Turkish snap election, June 2018

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Sultan Erdogan isn't winning European Turkey. Deeply disturbing.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

AKP-MHP will also certainly have an absolute majority with these numbers. Perfect.

This, but without even a trace of sarcasm.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

AKP-MHP will also certainly have an absolute majority with these numbers. Perfect.

This, but without even a trace of sarcasm.

Didn't know you Stan for the far right Tim.

The MHP is a mere appendage of AKP for the time being. I don't care about the MHP. And the AKP ain't far right.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

AKP-MHP will also certainly have an absolute majority with these numbers. Perfect.

This, but without even a trace of sarcasm.

Didn't know you Stan for the far right Tim.

The MHP is a mere appendage of AKP for the time being. I don't care about the MHP. And the AKP ain't far right.

But what about Erdogan is worth defending?

I grant that Erdogan is not without flaws, and has gone downhill in the past 5 years or so. However:
1) I think that his flaws are exaggerated by international media
2) I think he is a good economic manager
3) I think his brand of political Islam is a bulwark against some much more terrible versions - by preventing its more moderate varieties from being expressed, one only encourages much worse ones. Erdogan's version of political Islam is right in line with Turkey.
4) I think the opposition either would be unlikely to run the country well, or would bring weak governance, or both
5) I think the opposition does not have enough good ideas

Erdogan has been doing a pretty good job over the past decade and a half, and I think Turks continue to appreciate that.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Istanbul over 70% in and  Erdogan still above 50%.  This is pretty surprising ...

Ankara?

AKP-MHP will also certainly have an absolute majority with these numbers. Perfect.

This, but without even a trace of sarcasm.

Didn't know you Stan for the far right Tim.

The MHP is a mere appendage of AKP for the time being. I don't care about the MHP. And the AKP ain't far right.

I don't want to spam the thread too much with political discussion instead of looking at the results, but do you not find it a bit disturbing that Erdogan is using literal Grey Wolf fascists to bolster his support? That's odious stuff.

He's using the MHP apparatus to full advantage in order to ensure victory, regardless of consequences? It's disconterting. But again, with a bad/unfit opposition and his record of economic success, it's something that isn't disqualifying. This all goes back to the fact that finding a flawless politician in Turkey is like trying to find a glacier in Iowa.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

This is turning into Iran 2009.

In a sense that tricks might have been used to magnify the victory margin in an election in which the incumbent was always favored? True, it might fit.
Erdogan would probably would have won any free and fair election...

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

This is turning into Iran 2009.

In a sense that tricks might have been used to magnify the victory margin in an election in which the incumbent was always favored? True, it might fit.
Erdogan would probably would have won any free and fair election...

TIL it's fine to cheat if you were going to win anyway.

Actually, if you used your reading comprehension skills, you would have seen that I have said that pretty much everyone running in the election was flawed one way or another. Even Erdogan.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

This is turning into Iran 2009.

Well, what proof does we have of fraud other some some CHP tweets.  Just because he counting pattern is skewed does not prove that much especially when it is consistent with historical norms.  No one is going to accuse VA of cheating just because the vote count there always starts with a very pro-GOP lean followed by a DEM comeback as the count gets to very end.  

I don't think the opposition is completely trustworthy either in this - they have an agenda. They have obvious interest in entrenching the narrative the election was stolen regardless of whether or not it really was stolen.
It might be like Iran 2009. It's not certain.