Posted on 10/10/2018 11:09:35 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s threat to remove any mayors chosen in local elections next March deemed to be “contaminated by terrorism” is a rejection of democracy and an attempt to scare voters away from the main pro-Kurdish party, one of its members of parliament said.
Turkish authorities stepped up pressure on the pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) following the breakdown of a ceasefire with Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants in July 2015. The government says the HDP is, in effect, the political wing of the PKK.
The crackdown gained momentum after a failed coup a year later that Erdogan’s government blames on its fellow Islamist former allies in the Gülen movement. Tens of thousands have been arrested, more have been sacked from their jobs in what critics say is an effort to stifle opposition of all stripes.
Of 102 municipalities in the Kurdish-majority southeast of the country, 97 of them have had their elected leaders removed and are now led by administrators appointed by central government. Dozens of mayors were arrested, many of them remain in custody during lengthy pre-trial detention.
But with fresh local elections in March, voters could again select new HDP candidates to lead the municipalities in the mainly Kurdish southeast. However, Erdoğan last week warned the government could replace newly elected mayors as well.
“Local elections are approaching. If those who have been contaminated by terrorism are elected again, we will immediately appoint an administrator,” the president said at an inauguration ceremony in central Turkey.
Kurdish politicians reacted angrily.
“Above all, by questioning our legitimacy with this speech, Erdoğan is demonstrating that he is not a legitimate leader,” said Meral Danış Beştaş, one of 67 HDP members of parliament elected in June.
“Unelected appointees have been running the Kurdish provinces for a long time..
(Excerpt) Read more at ahvalnews.com ...
Any criticism of the AKP Party or Erdogan is considered a crime, punishable by indefinite detention/arrest without a trial. Merely an accusation by an AKP official or Erdogan the Islamist is enough. There is no rule of law in Turkey, only rule by edict of the dictator.
This is why we are not a democracy, the founders recognized it doesn’t work. Republican style government works best.
We elect officials by democratic vote. Yes, we are a Republic. Yes, the founders knew direct democreacy was not a stable or scalable form of government. We are NOTHING LIKE Turkey.
Turkey is an Islamist Dictatorship.
Totalitarianism at it’s worst.
Yes, we in the US have our own problems now with the ComDems (Communist Democrats).
No, that is not what turkeys government is, it is a secular democracy, look it up.
And at the same time a NATO ally who we share our military power with and are sworn to fight for if they are ever attacked. Good example of why decades long alliances can end up leaving you in some bad situations.
In 2017 Erdogan won a constitutional referendum that gave him the power to dissolve parliament whenever he wants and to issue directives on social, political, and ecomonic matters which have the full force of laws. There are some restrictions like he can't overrule old law but he can ignore old law (who's to stop him?) and issue new laws so what't the difference?
They had elections in Iraq and still do in Iran and Venezuela. I guess they are democracies too.
I do not care who calls themselves a democracy, that form of government fails just like socialism and communism every time it is tried. Turkey is a wonderful example of democracy on parade. FAIL
agree
Turkey will conduct 'operations' against Erdogan's enemies in U.S.
I don’t need to look it up. Kemal gave lip service to secularism. He acted the part, had a strong following in the military. CHP is still a strong party, but not dominant.
There has been a systematic ethnic cleansing taking place in Turkey from the beginning (after the split up of the Ottoman Empire).
The list? Greeks, Armenians (Metz Yeghérn, “The Great Evil”, Genocide), Assyrians (Chaldean & Syriac), Jews, Alevis, Kurds and more; have systematically been extinguished in Turkey.
I know about this. Have long followed the development. It has become much more open since Erdogan took total control. What took place in Efrin Syria is the prime example. Ethnic cleansing in the extreme.
A democracy is mob rule. if enough people decide we are a nation of blue nosed pigs, well, blue nosed pigs rule. In turkey, moslem took over, what Erdogan did did not happen in a vacum. They are now subjects of dear leaders own style of sharia.
Yes, that is what democrats want in our nation. I say we all stop using democracy, democratic, democratically, and democrat. Let us purge those words from the lexicon of the United States.
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