BY MEHMET TEZKAN
VATAN- What I wrote in the title is not a wish. The general atmosphere of politics is in that direction. Both Agar,the leader of True Path Party (DYP) and Mumcu, the leader of the Motherland Party (ANAVATAN) say that 184 votes are enough to start the elections. They also note that the problem should be solved at the ballot boxes not at the court but they don't declare whether or not they are going to participate in the voting. Should Erdogan announce his candidacy in the following days, both parties will clearly regard this is an imposition but they won't have another choice. When the plenary session starts, 367 votes will be provided. In other words Agar and Mumcu will be those who will lead Erdogan to Cankaya.
Let's think now. Won't that be a political suicide for them? They will first support Erdogan's presidency and then speak ill of their rival to request ballots. Won't voters ask them why they helped him to become president if they didn't like him? So what is going to happen? I think Agar and Mumcu won't get involved. They will just watch-by. The struggle for presidency will be held between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). The Constitutional Court will rule after the first round. Should it rule that there is no need for 367 votes, the following rounds will follow but should it rule that 367 votes are necessary, the parliament will start the general elections.
Then what will happen? The elections will be held three months later and the secound round of the settling will take place before the public. The voters will make the decision. Will a crisis take place? Will the markets fluctuate? I believe that only a tremor, not an earthquake will occur because Turkey is already proceeding to the election. That will be better, in fact. Turkey will be at ease as for several aspects. First of all, the discussions to avail for years will end. People will vote regarding the presidential elections. Thus they themselves elect the president, in a way. Isn't that what the politicians want? Secondly, like the presidential elections in 1950, 1954, 1957 and 1966, the immediate decision of the ballots will set both the president and the prime minister. Thirdly, the seeds of a culture of compromise between the political parties will unavoidably be sown after the elections. The parties can't avoid it after they saw the choices of the voters.
You may ask whether all these are possible. My answer is in the affirmative. But the AKP thinks it is just imagination because they think that this duty was given to them four and a half years ago.