its allies. Erdogan had recently proposed a referendum on whether the people of Turkey were willing to give him more unchecked power in hopes that he would be able to bring stability (Turkey’s Referendum: On Razor’s Edge 18). In the past year a glimpse of this power was shown when Erdogan initiated a three month state of emergency after the attempted coup, but he ultimately abused this power for his own personal gains (Malsin 10). Erdogan believes the coup was plotted by his rival, Fethullah Gulen, but many also believe he staged the coup as a ploy for more power (La Porte 1). Erdogan’s rule threatens the state of Turkey and its democracy, which is supported by the recent referendum and the current conflict in Turkey.
In the recent referendum Erdogan is asking for more power than he already has which will be put in place by the new constitution written by his party, the AKP. The new constitution will take away the checks that the parliament once had in order to give Erdogan an authoritarian rule over Turkey. In doing this Erdogan will gain complete control of Turkey and its citizens much like the control China has over its people and the parliament will have not be able to check his power (Turkey’s Referendum: On Razor’s Edge 18). In the state of emergency after the attempted coup Erdogan was set on jailing anyone connected to the coup plotters as well as jailing his journalists and those that oppose him because he states they were committing treason. This is much like the information control in China where all their press is positive towards the government and people in power and anything against them is not allowed. If the people in Turkey are to vote “Yes” in the referendum this authoritarian rule will continue which is a threat to the citizen’s freedom and the country's democracy. The citizens are afraid of voting “No” in the referendum because of the government and how they are arresting those that are against them. Under the new constitution Erdogan would also be able to put in place successors so that his party may stay the party in power for as long as possible (Turkey’s Referendum: On Razor’s Edge 19-20).
Turkey’s internal conflict lies with the people and their political ideologies which explains the attempted coup. The military last year had attempted to overthrow the government because they did not align themselves with the people in power. Erdogan had taken this coup as an act of treason and blamed it on Gulen who currently resides in Pennsylvania in self-imposed exile. Gulen stands for the people who believe in a secular government and are pro-western while Erdogan and his party tend to be more conservative and non-secular (La Porte 1-2). These people all came together on the night of the attempted coup to stop it, sparking a sense of nationalism in the citizens. Erdogan will be able to use this night of conflict and the unification of the people to get a “Yes” vote in the referendum because the people believe he will be able to bring stability back with more power (Malsin 8-9). The people of Turkey are also living in fear of being attacked by the separatists Kurds who live in the southeast of Turkey because of a falling out Erdogan had with the leader of the separatist movement. This instability is a main factor in why the country was so divided, and it may be a possibility that Erdogan realized he needed more support and staged the coup for his own political gains (Turkey’s Referendum: On Razor’s Edge 18).
Erdogan’s corrupt rule over Turkey is significant because it exemplifies how a once democratic country can ultimately fall into a dictatorship. Although it is not the exact same type of dictatorship that North Korea may have, Erdogan’s new constitution is going to make him an elected authoritarian dictator. The people of Turkey will now find it even more difficult to use basic human freedoms such as the freedom of speech as well have almost no say in their government. Not only does Erdogan threaten Turkish democracy, but he also used extreme situations in order take more power for himself. In conclusion, Erdogan having more power than he already does is a threat to the people of Turkey and to their democracy.
Works Cited
La Porte, Amy, et al. “Who Is Fethullah Gulen, the Man Blamed for Coup Attempt in Turkey?” CNN, Cable News Network, 16 July 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/07/16/middleeast/fethullah-gulen-profile/. Accessed 21 May 2017.
Malsin, Jared. “Turkey’s Long Night of the Soul.” TIME, vol. 188, no. 5, 1 Aug. 2016, pp. 7-10. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Accessed 15 May 2017.
“Turkey’s Referendum: On Razor’s Edge.” The Economist, 15 Apr. 2017, pp. 17-20.
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