Editor’s Commentary: On one hand, this is very good news as Erdogan is not a friend to America and has exploited Turkey’s membership in NATO to leverage his nation into better position in the world. On the other hand, this paints a desperate man into a corner and desperate despots are often the most dangerous.
We will see how this plays out but keep a close eye on how Erdogan handles his opposition going forward. Here’s a not-so-bold prediction: He’s going to crack down on dissent and grab up as much power as possible in the coming weeks.
According to the Associated Press:
Turkey’s main opposition party retained its control over key cities and made huge gains elsewhere in Sunday’s local elections, in a major upset to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had set his sights on retaking control of those urban areas.
With more than 90% of ballot boxes counted, incumbent Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, of the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, was leading by a wide margin in Turkey’s largest city and economic hub, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. Mansur Yavas, the mayor of the capital, Ankara, retained his seat with a stunning 25-point difference over his challenger, the results indicated.
In all, the CHP won the municipalities of 36 of Turkey’s 81 provinces, according to Anadolu, making inroads into many strongholds of Erdogan’s party. It gained 37% of the votes nationwide, compared to 36% for the president’s party, marking the CHP’s greatest electoral victory since Erdogan came to power two decades ago.
Desperate despots are dangerous. Stay frosty.
And let me guess, they’re pulling out of NATO.