Another election, another surprise. Actually, two elections, in two countries last weekend, with surprisingly pleasant surprises. And in two very large countries: Turkey (population 82 million) and Mexico (119 million), both very important to the United States.
Another election, another surprise. Actually, two elections, in two countries last weekend, with surprisingly pleasant surprises. And in two very large countries: Turkey (population 82 million) and Mexico (119 million), both very important to the United States.
In the runup to the Turkish election, speculation in English-speaking publications centered on whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP party would get a large enough majority in the parliament to amend the constitution without a popular referendum.
The AKP, usually described as mildly Islamist, has been in power since 2002. In some respects it has compiled a record that compares favorably with those of the secularist party coalitions that came before. The AKP liberalized the economy, to the point that its vigorous economic growth made Turkey’s bid for membership in the European Union seem plausible. Erdogan also pursued rapprochement with the nation’s Kurdish minority.
For years, many Westerners were disappointed that Turkey’s brand of secularism, instituted by the republic’s founder Kemal Ataturk in the 1920s and 1930s, did not inspire others in the Muslim world. Erdogan for a moment seemed to provide another alternative, potentially more attractive to Muslims today, of an Islamic regime with which the West could live comfortably.
Source: In Turkey and Mexico, Voters try to Strengthen Electoral Democracy | Human Events