- #76
EnumaElish
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
- 2,304
- 124
Who's election results?
http://www.kncna.org/docs/k_viewarticle.asp?date=8/1/2007The Kurdish National Congress of North America said:Press Release
Turkish Elections
History in the Making
Since 1994 Kurdish politicians have been unable to win any seats in Turkish Parliament, because of the 10% barrier. Based on Turkish laws, to win seats in parliament a party must have a minimum of 10% of the national vote. The Kurdish parties failed to attain the 10% required by law.
However, in this recent election the Democratic Society Party (DTP) successfully managed to go around this law by asking their candidates to participate in the election as independents. Although the Kurds should be represented by 25-30% of the representatives, Kurdish candidates won 20 seats, a number great enough to create the first Kurdish block in Turkish parliament.
The success serves as an important test of the democratic environment in Turkey for both DTP and the Turkish public's political maturity.
...
We anticipate that their presence in the Turkish parliament will bring new hope and changes; where the voice of our nation will be heard clearly to bring changes to the Turkish constitution democratically ...
I reitereate my earlier point: the deeper divide right now is between individuals (Turks and Kurds) who believe in the constitutional democratic processes and those who don't believe in them and who may attempt to sabotage them.
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav072707a.shtmlEURASIANET.ORG said:EURASIA INSIGHT
TURKEY: KURDISH PARTY PREPARES FOR RETURN TO PARLIAMENT
Yigal Schleifer 7/27/07
Using a successful campaign strategy that saw all its candidates running as independents in order to circumvent Turkey’s high election threshold, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) managed to get 22 of its members elected in the recent Turkish elections, enough to allow the stealth candidates to regroup in parliament under their party’s banner.
Although some forecasts had predicted the party winning as many as 35 seats in the July 22 election, the seats won represent the largest electoral victory ever by a Kurdish party and the first time a pro-Kurdish party will sit in parliament since 1991.
The victory, analysts say, serves as an important test of both the party’s and the Turkish public’s political maturity. It will also present a good opportunity for making progress in resolving the lingering Kurdish problem. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
"If we had from an earlier date allowed the Kurds representation in parliament, I think we would have been much more successful in integrating the Kurdish demands into the parliamentary process, so this is a new window of opportunity to do that," says Sahin Alpay, a professor of political science at Istanbul’s Bahcesehir University. "But there is also a risk of them becoming a source of conflict in the parliament."
Added Alpay: "The fact that their views and demands will be heard in parliament is a welcome thing. … It’s another important step forward towards the consolidation of the democratization of Turkey."
The DTP’s presence in parliament, though small, is certain to test Turkish public attitudes, especially coming at a time when the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has been increasing its attacks against security forces in Turkey’s predominantly-Kurdish southeast, and the Turkish military has threatened to invade northern Iraq to go after the organization’s bases there. ...
That's an incisive insight. IMO it is an argument for backing Turkey's EU membership, although you may feel differently.kach22i said:That link was just to remind us of some history, when Turkey is prevented from going west (entry into the EU this time) it attacks to the east.
Last edited: