Who will be president in Turkey? May 12, 2018, 18:21 UhrEditiert on May 12 2018, 18:21 UhrDIE time No. 20/201825 comments
Read Turkish original here. The text has been edited easily for German version.
Turkey, at end of 1970s… Blood is flowing on streets. Right and left fight brutally. Every day newspapers report deaths of a number of young people.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, born in February 1954, is hardly involved in fighting, but is leader of youth organization of an Islamist party in midst of action. He holds heated speeches on Istanbul’s squares, reciting poems by conservative lyricist Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, excites enthusiastically about struggle he and his allies are “against EEC and IMF”.
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In a protest march for a killed comrade, police will face you. What to do? Go to police or take retreat? Erdoğan finds a third way: he spreads his jacket on floor and kneels down to prayer. The ors follow his example. The police wait for end of “action” and n bring Erdoğan and his comrades to guard. The next evening y move on again to stick posters for ir party. When Tayyip came home at night, his mor was hugging him, who had waited for him on balcony praying. Like millions of mors in those years…
Can Dündar
is editor-in-chief of Internet platform Özgürüz. He is now writing for Us Weekly about crisis in Turkey.
And on or side of front? Here, too, re is a relentless struggle. Not just against nationalists and Islamists, re is also a bloody quarrel between different groups. The left youth of Istanbul is very heterogeneous. Muharrem Ince, born in May 1964, kept cattle in village during his childhood. While his friends played football, he preferred to read books. He goes to Friday prayers, but also reads poems by communist poet Nâzım Hikmet. He is enthusiastic about politics and wants to become prime minister. In evening he goes out with friends to stick posters for Social Democratic Party. When he comes home at night, he waits for his headscarf-bearing mor on balcony, who prayed for him. Like millions of mors in those years…
This article comes from time No. 20/2018. Here you can read entire output.
These two young men, who entered political arena at end of bloody Seventies, are at moment in a relentless competition to become first president of Turkey in new system. Erdoğan had long since declared his candidacy. The opposition leader, CHP, did not Ince to Erdoğan until last moment. The candidate combines numerous advantages. He is an outstanding speaker, just like Erdoğan. He’s coming from a poor, pious family. He prays, but also drinks alcohol. His profile does not deter faithful circles. On or hand, contrary to party decision, he opposed law which abolished immunity of Kurdish parliamentarians in order to be able to arrest m, it is assumed that Kurds could also give him ir vote. He started election campaign last week with Friday prayers and family visits. His first election pledge is to convert Erdoğan’s Palace of Splendor into a university.
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If no candidate receives more than 50 percent in elections on 24 June, Erdoğan and Ince will probably compete in runoff two weeks reafter. Then it will show whose posters will hang on walls of new system.
From Turkish by Sabine Adatepe
