Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review-26.06.18
No. 121/18
Contents
A. Turkish Cypriot Press
1. Cavusoglu will pay an illegal visit to the occupied area of Cyprus in the coming days
3. UBP is the first political party in the “local elections” in the occupied area of Cyprus
4. The 48,8% of the Turks in the occupied area of Cyprus voted for Erdogan
5. Afrika claims that Ince first tweeted and then he deleted his tweet
B. Turkish Press
1. The Turkish Election Board to share final results on July 5
3. Turkey’s top business group calls for ‘urgent’ reforms after election
4. OSCE monitors: Turkey election was ‘lively’ but ‘lacked equal conditions’
5. Turkish commentary views election results
6. US working to set up Trump-Erdogan phone call
7. “MHP was the ‘deep wave’ in Turkey’s election”
8. Arrest warrants out for 43 FETÖ-linked suspects
A. Turkish Cypriot Press
1. Cavusoglu will pay an illegal visit to the occupied area of Cyprus in the coming days
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Bakis newspaper (26.06.18) reports that self-styled minister of foreign affairs and deputy prime minister Kudret Ozersay called Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to congratulate his government on Turkey’s elections.
According to an announcement by the “ministry”, Cavusoglu said to Ozersay that he will visit soon the occupied area of Cyprus.
(DPs)
2. Ozersay: If there is no consensus between the sides, a new negotiating process for Cyprus might not start
Turkish Cypriot daily Havadis newspaper (25.06.18) reports that Kudret Ozersay, self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, has alleged that if a change in Cyprus will be in question, we should not try to read it only over a decision to be taken by Turkey, but the wish of the Turkish Cypriots and the direction towards which they want to be directed will also be a decisive factor. In statements to Havadis TV, Ozersay claimed that “TRNC’s” will [Translator’s note: The breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus] is also a decisive factor in addition to the will of Turkey. He argued that the situation will be determined by the international relations adding that some changes could happen and these changes could be discussed.
He claimed that the situation changed and that after the failure of the last Cyprus negotiations, the UNSG opened a window [for the Cyprus problem]. The UNSG said to the sides “go and think what you want and decide in which direction you will go from now on”, argued Ozersay adding that this window is still open and the process is still continuing. He went on and said:
“Through a representative or perhaps an adviser who will be appointed, the UN will seek for an answer to the question of ‘what we will do in Cyprus from now on’. Different sides will give different answers to this question and the answer to be given by Turkey and northern Cyprus will be very important in this sense, because the UNSG says, at the same time, that he could launch a new process in case the sides reach a consensus. If there is no consensus between the sides, the possibility of not starting a new process also exists”.
Referring to the Maronites, Ozersay said that there is no change of policy regarding the opening which the “TRNC” and Turkey are considering on this issue and added that in practice there are some elements which need time. He argued that this project is not something which could give results at once and added that it should start from the easiest point for implementation and be materialized gradually.
Commenting on the results of the elections in Turkey, Ozersay said that the most important result is that Turkey is heading towards a change of system, that a coalition is needed for the majority in the Turkish Grand National Assembly and that this is something which will influence the balances in the country. Noting that he thought that a second round might be needed in the presidential elections, Ozersay said that within the framework of the relations between Turkey and the breakaway regime, they need time to see how some things will be shaped because there will be a change of system in Turkey.
Referring to the issue of the “citizenship” of the breakaway regime, Ozersay said that their system is wrong and open to exploitation. He said that the “citizenship law” should change and that they are working on this issue. He argued that there are people who live in the occupied area of Cyprus for many years and raise their children there but could not obtain “citizenship”. He claimed that these elements should also be taken into consideration.
(I/Ts.)
3. UBP is the first political party in the “local elections” in the occupied area of Cyprus
Turkish Cypriot daily Gunes newspaper (26.06.18), under the title “The voters said UBP again”, on its front page, reports that the National Unity Party (UBP) has become the strongest party in the “2018 local elections” in the occupied area of Cyprus. UBP, which received the 36% of the votes in the recent “general elections”, raised its vots to 43,21%.
Despite the fact that UBP won 7 out of 28 “municipalities”, 5 out of the 7 independent candidates that it supported won.
