‘Turkey is a functioning, vibrant democracy’

It is deeply disappointing that the writer of the article, “Pathology of Islamicist Erdogan regime” published in The Pioneer on May 5, 2018, has misused the freedom of expression. For us, it is not difficult to understand that the writer cries foul from every fora. There are some sympathisers of the FETO terrorist organisation which orchestrated the failed, bloody coup attempt in Turkey to overthrow the democratically elected Government of the country. In democracies, regimes are not identified by the names of their heads of state, but whether they are parliamentary or presidential. Turks, with a very high voter turnout in a referendum for the amendment of the Constitution, opted to change their democratic model of governance from parliamentary to presidential. It is really difficult to understand why the writer felt uncomfortable with the free choice of the 80 million strong Turkish nation if his criticism was not motivated. He seems to be deliberately insulting to the head of state of a friendly country like Turkey. It is true that the voters went to the hustings under a state of Emergency but Turkey was not the only European democracy whose citizens voted under an Emergency in 2017. The writer needs to leave behind his anti-Erdogan obsession.

The forthcoming elections on June 24, 2018, both parliamentary and presidential, have been welcomed by all political parties in Turkey, including the Opposition. This is a concrete example of the fully functioning democracy in Turkey. It is true that the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey (an institution of strong secular character of the country for decades) organised an international conference where the problems of Muslim minorities around the world were discussed. As the first of its kind, it is quite understandable that some capitals in the region envied us for doing so.

The author also insults Jamia Millia Islamia, which conferred the degree of Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) on President Erdogan of Turkey when he was on a state visit to India, on 1 May 2017. In the citation says the degree was conferred on Recep Tayyip Erdogan “for his contribution to strengthen international cooperation, peace and diplomacy as well as for his extraordinary humanitarian aid to millions of refugees.” Since 2004, more than 40 universities around the world have awarded Erdogan with honorary degrees. That might also have not pleased the author.

Last but not the least, Turkey, and as its head of state Erdogan, holds the Presidency of the Summit of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Conference) that brings together 57 Muslim states and which some countries which have Muslim minorities are also seeking to join as observer members.