Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 18 april 2017

Turkey’s president Erdogan fulfils ambition, but at a cost

ELENA BECATOROS
Associated Press Council of Ministers decid-
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish ed to extend the state of
President Recep Tayyip Er- emergency, which grants
dogan has finally fulfilled greater powers of deten-
his long-held ambition tion and arrest to security
to expand his powers af- forces, for a further three
ter Sunday’s referendum months. It had been due
handed him the reigns of to expire April 19. The deci-
his country’s governance. sion was to be sent to par-
But success did not come liament for approval.
without a cost. “The way (Erdogan) has
His victory leaves the na- closed the door on the op-
tion deeply divided and position, there is likely to be
facing increasing tension increased political unrest,”
with former allies abroad, said Howard Eissenstat, as-
while international moni- sociate professor of Middle
tors and opposition parties East history at St. Lawrence
have reported numerous University in upstate New
voting irregularities. York. “Forty-eight percent
An unofficial tally carried of the population is being
by the country’s state-run told that their voices don’t
news agency gave Erdo- matter.”
gan’s “yes” vote a narrow Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, delivers a speech during a rally of supporters a day There is also the risk of in-
win, with 51.4 percent ap- after the referendum, outside the Presidential Palace, in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, April 17, 2017. creased international iso-
proving a series of constitu- Turkey’s main opposition party urged the country’s electoral board Monday to cancel the results lation, with Erdogan ap-
tional changes converting of a landmark referendum that granted sweeping new powers to Erdogan, citing what it called pealing to patriotic senti-
Turkey’s political system substantial voting irregularities. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) ments by casting himself
from a parliamentary to a as a champion of a proud
presidential one. Critics ar- was heavily weighted in fa- yer, said of the voting ir- The increasing polarization Turkish nation that will not
gue the reforms will hand vor of the “yes” campaign, regularities. of Turkish society has long be dictated to by foreign
extensive power to a man with Erdogan drawing on Erdogan was unfazed by worried Turkey observers, powers in general, and the
with an increasingly auto- the full powers of the state the criticism as he spoke to who note the dangers of European Union in particu-
cratic bent, leaving few and government to domi- flag-waving supporters in deepening societal divi- lar.
checks and balances in nate the airwaves and the Turkish capital, Ankara. sions in a country with a his- Turkey has been an EU can-
place. billboards. The “no” cam- “We have put up a fight tory of political instability. didate for decades, but
Opposition parties called paign complained of in- against the powerful na- The referendum was held
foul, complaining of a se- timidation, detentions and tions of the world,” he with a state of emergency its accession efforts have
ries of irregularities. They beatings. said as he arrived at the still in place, imposed af- been all but moribund for
were particularly outraged In Istanbul, hundreds of airport from Istanbul. “The ter an attempted coup in several years.
by an electoral board de- “no” supporters demon- crusader mentality at- July. About 100,000 people “They have made us wait
cision to accept ballots strated in the streets on tacked us abroad. ... We have been fired from their at the gates of the Euro-
that did not bear official Monday, chanting “thief, did not succumb. As a na- jobs in the crackdown that pean Union for 54 years,”
stamps, as required by murderer, Erdogan” and tion, we stood strong.” followed on supporters of Erdogan told his support-
Turkish law, and called for banging pots and pans. In a speech before a mas- a U.S.-based Islamic cleric ers at the presidential pal-
the vote to be annulled. “We are protesting today sive crowd at his sprawling and former Erdogan ally ace. “We can conduct a
International monitors from because the results an- presidential palace com- who the president blamed vote of confidence on this
the Organization for Se- nounced by the govern- plex, Erdogan insisted Tur- for the attempted putsch. as well. Would we? What
curity and Cooperation ment are not the real ones. key’s referendum was “the Tens of thousands have did England do — they did
in Europe, who also listed Because actually the ‘no’ most democratic election been arrested or impris- Brexit, right?”
numerous irregularities, we voted won. But the ... ever seen in any West- oned, including lawmak- “Either they will hold their
said the move undermined government is announcing ern country” and admon- ers, judges, journalists and promises to Turkey or they’ll
safeguards against fraud. it as ‘yes’ has won,” Damla ished the OSCE monitors to businessmen. have to bear the conse-
The referendum campaign Atalay, a 35-year-old law- “know your place.” On Monday, the country’s quences,” he added.q