It is too early to be able to read the sense of the mass
protests that are taking place in Istanbul, Ankara, and other cities of Turkey.
To call these demonstrations a “Turkish Spring” would be to
ignore that the situation in Turkey is not comparable to those prevailing in
North Africa and some parts of the Middle East. The country is a democracy. One
might disagree with the political philosophy that inspires Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and his party, but one has to recognise that he has won the vote
and has, in many ways, changed the country for the better.
However, Erdogan has to listen to facts and to the people on
the streets. Turkey is not prepared for a more religious kind of approach to
political life. And the Prime Minister should also understand that an electoral
victory is not a licence to brush aside the opposing views. He won his fight
against the military establishment, in some cases through very unorthodox and
questionable means. But he cannot win against the people.
No comments:
Post a Comment