A supporter of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrates outside the AKP party headquarters in Istanbul. Emrah Gurel / AP
A supporter of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrates outside the AKP party headquarters in Istanbul. Emrah Gurel / AP
A supporter of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrates outside the AKP party headquarters in Istanbul. Emrah Gurel / AP
A supporter of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrates outside the AKP party headquarters in Istanbul. Emrah Gurel / AP

Turkey election: Authoritarianism with a democratic face


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"A lesson in democracy for the rest of the world". It is with that triumphalism that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described Sunday's election, which saw him secure another five-year term and with it, sweeping new powers. But make no mistake: this is authoritarianism with a democratic face.

State media put Mr Erdogan's tally at 53 per cent, with 99 per cent of votes counted, while he will retain control over parliament in coalition with the nationalist MHP. Jubilant supporters of the belligerent president spilled onto the streets, waving Turkish flags and sounding their car horns.

Yet Mr Erdogan’s victory fails to reflect a hard-fought campaign characterised by a unified opposition and sparking concerns over the vote’s fairness. Indeed, there have been reports of violence and even ballot stuffing in the Kurdish-majority south east, while Kurdish candidate Selhattin Demirtas contested the election from his prison cell.

In addition, a member of television watchdog RTUK said on Friday that Mr Erdogan and his allies received 181 hours of air time on state news channels, compared with less than 16 hours for his opponents.

These tactics, employed in the name of democracy, are accompanied by a sense of foreboding.

Within Turkey, the result hands Mr Erdogan a host of new powers guaranteed by last year's referendum, which removed the post of prime minister and could keep Mr Erdogan in power until 2028. Sunday’s victory completes the largest constitutional overhaul since the founding of the modern Turkish republic in 1923, in which there is but one winner – Mr Erdogan.

Since a failed coup in July 2016, he has jailed more than 50,000 people and dismissed 107,000 civil servants from their posts. Now that his grip has tightened still further, he is likely to continue his crackdown on dissent at the expense of civil liberties.

Meanwhile, Mr Erdogan has vowed to intervene more in monetary policy, sparking fears for central bank independence. This year the Turkish lira has tanked while inflation and unemployment are lingering at around 11 per cent. Although Mr Erdogan has overseen impressive growth in recent years, his eccentric economic outlook might deter foreign investors, on whom the Turkish economy depends.

Mr Erdogan’s electoral victory also has significant and worrying implications for Turkey's foreign policy.

Declaring victory, a jubilant Mr Erdogan promised to continue to "liberate Syrian lands", following a recent unilateral offensive against Kurdish fighters in Afrin.

Turkey has dismayed international partners and Nato allies with its foreign excursions and its overtures to Russia and Iran, while its proposed purchase of a Russian S-400 missile system is incompatible with Nato's defence protocol.

Meanwhile, the country's decades-long attempt to join the European Union is looking increasingly implausible.

As Mr Erdogan's supporters celebrate, the prospect for his opposition seems increasingly gloomy. And the president himself, now imbued with a mandate for his slide into authoritarianism, looks more powerful than ever.

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Jetour T1 specs

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Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

Rating: 4.5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15

New Zealand 15
Tries: Laumape, J Barrett
Conversions: B Barrett
Penalties: B Barrett

British & Irish Lions 15
Penalties: Farrell (4), Daly

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
KYLIAN MBAPPE 2016/17 STATS

Ligue 1: Appearances - 29, Goals - 15, Assists - 8
UCL: Appearances - 9, Goals - 6
French Cup: Appearances - 3, Goals - 3
France U19: Appearances - 5, Goals - 5, Assists - 1

Analysis

Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.

The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement. 

We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment. 

 

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Army of the Dead

Director: Zack Snyder

Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera

Three stars

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?

The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.

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Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.

Qosty Byogaani

Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny

Four stars

Where to submit a sample

Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain

BIO

Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.

Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.

Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.

Favourite colour: Black.

Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice. 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 3/5