The election results shall be the basis on which political parties will evaluate their performance in the last five years and develop new strategies for the future after drawing necessary lessons.
The Justice and Development Party (AK Party), with a record 47 percent of the vote, won a rare second-term election victory. It emerged as the only truly national party in Turkey capable of representing almost every part of the country. The AK Party won this election because it was perceived by the masses to be the carrier of the idea of more democracy, greater liberties, respect for ethnic and religious identities and integration with the world -- especially with the EU -- as well as stability, development and social reformation.
The main challenge ahead for the AK Party is to maintain a broad coalition of the liberals, the democrats and the conservatives who united in this election under the AK Party ticket against the nationalist block posing to revive the old model of an authoritarian state and disciplinarian society after cutting Turkey off from global dynamics. The task of holding this broad coalition together, which is the key to governing Turkey for the AK Party, first of all, requires starting a new and comprehensive program for further political reforms and EU integration. In this context, rolling back radical nationalism is essential and urgent. Unless nationalism is brought under control, the new AK Party government cannot move ahead on the issues of political reforms and EU integration. They should understand the message that the people want the EU and what is necessary to achieve this objective. The AK Party leaders should keep it on their minds that despite a huge and orchestrated propaganda campaign against the EU, the support for the membership still holds at 54 percent.
Another challenge for the party is to reorganize the party administration and the government in line with the diversity of people who voted for it. The AK Party voters constitute a great heterogeneity. The party managed to appeal to people from almost all social classes, regions, ideologies and ethnic and religious groups. This diversity at the grassroots level should be reflected in the party administration and the government formation in a way to keep the interaction continuing between the top and the bottom of the party.
It seems that the AK Party will have another four or five years without a significant opposition posing as a capable “alternative.” An alternative to the AK Party can only come from the center-right, given the inability of the CHP to transform itself from a Kemalist into a social democrat party. But there is also no center-right party left except the AK Party after the self-destructive merger between the True Path Party (DYP) and the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) before the elections and the defeat of the former on July 22. What is left is the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in Parliament as the alternative to the AK Party from the right. But the MHP, with its peculiar history, image and set of ideas will never be able to reach out and embrace the center of society. Thus the MHP in Parliament as the only right-wing opposition to the AK Party will result in strengthening the AK Party’s centrist image and position in Turkish politics.
The Justice and Development Party (AK Party), with a record 47 percent of the vote, won a rare second-term election victory. It emerged as the only truly national party in Turkey capable of representing almost every part of the country. The AK Party won this election because it was perceived by the masses to be the carrier of the idea of more democracy, greater liberties, respect for ethnic and religious identities and integration with the world -- especially with the EU -- as well as stability, development and social reformation.
The main challenge ahead for the AK Party is to maintain a broad coalition of the liberals, the democrats and the conservatives who united in this election under the AK Party ticket against the nationalist block posing to revive the old model of an authoritarian state and disciplinarian society after cutting Turkey off from global dynamics. The task of holding this broad coalition together, which is the key to governing Turkey for the AK Party, first of all, requires starting a new and comprehensive program for further political reforms and EU integration. In this context, rolling back radical nationalism is essential and urgent. Unless nationalism is brought under control, the new AK Party government cannot move ahead on the issues of political reforms and EU integration. They should understand the message that the people want the EU and what is necessary to achieve this objective. The AK Party leaders should keep it on their minds that despite a huge and orchestrated propaganda campaign against the EU, the support for the membership still holds at 54 percent.
Another challenge for the party is to reorganize the party administration and the government in line with the diversity of people who voted for it. The AK Party voters constitute a great heterogeneity. The party managed to appeal to people from almost all social classes, regions, ideologies and ethnic and religious groups. This diversity at the grassroots level should be reflected in the party administration and the government formation in a way to keep the interaction continuing between the top and the bottom of the party.
It seems that the AK Party will have another four or five years without a significant opposition posing as a capable “alternative.” An alternative to the AK Party can only come from the center-right, given the inability of the CHP to transform itself from a Kemalist into a social democrat party. But there is also no center-right party left except the AK Party after the self-destructive merger between the True Path Party (DYP) and the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) before the elections and the defeat of the former on July 22. What is left is the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in Parliament as the alternative to the AK Party from the right. But the MHP, with its peculiar history, image and set of ideas will never be able to reach out and embrace the center of society. Thus the MHP in Parliament as the only right-wing opposition to the AK Party will result in strengthening the AK Party’s centrist image and position in Turkish politics.
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