What awaits Turkey with Erdogan?

Bakı/30.05.23/Turan: In the second round of presidential elections held in Turkey on May 28, Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured another five-year term, garnering 52.1% of the vote. His opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu from the opposition alliance, received 47.9%, resulting in Erdogan's victory. However, questions arise about the country's future under the former president.

Political activist Azer Gasimli, appearing on the program "Difficult Question," shared his perspective on the matter. Contrary to popular belief, Gasimli argued that the elections in Turkey were neither free nor democratic. International bodies, including the European Union and the OSCE mission, deemed the elections unfair, opaque, and undemocratic.

"I also believe that these elections were not fair. Similar to Azerbaijan, state-controlled electronic and traditional media in Turkey influenced the outcome. While Erdogan received significant airtime, Kilicdaroglu was allocated only 5-10 hours," stated Gasimli. He further criticized the authorities for leveraging financial and administrative resources to manipulate the process.

Gasimli pointed out the suspension of Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, as an example of irregularities. He argued that if not for the criminal case initiated against him, Imamoglu could have become a presidential candidate, potentially altering the election outcome. Gasimli expressed concern over the polarization of Turkish society, with one camp comprising reactionary Islamist and Islamist-nationalist forces, while liberals, leftists, and Kemalists align in the other.

Unlike Azerbaijan, Gasimli noted that Turkey still maintains a parliamentary system with opposition parties and a functioning civil society. Although the media faces pressure, it is not as dire as the situation in Azerbaijan. However, he warned that only 50% of the judicial system remains independent, with a trend of diminishing freedoms over the past decade.

"I expect the authorities to increase pressure on non-traditional media such as bloggers and YouTubers. They will attempt to tighten control over social networks, the judicial system, including the bar association, the Constitutional Court, and the judges," Gasimli predicted. Concerning the Turkish economy, he foresaw a looming crisis marked by regression, heightened corruption, and nepotism.

As Turkey embarks on another five-year term with Erdogan at the helm, many observers worry about the country's democratic trajectory and the potential curtailment of freedoms under the prevailing administration.