Le Monde : Turkey elections: 'Erdogan has gained more ground through nationalism rather than Islamism' OP-ED Olivier Bouquet Professor of Ottoman history Published on May 24, 2023, at 5:00 am (Paris)

Turkey elections: 'Erdogan has gained more ground through nationalism rather than Islamism'

OP-ED

Olivier Bouquet

Professor of Ottoman history

The Turkish president emerged as the frontrunner in the first round of the presidential election because he presented himself as the upholder of the founding principles of Kemalism, analyzes historian Olivier Bouquet.

Published on May 24, 2023, at 5:00 am (Paris)   Time to3 min. 

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https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2023/05/24/turkey-elections-erdogan-has-gained-more-ground-through-nationalism-rather-than-islamism_6027814_23.html

Recep Tayyip Erdogan emerged as the frontrunner in the first round of the Turkish presidential election and maintains a majority in Parliament. The results are in, despite everything that seemed to threaten his victory: the February earthquake, soaring inflation, a persistent financial crisis, the repression of freedoms, and a strong campaign by Kemal Kiliçdaroglu and his allies.

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The result is explained as an outcome of the "democratorship" established since the failed coup attempt of 2016. It is often repeated that Ankara is working against its own interests. Does that help us understand why 26 million Turks turned out to vote in favor of Erdogan even though everything seems to be going wrong, when many are struggling to make ends meet, and the earthquake highlighted the governance challenges of the Justice and Development Party (AKP)? No.

The ruling coalition emerged as the frontrunner because Erdogan was able to articulate his track record alongside a vision. I observed this once again on May 14 in Erzurum, in eastern Anatolia, where the president obtained over two-thirds of the votes. The country has become richer; there are roads and hospitals everywhere, parks and schools abound. But above all, it is because the Islamist president managed to embody one of the founding principles of Kemalism: "Happy is he who calls himself Turkish," while adding the happiness of proclaiming oneself a Muslim.

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Erdoganism is a form of post-Kemalism. To strive for Westernization was to fear never being Western enough. To desperately seek EU membership was to risk never being accepted as European and to compromise a portion of Turkish identity by having to share national sovereignty. So be it.

Erdoganism invites us to leave the quest for impossible recognition and embrace the gains of sovereignty that are within reach. "To continue to desire what one already possesses" is the key to happiness, as Saint Augustine said. For twenty years, Erdogan has been compiling an inventory of what he has accomplished for his "aziz millet" – his dear people. He has restored their places of memory, turned Hagia Sophia into a mosque, and quotes Islamic poets in his speeches. Abroad, he proudly celebrates the fact that he has given the country its name back: no longer Turkey, which may sound funny, but Türkiye. In many of the votes on May 14, the sense of pride regained over the last 20 years outweighed fears of an uncertain future.

Renewed grandeur

To alleviate voters' fears, more was needed: the AKP's campaign propelled them into a new era. Their children are promised a happy life in the "century of Turkey." This century begins in 2023, exactly one century after the inauguration of the Republic. Unlike Vladimir Putin, Erdogan does not seek to position himself as the "chief historian," as described by USSR specialist Nicolas Werth. His main concern is to convince his voters that his proposals meet the challenges of the time.

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