A one-sentence summary of Turkey's 62nd and the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) fourth government's recently announced program is: the process of democratization and reforms will continue without any breaks. Turkey has not had an ordinary period since Nov. 3, 2002. From the perspective of Western countries, it might be difficult to grasp the importance and difference of the crises experienced as well as the choices made within this period.
Turkey is in a restructuring process, and this generally leads the democratically-elected government to tackle some legitimacy crises. In this country, we are still witnessing a leader who received 52 percent of the vote in the recent election subjected to legitimacy crises. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), which constantly complains about polarization, tried to create another legitimacy crisis in a session held for the president's oath-taking ceremony by throwing a copy of the council bylaws to the Parliament Spokesman. The CHP's Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said, "I could only meet him in case of war," referring to the new President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In any country governed through advanced democracy, I do not think a prime minister would have to deal with coup attempts organized by the military, media or illegal organizations. And I do not think an environmental issue would bring any country to the brink of a civil war. A coup cannot be attempted by making use of such incidents that could also happen in other civilized countries. Some Western countries such as the U.K. and Spain had problems with the IRA and ETA, respectfully. Of course, the British and Spanish armies did not cooperate with those illegal organizations – assuming that the war provided them with a rule power.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who is a world-renowned figure, is now the leader of the 62nd government whose new governmental program was built with a democratic perspective to which no one could object. In the distribution of tasks, Davutoğlu directly took charge of the reconciliation process and the Directorate of Religious Affairs. Also, he determined that the primary topic of the program is the fight against the illegal organization that attempted a coup by false charges of corruption on Dec. 17 and 25. It was also stated that immediate steps will be taken regarding the rights of Alevi citizens, which is also why his taking charge of the Directorate of Religious Affairs is meaningful.
While sending off its former leader Erdoğan to the presidential seat, the AK Party did not experience a crises or split. They worked very hard on the process and completed the turnover in record speed. During the following nine months and the four years after the elections, an era called the "second advancement" by Davutoğlu, Turkey will enter an era of structural reforms by completing the restoration process that persisted for the past 12 years. In the course of this critical period, the reconciliation process will be finalized after the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) lay down its arms and leave the borders. The final moves for the new constitution will also be made. The constitutional reforms were suspended to because of the blocking tactics of the opposition. However, Turkey can consolidate the changes only if it could implement those structural reforms.
Probably, we will have to tackle the legitimacy crises and false agendas created by "opposition" and "media" once again. This time, Davutoğlu will be blamed for triggering the polarizations and be criticized to the West through those artificial crises. As in the periods of a single-party and the Cold War, the West will sympathize with this anti-reform bloc who is essentially totalitarian in a Western guise, and consequently they will continue to misinterpret Turkey. However, this process of change is an inevitable for Turkey, and it will not stray from this path. 'New Turkey' is the best option for the West, the Middle East and the rest of the world. And we actually need the fair criticisms of Western fellows in this reconstruction process.
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