MILLIYET- Columnist Derya Sazak comments on the results of the elections held yesterday. A summary of his column is as follows:
Yesterday’s general elections resulted in a victory for the Justice and Development Party (AKP). Preliminary results show the AKP coming to power single-handedly with nearly 35% of the votes and 350 deputies’ seats. This picture provides the AKP with the chance to be Turkey’s ‘majority party’ for the 2000s. The Republican People’s Party (CHP), the AKP’s chief competitor, has become the ‘main opposition’ with nearly 20% of votes and 200 deputies. In other words, Parliament will probably be divided between just two parties. The AKP and CHP shared between themselves 55% of the vote and the remaining parties got 45%. Thus these elections were no surprise for the AKP and CHP. The True Path Party (DYP) and Nationalist Action Party’s (MHP) inability to pass the 10% threshold might enable the AKP to reach a ‘constitutional majority’ with 367 seats. It was clear that these elections would ones of purification. The Democratic Left Party (DSP) was cut off at its feet. The Motherland Party (ANAP) failed to enter Parliament for the first time since 1983 elections. It was the MHP which, following Prime Minister Ecevit’s illness, pushed for polls on Nov. 3. However, the elections weren’t good for the coalition partners. They paid a heavy price for the economic crisis of February 2001. The themes of poverty and corruption determined the people’s choice in yesterday’s elections. The poor turned out in droves for the AKP. The campaign to revoke parliamentary immunity was useful for the CHP. In addition, it received huge support from cities casting their votes in favor of Dervis and out of fear of the AKP. However, these factors fell short of enabling the CHP to close the gap between itself and the AKP. At any rate, considering the traditional 35-65% balance between the right and left, reducing the AKP’s votes might have been possible if the center-right parties had managed to pass the 10% threshold. With the collapse of the center-right, the AKP captured 35% of the 65% of the right’s potential vote. The surprise dark horse party, the Young Party (GP), got 7% of the total vote. The Democratic People’s Party (DEHAP) was incapable of reflecting its support in southeastern Anatolia in the country generally and thus it failed to meet the threshold. Ismail Cem’s New Turkey Party (YTP) also fell flat. Such parties as the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP) and the Turkish Communist Party (TKP) remained at the margins. Now a new period awaits Turkey. AKP leader Tayyip Erdogan characterized the election results as ‘turning a new page.’ Erdogan’s emphasizing the ‘EU goal’ and his speaking about ‘economic stability’ was important in order to forestall negative interpretations of ‘moderate Islam’s election victory’ in the foreign press. Although he wasn’t elected to Parliament, Erdogan is speaking as if he is the prime minister. The AKP’s reaching a majority sufficient to enact a constitutional amendment made matters easier for Mr. Erdogan, who carried his party to the power. The leaders who lost the elections now have a new duty: tendering their resignations!
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION