Commenting on this Sunday's parliamentary election in Turkey, in which the AK Party regained its majority by winning 49 percent of votes, according to unofficial results, Rebecca Harms and Philippe Lamberts said, “Erdoğan's repression of the media and stoking of the conflict with the [Kurdistan Workers' Party] PKK clearly played a role in the victory.”
The fact that the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) was able to enter parliament by passing the 10 percent election threshold, however, was seen as a “remarkable and a positive development for Turkey,” according to the press release. “The dispute about rights for the Kurdish community in Turkey can only be achieved through political means,” it read.
The Greens said the reports on election disturbances by observers “must be thoroughly analyzed before a conclusive judgment about this election can be reached.”
They also urged the European Union “not to turn a blind eye and accept the undemocratic nature of the AKP government” for the sake of solving the refugee crisis.
The press release concluded by saying, “There will be no secure and stable situation in Turkey as long as President Erdoğan is allowed to persist with his undemocratic and authoritarian rule."
In an unexpected development, the AK Party regained its majority to form a single party rule in the Nov. 1 election, with the party gaining 317 of the 550 seats in Parliament.
todayszaman.com
2/11/15
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The White House said on Monday it was deeply concerned that media outlets and journalists were subject to pressure during the Turkish presidential campaign...
ReplyDeleteAmid reports that journalists were pressured in order to weaken political opposition, spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House has urged Turkish authorities to uphold the values of its constitution.
REUTERS
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) charged in a damning report on Monday that Turkey's election was marred by a media crackdown, violence and other security concerns...
ReplyDeleteIt said the campaign for Sunday's vote was characterised by "unfairness" and "fear" after a surge in violence.
The election delivered a clear victory to the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a dramatic turnaround after it lost its parliamentary majority in June.
"While Turkish citizens could choose between genuine and strong political alternatives in this highly polarised election, the rapidly diminishing choice of media outlets, and restrictions on freedom of expression in general, impacted the process and remain serious concerns," Ignacio Sanchez Amor, special coordinator and leader of the OSCE observer mission, said in a statement.
Concerns over media freedoms were already running high in the run-up to the poll after riot police last week stormed the Ankara and Istanbul offices of two television stations critical of the Turkish strongman.
"Physical attacks on party members, as well as the significant security concerns, particularly in the southeast, further imposed restrictions on the ability to campaign," Amor added......AFP........http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/162495.aspx
2/11/15
Turquie : en quête de sécurité, les conservateurs kurdes se tournent vers l’AKP...
ReplyDeleteEn Turquie, le mouvement pro-kurde de Selahattin Demirtas, résolument anti-Erdogan, a vu une partie de son électorat filer dans les rangs de l’AKP ennemi lors des législatives de dimanche. Une situation conjoncturelle, selon des experts.
Au-delà de l’effet de surprise créé par la victoire éclatante de l’AKP lors des législatives de dimanche 1er novembre en Turquie, les résultats des urnes provoquent un autre étonnement : le prometteur Parti démocratique des peuples (HDP) n’a pas transformé l’essai de juin dernier.
Dimanche, le mouvement pro-kurde n’a conservé que 59 sièges au Parlement sur les 80 acquis lors du précédent scrutin législatif. Cette formation codirigée par le charismatique et confiant Selahattin Demirtas a dépassé de justesse la barre fatidique des 10 %, seuil minimal de représentation en Turquie.
S’il sauve les meubles, ce rival du président Recep Tayyip Erdogan n’a pas permis cette fois-ci de contrecarrer les plans du président turc, lequel a obtenu la majorité absolue comme il espérait le faire en convoquant de nouvelles législatives anticipées.
Le parti pro-kurde de Demirtas, à qui les sondages donnaient jusqu’à 14 % d’intentions de vote durant la campagne, a perdu près d’un million d’électeurs en seulement cinq mois. Ceux-là sont venus gonfler les chiffres de l’AKP. Dans toutes les villes du sud-est à majorité kurde, le score du HDP a été inférieur à celui de juin, à l’exception d’une seule ville, Sirnak...........france24.com
2/11/15
The White House on Monday voiced its displeasure at the "intimidation" of Turkish journalists during an election that bolstered the already strong hand of its longtime President Recep Tayyip Erdogan...
ReplyDeleteJust weeks before President Barack Obama meets Erdogan in Turkey, spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House was "deeply concerned that media outlets and individual journalists critical of the government were subject to pressure and intimidation during the campaign."
AFP[