Turkey's Erdogan wins another term as president

Well, best of luck Turkey in charting your China course. You're gonna need it.

Erdogan win = White House not happy.

Erdogan win = White House not happy.

We'll get over it: Turkey can be removed from NATO if there is no progress on Sweden's membership.

Erdogan win = White House not happy

I think you will find the greatest anger with Turkiye is in the US Congress and particularly in the Senate where Senators have been blocking the sale of arms to Turkiye for about a decade.

Just me but I think the US should remove its nuclear weapons from Turkey, abandon Incerlik Air Base and also remove the big AN/TPY-2 radar the US Army operates elsewhere in Turkey. The US should probably close its consulates too leaving only a consular section at the Embassy in Ankara. Make the diplomatic posting to Turkiye a one year unaccompanied hardship tour and tell the diplomats not to bring more than they can stuff in two spinners and a carry on in the event they need to depart in a hurry.

We'll get over it: Turkey can be removed from NATO if there is no progress on Sweden's membership.

There is no mechanism to expel a nation from NATO. About the best the other NATO members could do is to state publicly they would refuse to defend Turkiye, refuse to sell weapons or dual use technologies to them (many NATO members already do this) and refuse to conduct exercises with Turkish forces. The US and other NATO members would have to withdraw their forces from Turkiye as well. Make it clear that NATO is leaving Turkiye so the Turks decide to formally leave the alliance.

Btw, I would do the same with Hungary. They are no friend of NATO, of the US or of Europe.

So despite all his undemocratic policies, all the corruption in his sty and, to top it off, the terrible toll of the earthquakes on the jerry-built housing costing tens of thousands their lives, the authoritarian Erdogan who, like Putin, wears his holier-than-thou piety on his sleeve as a political weapon, got what he wished for. From now he'd better watch out for his Nemesis for when politicians stay too long, failure is almost inevitably their final reward.

Turkey's inflation rate is down to 44%, down from 86% two years ago - that is, if one can find anything worth buying.

A drowning man clutches at straw.

52/48 was the Brexit split, so consider Turkey to be equally divided.

Erdogan will now go after those who opposed him and make it impossible for them ever to take things so close to the wire again. That election was probably the last chance for Turkey to move away from the authoritarian model democratically. It would take a civil war now, and Erdogan will ensure his side have enough bullets to win it.

The EU pander to Erdogan because he limits migration, which is politically toxic to their regimes. He has them over a barrel and he knows it. He may now need to play the EU and NATO for hard cash rather than just political grandstanding over Sweden. Turkey is being widely and successfully advertised as a tourist destination in Europe to boost revenue, but I expect he could squeeze a good deal more dosh from Brussels and NATO if he pushed. They know that if they aren't forthcoming, he can switch Turkey from NATO to the CSTO and unleash the migrants into the EU.

In the end, the West will do business with anyone if it is in their interest. Erdogan is well aware of that.

There is no mechanism to expel a nation from NATO.

The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties allows for a member to be expelled from a treaty for a breach of its terms. This includes for the North Atlantic Treaty that members are "determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilization of the peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law." Turkey can be thrown out for violating at least individual liberty and rule of law. Hungary as well.

A great leader, admired by the people. He steered Turkey away from the clutches of oppressive despotic regimes and onto a democratic path. Thanks to him, Turkey is now far ahead. It will continue to progress. He absolutely deserves it. Hero and hope of a country...

Great news for Turkey, they've chosen their TRUE Fiduciary, NOT EU & US Puppet!

People of Turkey rightfully angry at outside destabilization of Turkey by EU and US. Erdogan a national hero for standing up to this cancer, he ran on it.

Erdogan's also LOVED by China and entire Muslim World, helping to broker Muslim Peace Accord with Xi earlier this year. Historic Diplomacy. There can be no doubt his experience and leadership deeply valued by these many new emerging partners.

