The Paradox of Turkey’s Victorious Erdogan: Authoritarianism burnishes his ‘democratic’ credentials

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http://www.juancole.com/2014/04/victorious-authoritarian-credentials.html

The Paradox of Turkey’s Victorious Erdogan: Authoritarianism burnishes his ‘democratic’ credentials
By Juan Cole | Apr. 3, 2014
(By Niall Finn)

Sunday’s local elections was the first time the Turkish people have had a chance to vote since last summer’s Gezi Park movement rocked the country. Although the protests sparked an almost continuous period of political crisis for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), they have again emerged as Turkey’s largest political party with a renewed electoral mandate. Such a result is especially significant for Prime Minister Erdogan, who led the aggressıve campaign and staked his own future on the outcome.

For many the result is a paradox. How can an increasingly authoritarian government continue to win democratic support?

In an attempt at an explanation, some western commentators have already called Erdogan an ’elected sultan’ and an ‘Islamic caudillo’. In doing so they are resurrecting the worn out narrative of the backward nature of Turkish politics and by extension the backward nature of the Turkish population. Ironically these were often the same people who praised Erdogan for reinvigorating Turkish democracy but now, unable to explain such a sudden reversal, have fallen back on stereotypes.

“Western commentators have already called Erdogan an ’elected sultan’ “The real solution can be found in the roots of the political crisis and the way the AKP have sought to resolve it.