Far from democratic politics

In Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “vision statement” for the upcoming presidential elections, he writes: “We should adopt democracy, not as a political model, but as a culture dominating every field of our lives.”

In the same statement, there is also the target of “setting an example of a state model to the world.”

Indeed, the first indicator of democracy is free elections; in other words, individuals or parties should be able to participate in the elections, they should be able to express themselves freely and have easy access to communication channels.

However, the presidential election process does not at all fit into this picture.

At least, in contrast with Ekmeleddin Ä°hsanoğlu’s elaborate language, Erdoğan, from day one, has been disrespectful in the language he has used towards his two opponents. 

He goes from one town meeting to another town square using names and adjectives to describe and discredit his opponents, calling them: “sold, beginner, racist, thankless, liar, newly marketed presidential candidates, pot, vase, imported and mon cher.”

Knowing the adjectives he used for the two party leaders, you could say this is “just ordinary,” but one should not think like that; this is a presidential election, after all.

Erdoğan, since the beginning, gave an image where he could not stomach the fact that he had opponents and that this was a necessity of democratic politics.

The image he has created is just the opposite of what he said in Diyarbakır the other day: “We are building a Turkey where politics and ideas speak, not arms.”

In every country where “democratic politics” exists, candidates...