RE: Not AT ** ... Election Results

[Guest guest]

Speaking of elections . tomorrow is voting day here in the US and this

is a just a friendly public service reminder to everyone to get out and

vote! There are folks in parts of this planet who would die (and have

died) to have the right to vote! Disenchanted or not, just remember - we

can't make a democracy work if we don't vote - and even if you don't

like the candidates, not voting isn't gonna help get any better folks

into office! So let your voice be heard, no matter who you are voting

for, cause if everyone DID actually vote in EVERY election, I bet the

political structure and faces within it would paint a WHOLE lot

different a picture than it is now!

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

 

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

 

Butch Owen [butchbsi]

Monday, November 04, 2002 8:06 PM

 

Not AT ** Turkish Parliamentary Election

Results

 

Hi y'all,

 

Any who find this subject not to their liking should delete it now.

However, I have received EIGHT off line posts today inquiring about the

fact that the leading party was an Islamic party .. which tells me we

have some people who are interested so I will give you the facts.

 

Some people are asking me if Turkey is moving toward Islamism .. and to

that I chuckle because nothing could be farther from reality. When

Saddam Hussein becomes a Catholic Priest or Bill Clinton becomes a Monk,

then I will say it is possible that Turkey could turn to Islamism. ;-p

 

One person recommended I get out while the getting was good. ;-p Hell,

I feel a lot more comfortable and safe here than I did when I was in

Washington, D.C., a few weeks ago .. folks were shooting folks there.

 

First .. let me say that I am neither surprised or disappointed with the

results of this totally free and democratic election. An election held

in the ONLY democratic and secular country in the entire world with a

predominently Moslem population.

 

In the USA, I lean right of center .. but in Turkey, I must lean left of

center and of course, if I were eligible to vote here, I would not give

my support to a party that had a basis in religion .. but that would be

the case if I were voting in Europe as I would not support the Christian

Democratic party there .. and I would not give support to a hard-core

Christian right-wing in the USA. Personal opinions these .. but I give

them to prep my position of lack of disappointment with this election.

 

In Turkey a party must gain 10% of the popular vote to enter Parliament.

Yesterday, the Moderate Moslem (NOT Islamic) Justice and Recovery Party

(AKP) took 34.2% of the popular vote in a race with nine other parties.

The only other party to make the 10% threshold was Republican People's

Party (CHP) .. a Social Democratic Party. The encumbant Democratic Left

Party (DSP) of present Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, won only 1.2% of

the popular vote .. they were the lowest of the nine running.

 

Interesting was the fact that the only right-wing, Nationalist party in

the running .. a party that had shared power with PM Ecevit, the

National People's Party (MHP), won only 9.5% of the popular vote.

 

The Turkish people did not, in my opinion, vote FOR the Moslem Party,

but rather voted AGAINST the other parties that had played musical

chairs in controlling the government for a long time. The Turks have

declared that they are fed up with economic conditions that have been

steady declining for many years .. and with petty political fighting.

 

People who oppose or fear the Moslem AKP Party .. which is the slant of

some of the off-line posts I have received today, do so because they do

not have a clear understanding of the Constitution of the Republic of

Turkey, or of the constitutional and traditional role played by the

Turkish Military in ensuring continuation of the principles of Ataturk,

the Father of Turkey. Those principles are primary and insolvent and

the military's role as watchdog and overseer of those principles has

long been accepted and welcomed by Turkish people, regardless of their

political persuasion. I too, strongly support those principles and the

right and responsibility of the military to ensure their continuation -

until a better system is in place in this young (79 year old) democratic

nation of over 70 million people. Principles I speak of are PRIMARILY

secularism, followed by westernization and democracy.

 

There's NO CHANCE for any party to interject religion into the Turkish

political scene .. the last one to try was closed by the Constitutional

Court in 1997 .. and though the AKP party is seen by some as being a

remnant of that party, the lessons learned by Islamists in the past can

not and will not be forgotten by the present AKP party members.

 

I believe the AKP is not stupid enough to try to interject religion into

state affairs because they know it wouldn't be tolerated and the actions

of the party would come to a screeching and permanent halt. Such legal

action would not be an infringment on political freedom .. it would be

action in response to a clear violation of the Turkish Constitution!

 

Even in America, where we claim to have separation of church and state,

we find many examples of actions that contradict this claim .. such as

prohibition of sale of alcohol on Sunday in some states .. or allowing

its sale after 1 o'clock as if that would ensure greater attendance at

church .. or stamping certain words on our coinage. On the other hand,

American courts have shown a tendency to satisfy those who challenge

religious freedoms by prohibiting prayer in schools .. while elected

officials continue to open the proceedings of our Congress with prayer.

