Liberals Criticize Turkish Prime Minister
The ruling political party in Turkey, AKP, has received significant criticism from the liberals and Islamist media recently, as the party has shifted from its original reformist line of handling critical political issues. Notable Turkish politicians and academics have seen this shift to a status quo stance largely the result of recent PKK attacks and fast-approaching local elections. “I am not sure whether the AKP has shown a reversal. But if so, the AKP has done the wrong thing. I think the mayoral elections in March may be influencing such a change,” said Professor Eser Karakas of Bahcesehir University.
This drift in political stance has been seen in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has recently embraced more nationalist language, pro-state and military policies and key issues like the Kurdish topic and the military’s role in politics. Mehmet Altan, chief columnist for the Daily Star, who is known for his liberal views, commented on the Prime Minister’s recent shift. “He has failed to present himself as a leader who once promised European Union reforms, resulting in attacks from even Islamist pundits and pro-government media.”
Others disagree with the liberal perspective, stating that the AKP has never been a reformist party and has only introduced a couple promising reforms which were exaggerated by intellectuals. Ahmet Hakan, who came from an Islamist line and now writes for mainstream daily Hurriyet, insists that the government is simply correcting its original position on the Kurdish issue and taking a more pro-state stance. Prime Minister Erdoğan and his political party will continue to be scrutinized as the government digs deeper into the Kurdish problem.
Adam Hazzout
