Think tank panelists weigh in on US election results
by Merve Aydoğan
ANKARANov 10, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Merve Aydoğan
Nov 10, 2016 12:00 am
After Donald Trump's presidential election win that was unexpected by many, experts noted yesterday that the Trump administration could surprise us to a great extent in terms of foreign and domestic policy.
Speaking at the "US Elections: Turkey and Middle East" panel held by Ankara-based think tank, the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA), experts drew attention to the new Trump era and the effects it could have on Washington, asserting that soured relations between the U.S. and Ankara could enter a new chapter in the wake of the election results.
Assistant Professor of Penn State University's Political Science Department and Research Director at SETA Foundation in Washington, D.C., Kılıç Buğra Kanat, served as a panelist in the discussion, where he stressed that the "sociological ebb and flow in countries like the U.S. has given rise to right-wing populism - not just 'Trump-ism' - worldwide."
Kanat emphasized that to understand what a Trump Presidency actually means, it is necessary to consider it from a global perspective while being aware that rising populism is a movement happening in both right-wing and left-wing politics worldwide.
Pointing to the high ratings of Netflix drama series "House of Cards" as proof that politics garner a sociological reaction from the public, Kanat gave two reasons for the Trump win: The first being the media's heavy attack on Trump which led him to play the "victimization" card and second, the"inefficiency" of Hillary Clinton and her team. "When Clinton's resume is assessed, it is evident that she was born to be a politician. ... However, she does not have the chemistry nor the charisma that Bill Clinton had and failed to appeal to the younger generation of voters," he said.
Another panelist and SETA General Coordinator Burhanettin Duran said: "Trump created a new political fault line in American politics by being elected as the next president of the U.S. ...Though the election results have lowered the arrogance of American liberal elites, the upcoming era may be much more dangerous [due to this]."
Ankara Bureau Chief of Star daily Mustafa Kartoğlu said: "A major change in policies towards Turkey is not expected [from Trump]."
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