Prospects

According to latest estimates, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is coming in at around 44 percent popularity, while the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) is, as always, around the 25 percent level and the junior opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is at around 16 percent or so. A surprise is in the Kurdish votes, as the Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP) is claimed to have reached 8 percent.

There are at least six months before the elections and these public opinion results might change a lot by the time ballot boxes are placed in front of the people. Yet there are some alarming signs which might please or at least offer a ray of hope for those Turks still aspiring to see a place for their country in the European family of nations. Foremost are the economic indicators that have been shouting for some time about the coming of a new crisis unless the country undergoes radical public expenditure cuts. On the contrary, while placard presentations at ceremonies or sending flowers are banned by the government of the Pinocchio with the almond mustache, exuberance in governance is continuing unabated. Can the Foreign Ministry, or the prime ministry, disclose to Turks, for example, how many greenbacks were spent to bring Hamas leader Khaled Mashal to the Konya provincial convention of the ruling AKP?

For a long time, the Turkish economy has been surviving on hot money pouring in through investments, land purchases or, for some other reason, from the Arab neighborhood. Through its Syria policy and arrogant style of leadership, Turkey has support from the entire neighborhood, though Qatar has been lost over the past few years. If and when Turkey starts having servicing problems, will it be able to find preciously sufficient cash...