Turkish Referendum Expected To Expand Erdogan’s Power

We Are Change

With the first vote results coming in, it looks like the country of Turkey will vote to approve a radical piece of legislation which will effectively change the future of the country’s political ideology. The referendum, if passed, will replace the parliamentary system of government with a presidential system with increased powers.

With the new referendum, Turkish leader Erdogan will have comparable powers to what President Trump has in America, including the power to issue executive orders, martial law, and appoint top state officials. These measures are nothing new in the world’s ever-changing political sphere, but nonetheless are a cause of concern to many, and the result of calls for added security to others.

If passed, the referendum will mean that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan could stay in office until at least 2029 and the office of Prime Minister would be abolished. Supporters argue that this would make the country of Turkey safer, considering the recently attempted coup and hot tensions between other countries. The failed coup has been a disaster for the country’s world image, and they have understandably wanted to take steps to regain their proper national identity. This referendum is the result of the Erdogan-backing crowd’s efforts.

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Of course, people who are against this bill are worried about the potential for power to be abused. Critics cite the influx of arrests following the failed coup that this referendum will only make things worse. According to a report from Al Jazeera, there have been over 40,000 arrests and over 80,000 people removed from their jobs after the failed coup, including 20,000 teachers and 3,000 judges. These people are understandably left confused as to when the country’s crackdown on domestic enemies will end and are weary of giving Erdogan more powers.

The Votes Roll In

The vote tallies for this controversial move are being processed today. As the votes are nearly finished being counted, it has been projected that the referendum will pass. Now, with over 98.4% of the votes counted and over 1.5 million more votes, it appears that this referendum will pass and Erdogan’s power will be expanded.

Anadolu Agency is reporting 98.5% of the boxes counted. Yes at 51.49%. No at 48.51%. #Turkeyreferendum pic.twitter.com/DlwP8xo4lV

— Alp Ozcelik (@alplicable) April 16, 2017

Some have suggested that there might be some shenanigans behind the vote counting in this democratic process:

#TurkeyReferendum: Following the dramatic fall in YES votes, #SupremeElectionCouncil stops sharing ballot data with the main opposition #CHP

— Aykan Erdemir (@aykan_erdemir) April 16, 2017

Back in January, we learned that Erdogan admires Nazi Germany and the work that was done by Adolf Hitler. As reported by Zero Hedge and other sources, Erdogan said that Germany under Hitler’s rule was an example of effective government. Considering the various atrocities committed by Hitler’s Third Reich, and an economic system which became dependent on the slave labor at concentration camps, it’s no surprise that the world is watching Turkey right now with a look of concern.

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from We Are Change https://wearechange.org/turkish-referendum-expected-expand-erdogans-power/