Turkish politics has recently been fast-paced, witnessing significant changes over the last couple of months.
The AK Party, enjoying a 14-year streak of single-party rule, convened late last month to choose its third leader and Binali Yildirm was elected as the new prime minister.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the founder of the AK Party, is heading the council of ministers.
The statement of Vedat Demiroz, the deputy chairman of the AK Party, saying that “Turkey has practically switched to a system with a president affiliated with a political party” indicates that the weight of Erdogan will indeed be felt in politics.
Before there were any talks about this new political system, President Erdogan and the representatives of the government were pushing the concept of a presidential system for Turkey.
However, the general consensus among the Turkish population has been against the idea.
Surveys reveal that 70% of Turks are against the presidential system and this was strongly reflected in the votes of the AK Party in the first general elections in 2015, causing it to lose 10% of its votes and the majority of the seats in the parliament.
In the subsequent months leading to the second election – as the parties couldn’t form a coalition government – the AK Party stopped suggesting the presidential system and managed to gain back its lost 10% voters.
Therefore, “having a president affiliated with a political party” is on the agenda nowadays.
The Turkish people are rightfully concerned that a presidential system will bring about a federalist system.
It is true that federalism is an administration style used by many countries but for Turkey, it is a major risk.
That is because Turkey has been struggling for decades against the communist organisation PKK, which is in pursuit to try and establish a communist state by separating the southeastern region of the country.
Especially in these days while the country is facing fierce attacks from the terrorist PKK, it is quite natural that the Turkish people are vehemently against the idea.
Besides, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan also wants to bring a federalist presidential system based on the US model.
He openly states that he will support a federative presidential system.
By taking advantage of the presidential system, the PKK, through pressure, will be able to ensure that governors sympathising with the group are elected, and a so-called PKK constitution becomes prevalent in the region.
It could then give way to the separatist terror organisation to gain sovereignty.
This would not only threaten the unitary structure of the country but also be a precursor of a grave disaster for the Kurdish people residing in the region.
The federal system introduced by the presidential system will impair the unitary structure in Turkey and give rise to different federal regions’ demands for independence.
In Turkey, when the unitary system collapses, it will be easy for these individual states to conduct a referendum to divide the nation with the new rights they will obtain through legislation.
For this reason, having a president affiliated with a political party is a safe alternative.
For the present, the opposition party MHP is going through tumultuous days.
The opponents within the party have started a campaign with an intent to replace the MHP’s current leader and they’ve decided to hold an extraordinary meeting on July 10.
However, it is crucial that the MHP weathers this storm and emerges from it as a stronger party.
It is crucial to use the power of this opposition to improve the basic party structure and not let the party end up divided.
This is the only way to protect the MHP’s patriotic and idealist movement, which serves as a shield against subversive PKK terror.
Particularly now, as the fight Turkey is engaging in against terror is at its fiercest, it should not be forgotten that the MHP is a powerhouse, standing by the government in the fight against terrorism, regardless of everything else they might oppose.
With the formation of the new government, various changes are expected to take place in Turkey.
The new prime minister, Yildirim, is just as valuable as his predecessor Ahmet Davutoglu, who voluntarily stepped down.
His statements, specifically about seeing an end to the PKK’s terror in his first speech following his election as prime minister, were much needed and came as a relief to the Turkish nation.
While the military campaign continues, Yildirim’s creating a profile that intensely informs other countries on why this fight is so crucial will be very beneficial for Turkey.
Especially introducing a policy of love that positively discriminates in favour of our Kurdish brothers and sisters throughout Turkey will be the greatest response to certain European leftist circles and to the PKK, which doesn’t stop using Kurdish identity as leverage.
Needless to say, such a response will be, first and foremost, a sign and a natural outcome of our brotherhood.
Along the new cabinet, various breakthroughs regarding the development of Turkey are being voiced as well.
The new prime minister will continue with Turkey’s famous and impressive projects, including the third airport and a third bridge in Istanbul.
Certainly, bridges, roads and the general improvement of infrastructure are great services that are most beneficial for Turkey and will increase the overall quality of life throughout the country.
However, especially during these days, it is crucial that focus is kept on preserving the unitary structure of a country such as Turkey that is considered by many as an important representative of the Islamic world.
Fragmenting an important Islamic country such as Turkey through communist terror would cause grave problems for the Middle East and the Islamic world.
The shadow state apparatuses of the Western countries would inevitably assume that it would be very easy to divide Islamic countries and thus would continue to play these dirty games.
Turkey, therefore, should stand firm as a barrier and strongly fight against the communist terror that would be a scourge, especially to the entire Middle East.
This requires a direct challenge to the ideology feeding communist terror and having national awareness courses added to the curriculum.
The Islamic world is in a dire situation and needs Turkey to be strong and united and the country’s youth should be aware of this.
In this sense, it is of paramount importance that Islamic countries support and side with Turkey in this effort.
- Harun Yahya may be followed at @Harun_Yahya and www.harunyahya.com
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