The AK Party regained its majority in Sunday’s election, gaining 49.4 percent of the vote and giving it 315 seats in the 550-member Turkish parliament.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan described the results as “a victory for democracy”, as Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu echoed later in a statement in Konya. Its victory shows people’s desire for the unity and integrity, said Erdogan but Turkey’s security forces have been battling PKK militants in the country’s predominantly Kurdish southeast in a surge in violence since a ceasefire collapse, inceasing itself instability and violence in the country.
In recent years Turkey appeared to be the first country for number of violation of human rights, according to a document published by the European Court of Human Rights, second only to Russia. The majority of violations concern article 6 of the Convention, that is the right to a fair trial.
We also remember the readers that in the two weeks before the election, Erdogan closed two tv channels and two daily newspapers, heightening concern about press freedom which is particularly endangered in this asian country.
It’s common belief that these are essential rights to be respected by a government to call it a democracy and this point should worry those European politicians like belgian MEP Louis Michel  who await for quick Turkish entry into the EU.

 

Valentina CALCAGNO