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‘21st Century Sultan’ wins Turkish presidential election
’21st Century Sultan’ Erdogan’s Victory Speech… cheering supporters Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkiye (Turkey), who confirmed his re-election in the presidential election run-off held on the 28th (local time), expresses his feelings at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, the administrative capital (upper photo). On the same day, in Istanbul, the largest city, his supporters are waving national flags and cheering. Ankara and Istanbul = AP NewsisTurkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkiye (69), the ’21st Century Sultan’, succeeded in re-election by winning the presidential election run-off on the 28th (local time). The Turkish Electoral Authority announced on the 29th that President Erdoğan was elected with 52.16% of the vote based on a count of 99.85%. The Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kultzdaroglu, a candidate from the six opposition coalitions, only garnered 47.84% of the vote.
With this victory, the path to ‘life in power’ was virtually opened for him, who had been in power for 20 years as prime minister and president since 2003. The new term runs until 2028. However, through the previous constitutional amendment, if he wins an early presidential election during his term of office, he will be able to hold office for an additional five years, theoretically allowing him to remain in power until 2033. In other words, it marked a milestone in the political history of ‘new authoritarianism’ by laying the foundation for long-term power through elections, the flower of democracy.
Prior to the first round of the presidential election on the 14th, Erdogan had inferior approval ratings to Candidate Kultz Daroglu in various opinion polls. Prospects were pouring in that the election would be difficult due to the fact that the economy was in considerable economic trouble as it stuck to low interest rates despite severe inflation, and the earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people.
President Erdogan reversed the atmosphere by taking a nationalist line during the run-off election to overcome this impasse. The issue of the Kurds, who accounted for about 20% of the Turkiye people and had continuously pushed for independence, was an issue. It appealed to the Turkic people and patriotism. One such strategy was to visit Istanbul St. Sophia Cathedral to pray after failing to obtain a majority in the first round of voting. Saint Sophia Cathedral is the place where Sultan Mehmet II, the 7th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, offered a prayer of thanks after destroying the Eastern Roman Empire in 1453.
He also argued that terrorism would not cease if he was defeated, citing the fact that the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) supported Candidate Kultzdaroglu. It promoted the theory of crisis. In his victory speech on the 29th, he denounced the defeated candidate, saying, “I took the side of the terrorists.”
Appealing for a ‘strong Turkiye’ that actively exerts influence on the surrounding region by putting national interests first also played a role in the victory. The U.S. Wall Street Journal (WSJ) evaluated that it was also approved that Turkey raised its position in the world by claiming itself as a “mediation leader” amidst the confrontation between the West and Russia over the Ukraine war.
President Erdogan’s patronizing pledges despite the poor government finances are also considered a major factor in his success in re-election. It pledged to abolish the retirement age requirement to make it possible to receive pension early, and to temporarily provide gas and internet data free of charge. During his presidential campaign, he also announced a 45% increase in the wages of civil servants and an increase in the minimum wage.
Experts worry that a re-election of President Erdogan could plunge the Turkish economy into a bigger crisis. President Erdogan cut interest rates five times from last year to February this year with the absurd logic that “high interest rates encourage inflation.” The benchmark interest rate, which was 19%, was lowered to 8.5%.
In recent years, he has sacked the governor of the central bank who was opposed to his position three times and installed his son-in-law as finance minister. This reverse-running monetary policy led to a surge in inflation. In October of last year, the consumer price index soared by 80%, and even recently, the monthly inflation rate has been in the 40% range. The lira has lost 77% against the dollar in the past five years. The economic growth rate, which was 11.4% in 2021, plummeted to 5.6% last year and is expected to halve this year to 2.8%.
The market reacted sensitively to the news of his victory. Against the US dollar on the 29th, the lira hit the 20 lira mark, a record low. U.S. Bloomberg News reported, “With his victory, very painful crises such as hyperinflation, ultra-low interest rates, and lack of foreign exchange reserves could befall Turkey.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.