GRIM-FACED supporters stood in front of television screens at opposition headquarters in Istanbul as voting drew to a close on November 1st, shaking their heads in disbelief. The results showed the ruling Justice and Development party (AK) winning over 49% of the vote, enough for a triumphant return to power less than five months after losing its parliamentary majority in June. “I don’t understand. We tried to form a coalition, we were constructive, but the results are awful,” said Emrah Koksal, a provincial official of the secular Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Istanbul
Elsewhere in the country, ecstatic AK supporters took to the streets, waving flags and chanting the name of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president and a founder of AK. Pollsters and analysts had predicted another hung parliament. Instead, AK won 317 seats in the 550-seat assembly, though it fell short of the 330 it would need to call for a constitutional referendum, which Mr Erdogan has sought in order to extend his presidential powers.
Mr Erdogan is already the dominant political figure in Turkey. Charismatic and divisive, he deployed his extraordinary...Continue reading
Souce: Europe http://ift.tt/1NljF7s
EmoticonEmoticon