A bad omen for Turkey, Greece and democracy

The Turkish presidential election result was a blow to Turkey, to Greece, to the broader region and to democracy as a whole. While the rule in democracy is that we respect the will of the people, democracy's enduring weakness is that it contributes to its own undoing. So, despite the 21 years he's already spent in power, the impact of February's earthquakes, the corruption, the strong-arm tactics inside and outside Turkey's borders and the cynical exploitation of state institutions, half the country's voters chose Recep Tayyip Erdogan for president again. They are trusting the person who created the country's biggest problems to solve them. This is highlighted by his charismatic manner and the fact that many voters are simply not worried enough about the economic crisis and the way he undercut the institutions. Erdogan still manages to convey the fantasy of an omnipotent Turkey,...