Turkish Election Results

[Devrim]

Originally posted by Devrim
As of 21.37 GMT AKP leads with 46,63% which means 341 seats for them in the parliament. CHP follows them with 20,91%, resulting in 111 seats for them. MHP takes the third place with 14,27%, which means they will get 71 seats. Up to 27 independents are expected to be elected, including 25 DTP members and DTP ally Mehmet Ufuk Uras of the far-left Freedom and Solidarity Party.[17]


Election Results: Ratio Seats
Justice and Development Party (AKP) 46,63% 341
Republican People's Party (CHP) 20,91% 111
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) 14.27% 71
Democrat Party (DP) 5.37% 0
Independents (Bağımsız) 5.22% 27

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Turkish...ion%2C_2007.gif (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Turkish_general_election%2C_2007.gif)

Blue is Socal Democrats, Yellow is Fascist, Red is independents*, the rest is Islamicist.

It leaves AKP with an overall majority, but just short of enough to change the constitution, a coalition with the MHP would hange that. I think that it certainly opens the way to a coup in the Autumn.

Devrim

*This basically means Kurdish nationalists. To enter parliment a party must get a minimum of 10%. This is impossble for Kurdish nationalists, hence they run as independents (who do't have this barrier).

[Dimentio]

Are not AKP rather a typical bourgeoisie-democratic party with conservative religious leanings, than islamists?

[Mariam]

Are not AKP rather a typical bourgeoisie-democratic party with conservative religious leanings, than islamists?

They are supposed to be unofficialy islamist.

Here is the news AKP-CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/07/22/turkey.elections/index.html)

[Devrim]

Originally posted by [email protected] 23, 2007 09:09 am
Are not AKP rather a typical bourgeoisie-democratic party with conservative religious leanings, than islamists?
Yes, you could say that. When I say Islamicsts it doesn't mean they are bin Laden. Maybe they are like an Islamic Christian Democratic party if you see what I mean.
I think that they are sufficently Islamicist to provoke a coup though.
Devrim

[Dimentio]

Well, I think that it seems that the people of Turkey holds confidence in AKP;s ability to rule, especially as the governments of Bülent Ecevit did not do much to manage the economy.

I do not think that the army would dare to make a coup since that would probably destabilise Turkey.

[Devrim]

Originally posted by Serpent+July 23, 2007 09:26 am--> (Serpent @ July 23, 2007 09:26 am) Well, I think that it seems that the people of Turkey holds confidence in AKP;s ability to rule, especially as the governments of Bülent Ecevit did not do much to manage the economy.

[/b]
The AKP have stabilised the economy to a certain extent. Certainly, inflation is much lower than it was. The cost for this of course has been paid by the working class.


Serpent
I do not think that the army would dare to make a coup since that would probably destabilise Turkey.

Maybe, you should tell the army that as they have very clearly warned the Government that they will make a coup. I think that the army would want to avoid it, but I don't think tat it would destabalise the country that much. It would be more like the 1997 coup than the 1980 one, quick, quiet, and efficent.

I think at the moment there are two crisis points, the potential invasion of Iraq, and the election of a new President.

Devrim

[Andy Bowden]

Do you think they'll try and change the constitution to make it less secular? If they're just 'soft' Islamists, why is the army so concerned about deposing them?

[MYSTIC OWL]

There is NOTHING remotely Islamist about the Turkish AK Party.

Erdogan has made it clear that they operate WITHIN the remit of the constitution and NATO and the EU have cooperated with them on all fronts.

Contrast the behaviour of the EU/US?NATO with HAMAS in Palestine or Hezbollah in Lebanon and you see a real difference in approach.

The AK Party is a convenient vehicle to shore up the constitutional order in Turkey against the rising tide of Islamist opinion within the Turkish population . . . secularism dressed in a Burkha &#33;? :ph34r: <_< :o &#33;&#33;

[Devrim]

Originally posted by Andy Bowden+July 23, 2007 12:32 pm--> (Andy Bowden @ July 23, 2007 12:32 pm) Do you think they&#39;ll try and change the constitution to make it less secular? If they&#39;re just &#39;soft&#39; Islamists, why is the army so concerned about deposing them? [/b]

Originally posted by MYSTIC [email protected]
There is NOTHING remotely Islamist about the Turkish AK Party.

Certainly they are not &#39;Islamicist&#39; in the way that some other groups are. I think that you have to place them within their context. There are things that they want to do, which while not being that &#39;radical&#39; will upset the army. Reversing the headscarf ban in universities is the prime example.

I think the fact that objectively we can say that AKP is just an &#39;Islamic&#39; Christian Democratic party, doesn&#39;t mean that the army see it like that. There is a great deal of Paranoia in the Turkish military, and certain other sectors of Turkish society that the AKP is &#39;hiding its true colours&#39;.


MYSTIC OWL
The AK Party is a convenient vehicle to shore up the constitutional order in Turkey against the rising tide of Islamist opinion within the Turkish population . . . secularism dressed in a Burkha &#33;?

I think that the AKP has risen in defence of certain capitalist interests. There is a rise is Islamic influence in Turkey. You can see it on the streets. More woman wear a headscarf than ten years ago for example. Extreme political Islam is not a strong force though. I believe that if AKP did try to destroy Kemalism, and the secular state, the &#39;rising tide&#39; would be more against them rather being an Islamicist tide that they are holding back.

For all its power, Islam is notas strong a force as nationalism in Turkey.

Devrim

[MYSTIC OWL]

Turkey has a big intellectual deficit at the heart of the constitution - how to translate Kemalism into the 21st Century in preparation for entry into the EU.

Like so many other states in the Near East, this is a country in search of a purpose.

Should it look EAST or WEST?

What if Europe rebuffs her efforts to become a member of the EU club? Mr Sarkozy in France is not happy - (nor Austria and Germany, for that matter).

In the light of these big issues, the prospect of Turkey embracing the certainties of political Islam may solve all her problems at once.

OFCOURSE, it will hand Europe one major problem . . . Islamist-inspired Turkey with Ottoman dreams of expansionism :o

No nightmares please, it may never happen.

However, it might be prudent not to buy a holiday villa in Bulgaria or Romania, YET&#33;&#33; :unsure: :(

[Cheung Mo]

Yuck&#33; Even social democrats are much better than Islamists.

[Mariam]

I found this good link i though it might be helpful in understanding the current Turkish situation

Turkey (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8A1F3E0D-CFE3-4FD1-BF52-D57DAC5E392C.htm)

[Severian]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24, 2007 09:05 am
I think that the AKP has risen in defence of certain capitalist interests. There is a rise is Islamic influence in Turkey. You can see it on the streets. More woman wear a headscarf than ten years ago for example. Extreme political Islam is not a strong force though. I believe that if AKP did try to destroy Kemalism, and the secular state, the &#39;rising tide&#39; would be more against them rather being an Islamicist tide that they are holding back.

For all its power, Islam is notas strong a force as nationalism in Turkey.

Devrim
In that case, what do you think the reasons are for the AKP&#39;s repeated electoral successes, and in particular their strong success this year?