Erdogan, "Reis" of a new Turkey – Elie SAIKALI

This is an inaugural swearing-in ceremony that took place yesterday in Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, re-elected as Turkey's leader on June 24 after winning the first round of early elections, pledged yesterday for a second term following a speech in the Turkish Parliament and a large ceremony at presidential palace of Ankara. "As President, I swear on my honor and integrity, in front of the great Turkish nation, to work with all my abilities to preserve and exalt the glory and honor of the Republic of Turkey, and to fulfill the duties which are mine, impartially, "he said yesterday in front of the deputies.
The Turkish "Reïs", in power for fifteen years, can now fully assume the costume of hyper-president and return more in the history of his country. "Erdogan has made the history of Turkey his mark by becoming the first president of a presidential regime," says East-Day Gönül Tol, director of the Turkish program at the Middle East Institute. "But I do not know how history will remember him (…), certainly as one who has weakened the democracy of the country," she added.
Architect of the Turkish economic and political transformation (both internally and externally), Mr. Erdogan quickly attracted the fervors of the nationalist movements, but also Islamists, the most important (like the MHP, Party National Action Plan). He has indeed mixed the nationalist and religious discourses, so much so that at each of his public appearances, it is the sign of the Rabia (salvation with the thumb folded towards the palm of the hand, sign of the Muslim Brothers), which is done by the president. "Erdogan has broken taboos in terms of secularism by giving more prominence to religion. (…) It represented a turning point in terms of the change of political regime and the place of religion in the culture and institutions of religion. State, "says OLJ Ismet Iksa, a researcher at the Carnegie Center, a specialist in Turkey.
It is this nationalist and religious electorate that sees Erdogan as the builder of a re-respected and internationally recognized Turkey, which has given him a reinforcement of his powers through the constitutional referendum in April 2017, after which the "yes" won with more than 51% of the vote. This reform of the Constitution, which came into force yesterday, shifted the parliamentary system into a presidential system. It allows it to function directly by decree but also to appoint and dissolve the government, which implies the disappearance of the post of Prime Minister. It is also able to appoint six of the thirteen members of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), itself responsible for appointing and removing judicial staff. Finally, as the president of his party, the AKP (Justice and Development Party), he can directly control the actions of his deputies in Parliament. In other words, the Turkish president is now omnipresent on the executive, legislative and judicial branches of his country.

Like Atatürk?
million. Erdogan, with the help of his power, is trying to make Turkey a great economic power and to work for the greatness of his nation. The main opposition newspaper, Çumhuriyet, headlined yesterday: "A one-man regime begins today. Her columnist, Asli Aydintasbas, talks about the advent of a "second Republic" succeeding the secular Turkey founded by Mustapha Kemal Atatürk. His surname, meaning "father of the Turks", was awarded to him in 1934. But this idea of ​​paternity has passed through the years, and it is now Mr. Erdogan who tends to present himself as the new father of Turkey. He even claimed the legacy in November 2017.
Mustapha Kemal was the architect of Turkey's independence in the wake of the disappearance of the Ottoman Empire. He waged a "war of liberation" to prevent the sick man of Europe from being dismembered by the victorious powers of the First World War, as stipulated in the Treaty of Sèvres (1920). Mustapha Kemal finally won, and in 1923 the caliphate was abolished and the Turkish Republic was born.
But if we look at the past of the two men, they have many points in common. They both worked for a recognized independence of Turkey on the international scene and are two leaders considered authoritarian and autocratic. But the big difference is at the ideological level. Mustapha Kemal advocated a foolproof secularism and a modern Turkey turned towards the West. Mr Erdogan claims that Turkey's success is to be found in its Ottoman roots and places a greater emphasis on religion in everyday life. "The two men are autocratic leaders, who want to govern in their image and who are both engaged in a project of social construction. (…) But Mr. Erdogan has built his power in a more personalized way than Atatürk. There has never been a leader like Mr Erdogan with power like this in the country's history, "concludes Gönül Tol.

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