Kurdish Issue Key To Erdogan’s Success
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People hold signs as they attend the funeral ceremony of the three Kurdish activists shot in Paris, in Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast, Jan, 17, 2013. (photo by REUTERS/Umit Bektas)
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Turkey is scheduled to hold local and presidential elections in 2014 and parliamentary elections the following year. Thus in 2013, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has the freedom to take political risks in trying to find a workable solution to the Kurdish issue. If unsuccessful, Erdogan will have plenty of time before the elections to structure the public debate and blame other actors for the failure of the recently upgraded peace process. If successful, he will certainly secure another strong win at the ballot box. Devlet Bahceli, an opposition leader and chairman of the National Movement Party, estimates that Erdogan is guaranteed to take “70% of votes in the next election” if he resolves the Kurdish issue.
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/01/turkey-region-pkk-akp.html#ixzz2Id1mdDOP
Categories: Al-Monitor