Turkish Cypriot daily Nacak newspaper (26.06.18) reports that according to the final results announced by the “high electoral council” (“YSK”), UBP got first in the “local elections” by electing 122 “members of the municipal councils” (43.52%), while the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) elected 94 “members” (33,2%), People’s Party (HP) 21 (7.2%), the Revival Party (YDP) 18 (7.02%), the Democratic Party (DP) 12 (4.28%), the Social Democracy Party (TDP) 12 (4.28%) and the Communal Liberation Party – New Forces (TKP-YG) 1(0.35%).
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (26.06.18) reports that according to the “2014 local elections”, the three political parties CTP, TDP and DP from the “coalition government” have an important decline in the number of their “municipal council members”. The UBP increased its “members”, while the newly parties HP, YDP and TKP-YG elected also “members”.
The CTP reduced the number of its “municipal councillors” from 111 in 2014 to 94, the TDP from 14 in 2014 to 12, and the DP had the greatest loss, from 84 in 2014 to 12. However, the UBP increased its “members” from 102 in 2014 to 122.
Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (26.06.18) publishes the distribution of the political parties according to the numbers and the percentages of the “members of the municipal councils” compared to 2014:
|
|
2014 (%) |
2014 “members” |
2018 (%) |
2018 “members” |
|
UBP |
37.5 |
102 |
43.57 |
122 |
|
CTP |
40.8 |
111 |
33.57 |
94 |
|
DP |
15.4 |
42 |
4.28 |
12 |
|
TDP |
5.1 |
14 |
4.28 |
12 |
|
HP |
|
|
7.5 |
21 |
|
YDP |
|
|
6.42 |
18 |
|
TKP |
|
|
0.35 |
1 |
|
BKP (United Cyprus Party) |
0.7 |
2 |
|
|
|
YKP (New Cyprus Party) |
0.3 |
1 |
|
|
Moreover, Turkish Cypriot daily Halkin Sesi newspaper (26.06.18), under the title “The most successful mayor is Harmanci”, on its front page, reports that Mehmet Harmanci had the biggest success from the six “mayors” who were “re-elected”. Harmanci increased his votes by 4,200. He got 10,784 votes compared to 6,563 in the 2014 “local elections”.
(DPs)
4. The 48,8% of the Turks in the occupied area of Cyprus voted for Erdogan
Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen newspaper (26.06.18) reports that the results of Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections on the voting of Turks in the occupied area of Cyprus were announced.
With 100% of the ballot boxes (60) opened in the occupied area of Cyprus, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received 48,8% of the vote (20.638 persons), Muharrem Ince received 37,5% (15.868), Selahattin Demirtas got 7,8% (3.312), Meral Aksener got 5,4% (2.272), Temel Karamollaoglu got 0,3% (119) and Dogu Perincek got 0,2% (71).
According to the results on the parliamentary elections, the political parties got the following votes:
- Justice and Development Party (AKP): 42%
- Republican People’s Party (CHP): 27,7%
- People’s Democracy Party (HDP): 13,1%
- Good Party (IP): 8,4%
- National Movement Party (MHP): 6,8%
- Felicity Party (FP): 0,4%
(DPs)
5. Afrika claims that Ince first tweeted and then he deleted his tweet
Under the title “First he wrote it, later he deleted it”, Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (26.06.18), on its front page, reports that Muharrem Ince, the presidential candidate of the opposition political party Republican Turkish Party (CHP) made the following tweet in the night of the elections in Turkey : “Friends, there are things that you do not know. He is threatening with the army and the soldiers who are behind him. The only solution is to fight with the same style”. Later, the tweet was deleted.
The paper also argues that Ince also was “lost” mysteriously during the election night and appeared the next day (on Monday) by holding a press conference. During the press conference, he denied social media rumours that he was threatened by President Erdogan. He also explained that the message to the journalist Ismail Kucukayya conceding that Erdogan had won, it was an off the record message.
