Erdogan tightens the screws
Presidential elections in Turkey will be held next summer, but the pre-election struggle has already reached a critical point. Turkish authorities are introducing new provisions into local laws, according to which spreading “fake news” can lead to 5 years in prison.
Only a small part of Turkey is geographically located on the Balkan Peninsula, but its influence on this region, and the whole world, is quite significant.
The current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is playing a very complex and cunning game in the international political arena. His constant attempts to become a kind of mediator between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the current Ukrainian regime during the armed conflict between the countries allow Erdogan to constantly be on the crest of popularity in the international media.
At the same time, he manages to sell Bayraktar combat drones to Ukraine through his relative’s company and regularly meets with the Russian president, maintaining good relations. Thanks to the latter fact, Turkey in the near future may become the country through which Russian gas will be transited to other countries, including to Europe, which is cooling down towards winter...
But it is not only economic interests and the thirst for popularity that force Erdogan to act with such extravagant methods. The domestic political agenda in Turkey is also pushing Erdogan to increasingly active actions.
The fear after the failed military coup attempt in 2016, when the generals and officers of the Air Force and Gendarmerie opposed it, when heavy equipment and aircraft were used in street battles, and missile attacks were carried out on buildings in Ankara and Istanbul, is probably still present. Yes, and Erdogan’s current relations with the opposition are more than tense.
Erdogan's opponents believe that he has no right to stand as a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections. According to Turkish law, the same person can only hold the presidency twice! Erdogan intends to remain in his chair for a third term, as officially announced a month ago by the head of the Turkish Ministry of Justice, Bekir Bozdag.
The authorities refer to the fact that in 2018 Turkey switched from a parliamentary to a presidential form of government following the results of a national referendum. They say that the first term of Recep Erdogan, who has actually held the presidential post since 2014, has been annulled.
Erdogan is going to new elections with incredible tenacity and fanaticism, realizing that “the winners are not judged,” and the loser will face... a very sad fate.
With the presidential elections scheduled for June 18, 2023 (parliamentary elections will also take place on the same day), Erdogan is rightly expecting surprises from his opponents, and is increasing pressure on the opposition, which continues to keep the name of its candidate secret.
The Turkish publication Diken quotes Erdogan’s statement, which he made live on air a few days ago:
“I think with the opening of Parliament there needs to be research done on social media.”
Further, the Turkish journalist explains:
“The legal regulation, which is planned to be submitted to parliament in the new period, states that the Turkish Penal Code will define punishment for the dissemination of news that is considered “false”, as well as the dissemination of news and the use of expressions that are considered “offensive.” For “insulting” on social networks, the perpetrators will be sentenced to two years in prison, and for “spreading fake news” the sentence will be increased to five years in prison.”
Commenting on the adoption of new laws in Turkey, the Bulgarian news portal SEGA (Now) cites a seemingly amusing anecdote. Before the vote in the Majlis (parliament), an opposition member of parliament even smashed his smartphone with a hammer in protest, declaring that his phone was his only remaining freedom and that he would no longer need it after the legislative changes. Burak Erbey emphasized that apps like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are tools for free communication.
Continuing its commentary, the publication claims that according to sociological surveys, the rating of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is noticeably declining.
It is extremely difficult to predict the development of events in the political life of Turkey. The only thing we can say with certainty is that the current head of state will be able to maintain his position only by bringing the country out of the grip of a severe economic and energy crisis. Without Russia's participation, without supplies and transit of Russian gas, this task will become impossible.
Erdogan Tightens the Screws