A Heavy Burden
July 23, 2007
The Turkish electorate clearly declared its support for Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) and entrusted them with around 340 of the parliament's 550 seats. Thus Erdogan can comfortably form a government. But it doesn't give him carte blanche for changes to the Constitution, since Erdogan didn't gain the necessary two-thirds majority, 367 mandates.
In addition to the AKP, the right-wing nationalist MHP and the Kurdish Democratic Turkey party (DTP) can also be pleased with the results. After five years without parliamentary representation, the MHP is back, with 70 seats. The DTP, which circumvented the national 10-percent hurdle by having its politicians run as independent candidates, will have a parliamentary group with more than 20 members.
With an insignificant increase in its share of the votes, it's only the left-wing nationalist Republican People's Party (CHP) that truly has no reason to celebrate. It will hardly be able to assume the role of a strong opposition leader with around 110 parliamentarians.
Despite the AKP's clear majority, the results force Erdogan to be more willing to compromise than ever before. Neither during the upcoming presidential election nor in the daily tasks of governing should Erdogan and his AKP count on doing what they want -- particularly if Erdogan were to make another effort to force through changes to the country's reform process.
Erdogan can't claim a honeymoon period. His AKP has already been ruling for five years and has received more backing from the European Union than any of the previous 59 Turkish governments.
The burden of responsibility on Erdogan's shoulders is also heavier because the election results compel him to redress domestic and international fears of Turkey's further Islamization. The AKP's marked success can also be attributed to military officers, since their coup threats provoked acts of defiance on the part of voters -- from which the AKP profited.
Not least, Kurdish representatives would be wise to distance themselves from the allegation that their goal is an end to Turkey's territorial and national unity. Recent demands for a federal republic of Turkey with a Kurdish state could lead to further acts of defiance that may just play into the nationalists' hands.
Baha Güngör heads DW-RADIO's Turkish service (ncy)