Dr Ali Yusuf Al Sanad
After it received 41 percent of the vote, the election results were not expected by the Justice and Development Party, which governed Turkey since 2003, as it prevents it from forming a government alone; it dissipated its dream to make a referendum to shift to a presidential system rather than the current parliamentary system.
Despite this clear failure, which may lead the country into a state of temporary instability, may end early elections, which brought many gains that can be summarised in the following:
1 Turkish affairs are no longer marginal in the world and particularly in our region. All eyes are now on Turkey following on what is happening there with great interest, and this reflects the importance gained by Turkey in recent years, moving from the margins to the central spot in the international arena.
2 The failure of the “propaganda” against Erdogan and his party, claiming that he is authoritarian and despotic; everyone acknowledged and accepted the election’s result, away from any form of fraud. Is it possible that a despot leader would gain 41 percent in the elections? Is a despot leader unable to form a government inclusively? Just ponder on some of the Arab experiences!
3 The minority representation, competition and influence gave them a sense of importance, but put upon their shoulders a responsibility of participation to contribute in their homeland, and their integration therein, after they felt marginalised and ignored. It is ironic that Erdogan played a key role in the integration of Kurds in Turkish society, and at the same time it was the long decline of his party because of that integration of the Kurds that opened the gateway to the world of politics.
4 The retreat of the ruling Justice and Development Party for nearly 13 years, and their recognition of the result have strengthened the idea of the voting credibility, and that the political battles no matter how fierce they are, can be resolved politically through democracy, away from military coups, or changes by violence and forgery.
5 The fact that not a single party obtained a majority to form a government, and the failure of previous experiences in the formation of a coalition government for four years, which enters the country in a state of instability, is contributing to support the idea of Erdogan’s transition to a presidential system, so that the president-elect will implement his programme during his presidency.
It is clear that there are parties waiting for the experience of the Justice and Development Party, and are interested in monitoring and amplifying the failures and setbacks, to distort the experience in the eye of the Arab observers, like: 1: The forces of counter-revolution that overturned the people’s choice and supported the return of the pre-Arab Spring systems, because they believe in the impact of this democratic experiment on the consciousness of the Arab citizen, which is a comparison between citizens and the regimes they live under. 2: Secular Arabs who believe that this experience is in the balance of Islamist parties, contribute to the growth of the Islamists, at the same time it reveals how the secular parties led Turkey and the Arab countries to failure and underdevelopment.
The writer is a columnist and a media personnel