(DPs)
6. Columnist assesses the issue of population and the celebrations of AKP’s supporters in the occupied area of Cyprus
Writing in Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (25.06.18) columnist Ali Osman assesses the celebrations of Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) supporters in the occupied part of Nicosia on Sunday night after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s victory in the elections in Turkey and the issue of population in the occupied area of the island. Under the title “Our extinction”, Osman reports that while Erdogan was speaking on television, occupied Nicosia’s streets swarmed with car convoys. “The cars, which were covered with flags of Turkey and the TRNC, turned around the Turkish embassy and stopped for a while at the Keryneia Gate”, he notes and says:
“[…] Those who came out of the cars held flags in their hands and shouted slogans. They started a march by saying ‘listen to our voice Europe’. The roads were cut off by the police. As soon as they were prevented from marching, they got in their cars and headed north passing in front of the embassy. The police teams took measures in front of our newspaper.
On the other hand, in the Social Democracy Party’s (TDP) headquarters, Harmanci, who won the Municipality of Nicosia, and his team could hold no convoy or a celebration. They only remained squeezed in the yard of the building. The population from Turkey, which has been transferred to the northern part of Cyprus, rejoiced with Erdogan’s victory. […] Both the generation before us and our generation are guilty for turning Cyprus into this situation. We left to those who will come afterwards only a half island and occupation. And they accepted it. There is a group of persons among us who kill people when they rejoice and kill people when they are sad. They are many times more than us. […] I am not a racist. I do not believe in fate. I do not believe at all in religion. My sacred place is humanity. However, after I saw what happened, I have sincerely started thinking even whether to live here in the forthcoming days when big pressures and difficulties will be experienced in the economic and political fields.
When our teams became champion, they used to make convoys and celebrate by touring in their area. […] They were trying to share their Joy with everyone. The increasing foreign population took even this from us. Only supporters of Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas started going out in the streets. They even lease airplanes to go to the games of these teams. And our teams play matches in front of only fifteen - twenty spectators. The elections are there. They took our joy away from us, they took our sorrows away from us and started using them against us. If this is not the picture of our extinction, then what is it?”
(I/Ts.)
B. Turkish Press
1. The Turkish Election Board to share final results on July 5
Ankara Anatolia news agency (26.06.18) reports that the final results of Sunday’s Turkish elections will be announced on July 5, the head of the country’s electoral authority said Monday.
“As of Sunday, we shared 98 % of the election results with the political parties. In a few hours we will have shared 100 % [of the results]," Sadi Guven, head of the Supreme Election Council (YSK), told reporters in the capital Ankara.
"100 % of the domestic records were entered in the system," Guven added.
Guven also said 99.91 % of the presidential election results had been recorded in the Council’s system as of Monday.
Also praising the “healthy” conduct of the presidential and parliamentary elections, Guven said that after the election results are finalized, they will be opened for citizens to see.
Earlier, Guven said that with 99.2 % of ballot boxes opened, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won an absolute majority in the presidential election with 52.5 % of the vote, while his top rival Muharrem Ince lagged behind at 30.6 %.
In the parliamentary polls, along with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the Justice and Development (AK) Party's election ally, the People's Alliance won 53.6 % of the votes, with 99.1 % of ballot boxes opened.
Previously, Guven said the remaining uncounted votes would not affect the election results.
Reporting on the same issue, Turkish daily Milliyet (26.06.18) reports that following the announcement of the final results the elected Deputies are expected to take the oath on July 8 and Erdogan will take the oath for President on July 9.
In addition, Hurriyet (26.06.18) reports that between 12-13 of July those who are interested will apply to be candidates for the position of the Speaker of the Turkish Assembly. The elections will be held between 18-19 of July.
2. Turkey’s main opposition CHP leader Kilicdaroglu faces calls to resign after election defeat; Rumours say that pressures are exerted to Ince to undertake CHP chairmanship
Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (26.06.18- http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-main-opposition-chp-leader-kilicdaroglu-faces-call-to-resign-after-election-defeat-133794) repots that Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) chair Kemal Kılıcdaroglu has faced multiple calls from inside the party to resign from the leadership after the June 24 elections.
Some 22.6% of voters opted for the CHP, according to initial results, while the main opposition’s presidential candidate Muharrem İnce attracted more than 30% of voters, surpassing his party’s performance in twin elections in which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was re-elected in the first round.
The CHP managed to win a parliamentary seat from the eastern province of Elazıg for the first time in 41 years, but the first statement of the newly-elected Elazıg MP Gürsel Erol was to call on Kılıcdaroglu and his aides to resign.
