Political factions opposed to Turkish President Reccep Tayyip Erdogan were declaring victory Monday following a national election which saw his AK Party, which is linked to the political franchise of the Moslem Brotherhood in Turkey, lose its long-time majority in the national parliament. “We expect a minority government and an early election,” a senior AKP official told Reuterson condition of anonymity. The election results pose a serious difficulty for Erdogan’s long-held ambition to assume greater power for the office of the presidency so he could continue to exercise near-dictatorial power, while his critics were quick to point out that this could mean there is still hope for Turkey to become a more democratic country. Markets also reacted to the election, with the Turkish currency shedding value against the dollar. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Kurdish population reacted with renewed hope to news that its Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) was projected to take more than 12 percent of the vote. Read More
