turkish elections; ruling party loose majority because of big gains kurdish/left HDP

[Sasha]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/world/europe/turkey-election-recep-tayyip-erdogan-kurds-hdp.html

thoughts?
while i have little trust in anything electoral i for one am glad that Erdogan got egg on his face and can kiss his chances for a move to a presidential system goodbye, i am afraid though that the kurdish/turkish peace process will suffer if the AK party gets the extreme-right MHP so far to form a coalition government.
though rumor has it that the AK is planning to have an minority government and just keep having new elections until the "voters get it right"

[PhoenixAsh]

I hate bling. I have a friend who lives in Turkey and she posted about it on FB. I can't make head nor tail of it.

[Tim Cornelis]

bling?

[PhoenixAsh]

Well...whatever that FB translator is named. Bing? Bling? It doesn't work.

[Tim Cornelis]

Bing, yeah.
From the perspective of bourgeois democracy, this is a good thing. This way it's possible to guarantee some of the civic liberties left that we can use to organise. The HDP is a flawed party, though it has some proper radical elements. I think people should support the HDP strategically and cooperate with it, but not join and surrender one's political independence.

It's also suggested that the HDP will trade peace for the presidential system, in which case the above doesn't apply.

[Rafiq]

I do not know much regarding the situation, but hte AK party was thoroughly reactionary, degenerate and - as I should say, "Putinist" (in the sense that it was emulating the same pattern of authoritarian capitalism of the 21st century, disregarding bourgeois civic values and so on). This is most certainly a positive development and a defeat for Turkish Islamism.

What is especially problematic about Erdogan, with his anti-secular, thoroughly reactionary policies is that he further cements the gap between the Turkish and European working people, whom by merit of their geographic, and geopolitical proximity should be politically unified. Turkey belongs in Europe, and there is not much more to it - even from this stupid superficial standpoint, Turkey was irrevocably a part of European history, i.e. the same factors that led to the creation of the EU would have logically regarded Turkey if not for the European conservatives. Turkey's ascension to the EU would make trans-national coordination of the European working people much stronger, and being that Turkey has a long and continual history of a strong, militant working class, this would only ever be a positive influence. In addition, it could create a power balance against Germany.

[Sasha]

It's also suggested that the HDP will trade peace for the presidential system, in which case the above doesn't apply.

how would that work? peace will depend on a drastic relegation of power to regional parliaments, the PKK and not coincidently the HDP demand basically a federated system in all but name, the only way that works with an presidential system if the president gets only to call the shots on foreign policy etc, Erdogan will never settle for that i think.

[Sasha]

http://roarmag.org/2015/06/hdp-victory-turkey-elections/

[Tim Cornelis]

HDP demand basically a federated system in all but name, the only way that works with an presidential system if the president gets only to call the shots on foreign policy etc, Erdogan will never settle for that i think.

Mexico, USA, Brazil all have federated systems. Those presidents are not relegated to ennobled (?) foreign ministers.

[Sasha]

maybe, but that would still be one hell of a gamble after the trashing the AK just got in their previously secure conservative kurdish strongholds, he is very populair in his party but i'm not sure his party will voluntarily commit suicide just to keep him in power for a few more years...

[Sasha]

haha, ouch; Water cannon producer’s stock dips after Turkey’s ruling AKP loses majority (http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/water-cannon-producers-stock-dip-after-turkeys-ruling-akp-loses-majority.aspx?pageID=238&nID=83655&NewsCatID=345)