But he who is without sin should cast the first stone. ;-p

 

But here in Turkey, it is certain that stones will be cast at anyone who

is stupid enough to try to mix religion with state affairs .. there will

be none of the exceptions as is the case in the USA. Perhaps America

has no need to fear religious influence .. PERHAPS. But that's not the

case in Turkey ... a Republic that is surrounded by Islamic regimes .. a

Republic that was born from the ashes of the Islamic Ottoman Empire.

 

I'm thinking that though I must lean right of center in my American

political philosophy .. I can't do so in Turkey. I strongly believe

right-wing, nationalistic mentality is not the correct path for Turkey

at this time .. and it appears that the Turkish citizens feel as I do.

Of course, Islamic mentality is not needed either, but a smattering of

leftism and perhaps moralism would not be hard to digest. Any party

that claims they will terminate paternalism, favoritism, corruption and

inefficiency is going to be supported after years of living with parties

that thrived on these negatives and caused the Turk on the street to

become a victim of economic disaster and social chaos.

 

I'm thinking that people didn't really vote FOR the AKP .. but rather

they voted AGAINST the other parties. I am also surprised but I must

say happy to see that the general populace did not vote so much based on

their regions. I watched the election results from the reporting of

25%, 40%, 60%, 80% and so on of the totals .. roughly speaking .. and

the percentages rarely changed .. regardless of the region from which

the ballots were being reported. I was waiting for MHP (Nationalists)

to ease over that 10% mark and though it bounced back and forth from

9.3% to 9.6% or so .. fortunately, they wound up with only 9.5%.

 

I'm thinking that the economy has hit rock bottom and the only way for

it to go now is up. The Turk on the street has no more belt left to

tighten. It has hit megabuck corporations like Koc, Sabanci, Yasar and

other biggies, and they were able to survive by selling off a lot of

their less than profitable holdings .. but small companies like mine

suffered greatly and we had no fat to trim. I was able to survive ..

barely, but many, many small Mom and Pop companies bit the dust, and the

Turk on the street saw as much as a 60% reduction in his buying power.

 

For the first time since the 1980s, the Turkish people have elected a

party that can govern without a coalition .. I see this as being not a

bad thing because this party knows they can/will take credit for all

accomplishments and all failures .. there is nobody else to blame.

 

I watched CNN ask stupid questions last night .. " Will this have an

impact on Turkish participation in NATO, or Turkey's willingness to

remain a staunch partner of the USA, or will it impact their entry into

the European Union? " As much as I wanted to give benefit of the doubt

to the US reporter and assume that he was playing a Huntley-Brinkley

role with the CNN correspondent on the spot in Istanbul, I could not

force myself give that benefit .. I saw it as sensational journalism of

the worst kind and fortunately, the CNN on-the-ground correspondent in

Turkey was able to properly field those inquiries. The answer to those

questions is that there will be NO CHANGE in Turkish foreign policy but

we all hope to see MAJOR CHANGES for the good in domestic affairs.

 

My opinions are shared by many people here who love their country - I

have no need to ask opinions of nationalists because I hold them in

contempt and believe their line of thinking lacks credibility. I think

we should be careful to not confuse Nationalism with Patriotism .. and

especially not confuse it with the unique term " Americanism. "

 

But I do hold dear the opinions of the many well-educated, modern

academicians and scientists, businessmen and judicial authorities who

are friends and/or acquaintances. These people are liberals .. they are

not necessarily leftists .. at least not extremists .. but they are

certainly not Islamists or Nationalists. Two of them wrote me today:

 

> Dear Butch,

> I fully agree with your evaluation of the state of affairs after the

> election. AKP has been given a credit by the Turkish electorate. If

they

> use it in the correct way well and good. If they try the system, the

> system has enough reflex to defend itself. This can be their end.

> If they are serious in their claims that they have changed and the

> party is like Christian Democrats in Europe they have to prove it.

> The most significant result of the election is to me the expulsion

> of many political parties with long standing in Turkish politics. I

> hope they also draw a lesson from these results. I hope the new era

> Turkey is entering will be a prosperous one.

 

Another wrote:

 

> Butch I also have hopes for better times for Turkey. We will see.

> Though I did not vote for the AKP I can not say I am worried that

> they were selected. I believe our country has adequate means to

insure

> protection against any party that will try to corrupt. Erdogan

> emphasized the AKP has no Islamic agenda and espouses pro-Western,

> conservative program. We also have a strong opposition in the CHP.

 

The persons who wrote the above notes I hold in great esteem .. as do

others who know them .. and I present those messages only to provide

some authentication to my opinion that the selection of a Moslem party

should NOT be of concern to Turkey or Turkey's friends. :-D

 

Tomorrow, the American people will select a new Congress. Though many

people will be disappointed, we can't please everyone. I have confidence

in the selections that will result from America's election. And I wish

America well .. I wish Turkey well .. I wish good things to all people

and nations of Good Will.

 

Regards .. and y'all keep smiling, Butch http://www.AV-AT.com

 

American By Birth .. Southern By The Grace Of God .. Patriot By Choice