Neo-Ottomanism

June 8 was a great day for democracy. It proved beyond any doubt that the time for authoritarianism is over. Mohammed Morsi of Egypt tried to put everything on his plate and not only burned his fingers but soon fell along with his plate. It seems Erdogan did not learn any lessons from the downfall of Morsi and went ahead with his ‘neo-Ottomanism’. The June 8 election results proved that you cannot fool all the people all the time.
Regardless of Erdogan’s failure to rewrite the constitution, the entry of the Kurdish-based People’s Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkish politics is the real game-changer. The Turks have proven to the world that there is no space for veiled democratic dictators.
Masood Khan
Jubail
Saudi Arabia