News

Erdogan’s fractured ties to the West

Apr 05 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Al-Monitor

Prior to the March 30 municipal elections, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had adopted strong anti-Western rhetoric, further tarnishing his already damaged image in the United States and Europe, as well as straining Ankara’s relations with the West. The question being asked by Western diplomats and Turkey observers is whether Erdogan, to normalize ties, will tone it down after the strong electoral results secured by his Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Deputy PM: local poll showed presidential road open for Erdoğan

Apr 04 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Hürriyet Daily News

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has maintained that the strong support for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the March 30 local elections is a crystal clear sign showing that Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan would comfortably be elected if he decides to run for presidency in the upcoming August election.

A ‘civilian’ president should be elected, Turkey’s main opposition leader says

Apr 04 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Hürriyet Daily News

Ruling out the rumors that his party could support a potential presidential bid by former Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said “a civilian should be elected as Turkey’s new president.”

Erdogan emboldened for presidential run

Apr 03 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Al-Monitor

After the highly charged and polarized period leading up to the March 30 municipal elections, the people of Turkey remained glued to their TV screens until the early hours of March 31, following nail-biting races in a number of cities, especially the one in Ankara, the capital. One would think that the day after the elections would be a day to rest and recover from the hassle and fatigue. It wasn't to be.

Gülen Movement has no power, authority over members: Davutoğlu

Apr 02 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has downplayed the Fethullah Gülen Movement’s influence on voters and the results of the local elections held March 30.

“Let’s look at the increase in the [main opposition Republican People’s Party] CHP’s votes,” Davutoğlu told accompanying journalists yesterday en route to Brussels. “Does this 1.5-2 percent increase come from the parallel structure?” Davutoğlu asked, referring to the movement of U.S.-based Islamic scholar Gülen and his supporters. 

Yalova mayoralty changes hands after CHP’s demand for vote recount

Apr 02 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Hürriyet Daily News

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has announced that Yalova mayoralty on the southern coast of the Marmara Sea has changed hands after a recount following a tight electoral race on March 30.

The first official results gave the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Yakup Koçal victory over the CHP’s Vefa Salman by a single vote. However, the mayoralty changed hands after the recount, which found that Salman had obtained six more votes than his main rival, according to the CHP.

Erdogan plays Egypt card in 'ballot box' victory

Apr 02 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Al-Monitor

The first thing to be said about the results of the March 30 local elections in Turkey is that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the clear winner. No one can dispute this. This does not mean, however, that the subject is closed for debate.

For one thing, it is hard to argue that Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) won the elections “fair and square.” The existence of a democratic environment in Turkey would have had to be indisputable for that to happen. This, however, was clearly not the case.

Liberal Democrats’ first victory in Turkey’s local elections

Apr 02 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Hürriyet Daily News

A Liberal Democrat Party’s (LDP) candidate has been selected as the mayor of the town Konakkuran in the eastern province of Muş, declaring the first victory ever in the party’s history in Turkey’s local elections. 

Bülent Ateş reportedly won the elections by approximately 480 votes, according to the unofficial results, the LDP leader Cem Toker said, adding that they lost the position of mayor in the Malazgirt district by a narrow margin.

Turkey's ruling AKP mulls its road map for the post-election era

Apr 01 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Hürriyet Daily News

Having achieved a clear success in the key local polls, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has already started to ponder its road map in the new term, prioritizing an amendment to the law on the national spy agency and the establishment of a parliamentary commission to investigate corruption claims over four former ministers. 

Parliament is set to begin work on April 8 and the first thing it is expected to do is establish the investigation committee. According to Parliament’s internal regulations, the commission should be set up before May 3.

LIVE: Riot vehicles use water cannons as protesters claim their votes after fraud claims in Ankara

Apr 01 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Hürriyet Daily News

“Rightists and leftists are brothers, Melih Gökçek is a tyrant,” and “Ankara, claim your votes,” were slogans that crowds, mostly youngsters, were chanting in front of the Supreme Election Board (YSK) late March 31 in order to claim their ballots and protest fraud allegations for the capital city in local elections.  

Nationalist supporters of Mansur Yavaş, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for Ankara, were responding with the traditional nationalist greeting “bozkurt selamı” with their hands, as leftist protestors were giving victory signs.

CHP’s Istanbul candidate Mustafa Sarıgül demands total recount of votes

Apr 01 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Hürriyet Daily News

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul candidate Mustafa Sarıgül has called for the recounting of votes in local polls for “a better acceptance of the results.”

Sarıgül, who lost against incumbent Mayor Kadir Topbaş from the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) by eight points, said the incident-filled counting process was marred by power blackouts in several Istanbul districts and irregularities at ballot boxes. 

Turkey's Opposition to Appeal Local Election Results in Ankara

Apr 01 2014
Turkey
Source: 
Novinite

Turkey's main opposition, the People's Republican Party (CHP), will appeal against election results in Ankara.

The decision comes after the capital remained in hands of the ruling Party of Justice and Development (AKP), amid predictions the opposition could score a victory.

The AKP gained 44.8% of the results, compared to the CHP's 43.9%, The Journal of Turkish Weekly has reported. During the counting of ballots, the vote was described as a close call.

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