“All members of the party administration, whatever title they have, are responsible for this defeat and I call on them to resign immediately,” Erol said in a tweet on June 25.
A number of former party administrators and Deputies including Erdal Aksünger, Necati Yılmaz, Gaye Usluer, Namık Havutça and Eren Erdem also blasted Kılıcdaroglu and asked for his resignation.
“The honourable thing to do now is to pack your luggage. If not, it would be more dishonourable for other people to make you pack your luggage,” former CHP Deputy chairman Aksüngür said.
Former MP Erdem recalled that Kılıcdaroglu has been the party chair “for the past 2,920 days and he lost nine elections,” while the party’s presidential candidate İnce “passed 30% of votes after working for just 50 days.”
Havutca also suggested that İnce, who was defeated by Kilicdarogly in the CHP leadership race in February, now deserves to take helm at the party after his presidential election performance.
İnce refused to answer questions regarding the CHP’s future at a press conference on June 25, only mentioning that he would meet Kılıçdaroğlu to evaluate the results.
CHP Deputy Tuncay Özkan, on the other hand, said in a statement that Kılıcdaroglu would not resign.
“We have met for over three hours and planned the future. There is no plan to hold an extraordinary congress,” Ozkan wrote.
On the same issue, Turkish daily Cumhuriyet newspaper (25.06.18-http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/siyaset/1009134/CHP_yol_ariyor.html) reported that CHP’s presidential candidate Ince came across the pressure exerted by CHP supporters who are not satisfied by the party’s leadership calling for “an urgent extraordinary congress and urgent change of the party’s leadership”. However, according to the paper, Ince is due to take its decision after today’s or tomorrow’s meeting with Kilicdaroglu.
(AK)
3. Turkey’s top business group calls for ‘urgent’ reforms after election
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (26.06.18 http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkeys-top-business-group-calls-for-urgent-reforms-after-election-133769) reports that Turkey’s top business organization has called for the “urgent” realization of key economic reforms from the new government.
On June 25, the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) said in a statement that the Parliament and President elected on June 24 face a “comprehensive” political and reform agenda that deserves “urgent” attention.
TÜSİAD said the agenda includes maintaining the rule of law and freedom, forming a rational economic program and fiscal discipline that will fight against high inflation and current account deficit, ensuring the independence of the Central Bank and a merit-based bureaucratic assignment system, and accelerating the EU accession process, which is of great importance for Turkey to raise its competitiveness.
The association also called for the realization of comprehensive educational reforms that will be prepared through the participation of all social segments with the aim of raising the quality of human resources.
Meanwhile, leading Turkish business world figures on June 25 congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on his election victory, making him Turkey’s first leader under the new executive presidential system.
“The new government system is a big opportunity for further strengthening stability and trust in our country,” Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), said in a statement.
He said in this new era Turkey “can leap forward with confidence and stability.”
Nail Olpak, head of the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), said the board will continue to “successfully” represent Turkey’s economic power in the world.
“We will continue to work for a stronger economy, for a more advanced democracy,” Olpak said.
4. OSCE monitors: Turkey election was ‘lively’ but ‘lacked equal conditions’
Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (26.06.18 http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/osce-monitors-turkey-election-was-lively-but-lacked-equal-conditions-133782) reports that international observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, (OSCE) said voters in Turkey enjoyed a genuine choice in the country’s twin presidential and parliamentary elections, but criticized the “lack of equal conditions” during campaigning.
“Voters had a genuine choice in the June 24 early presidential and parliamentary elections but the conditions for campaigning were not equal. The incumbent President and ruling party enjoyed an undue advantage, including in excessive coverage by government-affiliated public and private media outlets,” the joint mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said at a press conference on June 25.
Turnout in the election was around 87 %.
The restrictive legal framework and powers granted under the ongoing state of emergency restricted the freedoms of assembly and expression, including in the media, said the observers. Nonetheless, citizens demonstrated their commitment to democracy by participating in large numbers in campaign rallies and on election day, the observers said.
“The restrictions we have seen on fundamental freedoms have had an impact on these elections. I hope that Turkey lifts these restrictions as soon as possible,” said Ignacio Sanchez Amor, special coordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission.
