Street Protests in September?
Photo by DPA
The German news magazine Spiegel predicts street protests after the expected banning of Turkey’s ruling AK Party around September. Other observers point to the widespread passive acceptance of the closing as a fait accomplis (A coup? “Oh, no, not again!” Shrug.) and the maneuvering that has already begun to get around the closure by founding new parties. Also mitigating against violent street protests is the continual high standing of the military and the Constitutional Court in opinion polls (as the first and second most trusted institutions) DESPITE polls that also show that a majority believe the closure case to be politically and ideologically motivated and that the AKP does NOT pose a threat to secularism. The resulting cognitive dissonance is mitigated by believing that the CIA is behind everything, from the AKP’s success to the court case to the emerging Ergenekon conspiracy by ex-security and ex-military officers to overthrow the government. And what’s the point of protesting the CIA?
From Spiegel:
… It’s clear … that the country is … moving towards a ban of the AKP. And that will create political turbulence for the country at a time when it is aiming toward membership in the European Union. This new verdict might not increase the country’s chances. Europe has repeatedly criticized Turkey’s heavy handed judiciary for standing in the way of freedom of opinion and true democracy.
The question is whether AKP will accept a ban without mobilizing its supporters. Speculation is already brewing of massive street protests and the possibility of early elections in the autumn. AKP, many suspect, would like to use the protests to build support for a referendum to install a new constitution that would strip the current court of its power.
The military will now be tracking AKP’s moves closely. And if it has to, it will defend the country’s secularity with any means necessary. Turkey, in short, appears to be on a dangerous path — and one that may end in confrontation.
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