Elections in Turkey: 6 people killed, over 100 injured

PanARMENIAN.Net - Its mite in the «defeat» also had the world crisis, though its share is smallest in the fact that Turkey is not yet ready for Islamists' absolute rule. We can assume with some confidence that the main problem lies in the personality of the Turkish Premier. Mr. Erdoğan's statements and actions did not add to his authority. The reception of Erdoğan in Istanbul airport after the scandal in Davos was just an organized action. Moreover, it was successful as it was firstly directed against the Jews and only secondly to the support of Erdoğan.

No one believed the elections would be peaceful, but they really substantiated all our most horrible fears. Six people were killed and about a hundred were injured in the most «problematic» provinces, populated basically with Kurds. According to Turkish media, altogether 590 people were detained in polling stations during the elections. In Izmir, where the AKP came off second-best, the police made a list of addresses of a number of people, 228 of whom were taken to police departments.

In the south-eastern city of Kahramanmaras the police have pursued a similar strategy, giving executives of polling stations names of the people they were looking for. Most of these people were accused of minor financial machination or of inflicting physical injuries to other people. 183 people were detained here. Besides, 70 people were detained in Erzerum, 30 people - in Manisa, and another 100 were arrested for various disturbances in the southeastern city of Adiyaman.

In many election centers similar problems were also faced by the disabled, who wanted to take part in the election. However, all these measures did not help the authorities preserve their position of the leader. In comparison with previous elections, the ruling Justice and Development Party won 8% of votes less, losing in a range of big cities, particularly in Antalya. The party received 40% of votes, which is considered a defeat in Turkey.

The Council of Europe condemned the unlawful actions during the municipal elections in Turkey. "I condemn the violence which erupted during local elections in Turkey on 29 March, leaving six people dead and some hundred injured," stressed Ian Micallef, a.i. President of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. In his words, it is both tragic and absurd that the ultimate exercise in democracy - elections - lead to bloodshed.

Prime-Minister Erdoğan showed his dissatisfaction over the issue, speaking rather roughly of the «ungrateful» inhabitants of Antalya. "We have done so much for them!," Erdoğan said.

Be that as it may, after the elections the Erdoğan government will meet more difficulties in trying to explain its moves to its people. It would also be hard for Turkey to justify herself to the EU for the democratic reforms, which, in reality, have never been carried out. Even if they have been materialized, it wasn't done the way it should be done by the countries eager to enter the European family. In a word, confrontation between Islamists and Kemalists is not yet over, and nobody yet knows what results it might have. But one thing is clear - an Islamic country, even one as progressive as Turkey, in no way falls into the pattern of a democratic country.