The mission found polling day procedures were “generally followed” but pointed to issues over counting and tabulation, during which “legally prescribed steps were often omitted.
Observers said voters had a genuine choice during what was a “vibrant” campaign in “a highly polarized political environment.”
The OSCE noted that there had been attacks and disruption, mainly against the Kurdish issue-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the İYİ (Good) Party and the Felicity Party.
The observers referred to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the AKP’s “notable advantage,” saying it was reflected in “excessive” coverage by state and private media.
“A restrictive legal framework hinders media freedom and induces self-censorship, and the state of emergency has been used to further limit this freedom. Most popular broadcast media outlets are seen as affiliated with the government, something reflected in the campaign coverage,” the observers said.
Some of the amendments weakened important safeguards by replacing political party representatives with civil servants as chairpersons of the ballot box committees (BBCs), by allowing the relocation of polling stations on security grounds, by increasing the authority of law enforcement personnel at polling stations, and by ruling that ballots missing important safeguard stamps would still be valid, according to the observers.
At least 1,090 polling stations were moved and merged based on security considerations, which was seen by the opposition as a measure aiming to lower voter turnout in specific areas, they said.
Some 120,000 people in 16 provinces were influenced by this relocation, they stated. Their members faced security problems and the mission had difficulties mostly in Diyarbakır, Ankara and Istanbul, the delegation said, criticizing the government for preventing two of their members from performing their observation mission in Turkey.
5. Turkish commentary views election results
HaberTurk Online (25.06.18) publishes a commentary by Nagehan Alci under the title: "The majority of the nation said 'We will make you President””
“We had the most critical and most exciting elections of the past years. Turkey went to the polls for a brand new government system. This election was different than the 7 June, 1 November, and 16 April referendum on one basic point. We voted on the subsistence of [President Recep] Tayyip Erdogan. This was a vote on "enough of Erdogan or continue with Erdogan." And the elections show in the first round that the answer is "yes."
[…] The AKP [Justice and Development Party] and Erdogan electorate went to the polls from fear that "Erdogan can go." These voters did not want a Turkey without Erdogan even though some of them had a number of criticisms against Erdogan. On the contrary, they carried him to the chair of leadership
The results show a great fiasco with regards Meral Aksener. Aksener was even behind her party with only seven-eight % of the votes, whereas, at some point the support for her had reached the 15 %s. Ince's wind lowered down Aksener to this level.
Let us be realistic: Muharrem Ince received 30 % of the votes by keeping the CHP trademark in the background, even by trying to live it down. Whatever you do, this trademark cannot pass the 20 % in the public. I believe that Kemal Kilicdaroglu tried sincerely to change this trend but could not succeed. Mr. Kemal exerted great efforts to free the CHP from the LAST [Sunni Turks with a secular life style] fanaticism ' but, it is not possible to say that this was achieved. Both Ince and the CHP lost because of the LAST fanaticism, which I have drawn attention to in my recent commentaries.
It is for certain that there will be a mess within the CHP after these results. There is a significant difference between the %age of votes received by Muharrem Ince and those received by the party. Hereafter, Mr. Muharrem will fight for the CHP leadership. What will be more influential, however, for Ince to lead the CHP or to establish a new party? I believe that the latter will be more correct.
The results point out to a great failure for the Felicity Party. It received much less votes than expected. The SP electorate went to the polls for Erdogan. This, in turn, shows that Temel Karamollaoglu made a great mistake by taking part in the opposition.
Of course, the first is Erdogan. Devlet Bahceli [leader of the Nationalist Action Party, MHP] is also a winner of these elections as much as Erdogan. The party emerged from the elections with votes much higher than the expected after commentaries such as "Mr. Devlet is finished, MHP has eroded." The three crescent sign is very effective on the idealist electorate. Mr. Devlet was right in his insistence that he enter the elections with the party logo.
The third winner is Muharrem Ince. Ince created a wind, which surpassed his party, and emerged as a new political leader. He can have a long-term political presence if he does not give negative messages and maintains the atmosphere in the arenas.”
