Who ruined Turkey? | Getty/Wikimedia Commons
The Dirty Dozen
The 12 people who ruined Turkey
From a 15th-century sultan to a 21st-century autocrat.
By Melik Kaylan
8/12/15, 5:30 AM CET
At first glance, Turkey’s election results suggested a triumph of democracy over the stifling dirigisme of one-party AKP rule. But with the country combusting from terror attacks, those cheers have turned out to be premature. Even before a government could be formed — and the dubious benefits of coalition rule could accrue — the social contract began to fall apart. In the interregnum, the regional and national pressures bearing on Turkey have been distinctly aggravated by President Erdoğan’s ruthless drive to retain power. Unquestionably, he inherited instabilities deeply rooted in the country’s history. But just as certainly, it was Erdoğan who revived Turkey’s recurrent political vices, and since he still sits in the preposterous presidential palace he built to direct his party in Parliament, there’s a real danger that the downward trajectory will continue.
More:The 12 people who ruined Turkey – POLITICO
