bigOz wrote:Kikapu wrote:I don't know what you all think of the Turkish election results from yesterday in Turkey, and I'm surprised no one has talked about them yet. The results were good for a future settlement of Cyprus I believe, because the new government still has the goal to enter the EU and will make gradual changes in their laws and same time improve their economy. I think this also plays well with the opposition party who are the wealthy elitist, so they have something in common to work together. The scarf issues will be buried in no time. This leaves the Military and the Nationalist , a very minute of the 70+ million Turks to fend for themselves. Give it one or two more elections as the ones yesterday, then the military and the Nationalist will become history, as far as having any political say in Turkeys future to move further and further to the West and into the EU. Turkey will need to give up her bargaining chip to enter the EU, and that is the Northern Part of Cyprus, aka, the "TRNC".
I would like to get Bir's and BigOz's take on the Turkish elections.
I am afraid it is not at all like your interpretation above! Below is the table of new parliamentary seats:
As can be sen the MHP (Nationalist Party) had doubled their votes and managed to become the third party with 71 seats in the parliament (from no seats in the last election I believe)!
The ruling AK party had their seats cut from 363 to 340.
I doubt these results will change the general loss of interest and will to join the EU by the Turkish public, especially when you consider other main news of the day showing the
Turkish lira gaining more value against the dollar, Tourism levels reaching new record high, interest rates falling further...etc
Ironically, one of the main car manufacturers in Turkey TOFAS has given their workers 3 weeks holidays and closed the factory for maintenance! I wonder if any car manufacturers in EU could afford the same?
?
Bir & BigOz,
Your answers are in line with the reality, however, when you consider the amount of street protests that took place over the last couple of months, you would have thought the house would have caved in on the AK party. As it turns out, they didn't do too badly.
As for Cyprus, I was putting my hopes more on the next one to two future elections where the AK Party will build momentum with the ever growing "religious groups" from the country side entering the mainstream economic and living standards long enjoyed by others, plus those who still see the EU as their ultimate goal for better Turkey and it's citizens. This is when I believe the Nationalist and the Military's influence in the Turkish Politics will be reduced, if the AK Party maintain their present course.
BigOz, haven't you heard, that the
US Dollar is in the toilet at the moment, therefore all the countries are seeing their currencies appreciate, much to their dislike, because it will hurt their exports, but it does make buying petrol a little cheaper despite the high oil prices !!. This is George Bush's grand idea to devalue the Dollar as to increase US exports and in return, reduce the Trade Deficit.
A trick he has learned from the Chinese that he always complains about their currency being too weak.
Turkey can enjoy all the success they can bring about themselves, and they need to do it, to even have a chance to enter the EU, but I believe the appetite will get even greater for economic success for the Turks in the near future, and that will come from the EU boost. It will be this economic success hunger that will be demanded by the Turks, that will finally help solve the Cyprus Problem.