6. US working to set up Trump-Erdogan phone call
Ankara Anatolia news agency (26.06.18 https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-working-to-set-up-trump-erdogan-phone-call/1187205 ) reports that the U.S. said Monday it is working to set up a telephone call between President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after Erdogan's electoral victories.
White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said the call would focus on reaffirming the "strong bond" between Washington and Ankara. She did not disclose when the call might take place.
"We encourage Turkey to take steps to strengthen its democracy and continue progress toward resolving issues in the bilateral relationship,” she told reporters.
Turkey on Sunday went to the polls for presidential and parliamentary elections in which Erdogan won the Turkish presidency, according to preliminary results.
With 99.6 % of the ballot boxes opened, Erdogan is leading with 52.58 % of the vote while his closest rival, Muharrem Ince, is lagging behind at 30.64 %.
In Sunday’s parliamentary polls, the People's Alliance -- a coalition of Erdogan's Justice and Development (AK) Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) -- won 53.6 % of the vote.
Several world leaders have sent Erdogan congratulations following the victory, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May.
The UN separately told Anadolu Agency that Secretary General Antonio Guterres "looks forward to continuing cooperation with Turkey on an extensive range of issues".
7. “MHP was the ‘deep wave’ in Turkey’s election”
Under the above title, Turkish Hurriyet Daily News (26.06.18 http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/opinion/sedat-ergin/mhp-was-the-deep-wave-in-turkeys-election-133777) publishes the following article by Sedat Ergin:
“A number of broad points can be made about the results that emerged from Turkey’s parliamentary and presidential elections on June 24.
First, by winning the vote President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was able to bring the presidential system into life and has been granted the right to rule Turkey using extensive powers until at least 2023. While Erdoğan received over 52 % of votes, one must look at the decreasing number of Justice and Development Party (AKP) votes.
The ruling AKP received some 49.5 % of total votes in the legislative elections of Nov. 1, 2015 and this time it scored around 42.4 % of the vote. This share is slightly above than the 40.87 % it got in the June 7, 2015 election, conducted before the country was taken to snap elections on Nov. 1.
The AKP has therefore lost its single-party majority in the Turkish Parliament. To carry out legislative work it now needs the support of its electoral ally the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). MHP head Devlet Bahçeli, a veteran who has led his party since 1999, will now have an even greater impact on Turkish politics.
The June 24 election demonstrates how critical the alliance with the MHP has been for Erdoğan strategically in the period leading to the April 2017 referendum, which paved the way for the presidential system to be installed.
The MHP has kept its promise and done its part in the “People’s Alliance” it has formed with the AKP going into the June 24 elections by helping Erdoğan grant his seat in the presidential office.
Let’s face it: The biggest surprise that came out of these elections is how the MHP conserved a majority of its vote share, despite all speculations and internal divisions. In this regard, the “deep wave” of this election was the MHP, which had been expected to struggle.
Muharrem İnce, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), failed in his objective to take the race to a second round. Still, having outperformed the CHP’s traditional 25 % share, by receiving more than 30 %, and with the enthusiasm he helped create ahead of the vote, İnce raised his profile and will be a key player going forward.
The recently founded İYİ (Good) Party underperformed some pre-election opinion polls, but it received 10 % of the votes and thus was able to pass the threshold despite being just a beginner political party, at a time when its campaigning was necessarily limited by resources and media opportunities. In this regard, İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener scored a good success that cannot be ignored.
By passing the 10 % threshold, the Kurdish issue-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) also registered a success in an election in which it was hugely disadvantaged by arrests and crackdowns, and the fact that its presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtaş was campaigning from jail. However, the “lent” votes given to the HDP by some CHP voters in this regard should not be ignored.
8. Arrest warrants out for 43 FETÖ-linked suspects
According to Turkish daily Yeni Safak newspaper (26.06.18, https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-arrest-warrants-out-for-43-feto-linked-suspects-3414776), arrest warrants were issued on Tuesday for 43 people suspected of being members of FETO, the terror group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, according to a judicial source.
Prosecutor in the capital Ankara ordered the warrants for the suspects, including 30 dismissed and active soldiers and 13 alleged "covert imams" of the terror group at the Turkish Naval Forces Command, according to a judicial source.
Police launched simultaneous operations across Turkey to nab the suspects, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media.
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