Turkish democracy is alive and kicking. Yes, conservative Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan – under fire for his authoritarian leanings – won Sunday’s elections with a landslide 50% of the vote, basking in the longest period of economic prosperity in the country’s recent memory. But his Justice and Development Party (AKP) fell short of a sought-after two thirds “supermajority” which would have allowed him to change the country’s founding principles without seeking the opposition’s consent.
And, as a result of the vote, he finally has a robust, colorful opposition to contend with. The new Turkish parliament has more women, more Kurds and more human rights activists than ever before. Voter turnout was a record 87%. (Turkey’s Election Offers a Last Chance to Integrate the Kurds)
“Turkish democracy is maturing. I am very optimistic about these results,” says Sahin Alpay, a columnist and a professor of politics at Bahcesehir University. “Voters rewarded Erdogan for his performance, particularly on the economy, but they also signaled that they don’t want him to be able to draft a new constitution on his own.”
A new constitution is at the top on Erdogan’s list of priorities; most Turks want to replace the current document
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