The Significance of the Victory by Erdo?an and his “Justice and Development Party” (AKP) in Turkey’
Recep Tayyip Erdo?an’s sweeping victory in Turkey’s presidential elections on June 24 significantly strengthens his position and gives him a mandate to continue to shape the face of Turkey as he sees fit, namely, striving for a centralized, authoritarian and repressive regime and continuing the trend of Islamization of the state, effectively turning him into an omnipotent ruler with almost unlimited powers. In the eyes of the Turkish opposition, Erdo?an’s victory is a real disaster that destroys the democratic system that he has already chipped away at over his 16 years in office.
It is important to note that Erdo?an strengthened his power back in April 2017 thanks to a referendum in which it was agreed that Turkey would move from a parliamentary to a presidential government system, making the president the head of the army, and giving him the power to appoint ministers, deputy ministers, general prosecutors and half of the Supreme Court justices, deliver orders without the approval of the parliament, and veto the decisions of the Parliament. This means that Erdo?an may realize his vision of strengthening Turkey’s Islamic identity and possibly turning it into an Islamic state by the year 2023, which will mark 100 years since its establishment by its founder, Kemal Mustafa Atatürk.
