Constitutional referendum, inter-state scandals, Erdogan aggression’s display in US: 2017 in Turkey

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. 2017 was historical for Turkey in a sense that based on the results of the constitutional referendum that country’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan eventually succeeded in changing the country’s governance system from parliamentary to presidential one. Such change will enable Erdogan to govern the country in the upcoming years and concentrate all the levers in his hands.

ARMENPRESS tried to identity the most important and key events held in Turkey during 2017.

Terrorism on New Year’s Eve

2017 started in Turkey on the New Year’s Eve by the terror attack in the Reina night club in Istanbul on January 1. 39 people were killed and 70 were wounded in the terror attack. The Islamic State terrorist group assumed responsibility for the attack.

The author of the terror attack was arrested on January 16. He is to face live imprisonment.

Constitutional referendum

The constitutional referendum was held in Turkey on April 16 with 51.4% in favor and 48.59% against. As a result the country shifted from the parliamentary system to the presidential one. The referendum aimed at further concentrating the power in the hands of Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development party. After these changes Erdogan can remain in power until 2029.

Overall, 18 articles of the current Constitution will change. The main changes will come into force starting from 2019.

However, some provisions of the new Constitution started to be applied immediately after its adoption. In particular, the talk is about to allow the country’s president have a party affiliation. During the extraordinary session of the Justice and Development party on May 21 Erdogan after a 33-month pause again returned to the ruling party.

Although the opposition announced the results of the constitutional referendum as being fake, the referendum results remained unchanged.

Scandal involving ministers

The passing year was also distinguished by inter-state scandals involving Turkish ministers. Some European countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and Netherlands banned the Turkish ministers’ entry to their countries. The Turkish political figures planned to visit European countries on the 1st anniversary of the failed military coup attempt in Turkey and meet with the Turkish community representatives.

However, the Netherlands on March 11 withdrew the permission to land the plane transporting Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. The Netherlands government announced that they took such a step since Cavusoglu’s visit was “putting the public order and security under risk”.

The Netherlands was followed by Germany and Austria which cancelled the speeches of the Turkish ministers and events with their participation. In particular, the speeches of the Turkish President were banned in the German cities of Dortmund, Oberhausen, Cologne and Düsseldorf.

Of course, official Ankara strongly reacted to this incident by sending notes of complaint and threatening to cut the relations.

Germany withdrew its troops from Incirlik airbase

The existing tension in the Turkish-German relations after the adoption of the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution by the Bundestag in 2016 continued this year as well. Already this year after banning the speeches of the Turkish political figures in Germany the tension reached culmination over the issue of the visit of German lawmakers to the Incirlik airbase.

Official Ankara again banned the German parliamentary delegation’s visit to their troops in the airbase. In response to the decision of the Turkish side the Bundestag on June 22 adopted a decision by majority of votes to withdraw its troops from the Incirlik airbase. For the first time in history the German army withdrew its troops from the airbase of NATO member state and transported to the airbase of Jordan, which is not a member of NATO. The last German troops left Turkey in September.

Establishment of new party by Meral Akşener

2017 was significant in the Turkish political life by the establishment of new political party: famous Turkish politician, former defense minister Meral Akşenerestablished the Good party. It’s worth mentioning that hundreds of former members of the Nationalist Movement party joined the Good party who were not satisfied with the current policy of the nationalist party, in particular, with the fact that the Nationalist Movement party closely cooperates with Erdogan and the political force led by him.

Meral Akşeneris expected to be Erdogan’s main rival in the upcoming 2019 presidential election.

Erdogan’s dictatoriship demonstrated in Washington D.C.

Erdogan, who constantly violates the fundamental human rights and freedoms, tried to “export his policy” to the United States. In particular, on May 16 the whole world witnessed how Erdogan’s security details attacked peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Embassy in Washington D.C. who were complaining against Erdogan’s policy.

As a result of the attack a number of wounded people, including Armenians were hospitalized.

The video of the attack shows that Erdogan personally gives the order for the attack.

The Washington Mayor and Police Chief on June 15 announced declaring arrest warrants for 12 supporters of Erdogan. Two Turkish citizens involved in the attack have been immediately arrested. During the December court hearings they pleaded guilty for the attack.

The world’s biggest prison for journalists

Like the previous year, this year as well the restrictions on fundamental human rights and freedoms continued in Turkey. During 2017 dozens of local and foreign journalists have been arrested. It’s not a coincidence that Turkey was ranked 155th among the 179 countries in the Media Freedom Index 2017 of the Reporters Without Borders organization. The organization again recognized Turkey as the “world’s biggest prison for journalists”.

Araks Kasyan