Erdogan's rightly pivoting Turkey east and south towards bright and prosperous future. People of Turkey approve of his historic success and vision in the face of national tragedies and outside US and EU destabilization efforts.

Well done Erdogan and congratulations to Turkey for wisely re-electing their proven Fiduciary!

Sad news for Turkey and Europe. The father of modern Turkey "Mustafa Kemal Atatürk" would be rolling violently in his grave at this horrible news.

Turkey will continue its move away from responsible governing for all it's citizens and Erdogan is free to continue to alienate Turkey from the European family, while maintaining the security of Turkey via NATO membership. A terrible leader and a horrible man. Turkey will eventually be freed from this chain around its neck and will then have a chance to return to prosperity.

Well done Erdogan and congratulations to Turkey for wisely re-electing their proven Fiduciary!

Their proven fiduciary, as you say, lost them 9/10ths of the value of their currency and more to come.

Bad day for Turkish democracy. All presidents of all countries should have a two-term limit.

Pretty clear voters of Turkey not exactly thrilled about US NATO Ukraine Proxy War and efforts to expand eastward.

Erdogan's been busy trying to responsibly broker peace between Russia and West, the food export program out of Ukraine and Russia etc. He's rightfully concerned about conflict's increasing potential for global escalation.

Turkish people have little appetite for US led NATO Wars in alignment with Erdogan. EU needs more such leaders and its likely coming soon - well done Turkey!

"Increasingly authoritarian" is Washington code for increasingly independent.

Turkiye was the token Muslim country in the White Bloc, and expected to always defer to its 'superiors' and accept whatever abuse they directed at it. And if it's population got tired of it and voted for a leader who wouldn't, well, a coup would restore a 'legitimate' government (Washington code for deferential to America)

Except the world is changing, for the better, despite the efforts of the White Bloc to stop it, and their incessant whining about how unfair it is that 'others' think they are equals rather than students.

Yeah the White House doesn’t seem to mind “authoritarian” countries or leaders they control.

THIS White House is just upset they don’t and can’t control Erdogan.

if they did, they wouldn’t mind at all that he is an authoritarian.

They were desperate to replace him with someone controllable. Failed.

Not open and fair elections. Erdogan controlled the media. On polling day he went around voting stations handing out money to buy votes. 52% votes for him.

“No one can look down on our nation."

Few look up to it.

ClayMay 29 05:22 pm JST

Pretty clear voters of Turkey not exactly thrilled about US NATO Ukraine Proxy War and efforts to expand eastward.

Still Putin's war

Erdogan's been busy trying to responsibly broker peace between Russia and West, the food export program out of Ukraine and Russia etc. He's rightfully concerned about conflict's increasing potential for global escalation.

Then we will assume it is Erdogan's responsibility to keep the deceitful Russians from holding up ships going through the straits. That is a tall job you are signing him up for.

Yeah the White House doesn’t seem to mind “authoritarian” countries or leaders they control.

It's literally just the problematic ME countries that Europe depends on for gas. Nobody out authoritarians the autocracy brigade.

RichardPearceMay 29 08:07 pm JST

"Increasingly authoritarian" is Washington code for increasingly independent.

No, "increasingly authoritarian" is the rock bottom Press Freedom Index of Turkey among other things.

Turkiye was the token Muslim country in the White Bloc, and expected to always defer to its 'superiors' and accept whatever abuse they directed at it.

Like not being Islamist and not cozying up to NATO adversary. What a burden.

And if it's population got tired of it and voted for a leader who wouldn't, well, a coup would restore a 'legitimate' government (Washington code for deferential to America)

If the US started a coup, it would have been successful. We don't mess around.

Except the world is changing, for the better, despite the efforts of the White Bloc to stop it, and their incessant whining about how unfair it is that 'others' think they are equals rather than students.

Interesting how you call the West the White Bloc. So Japan is white now? South Korea? And you seem to be painting the US with a pretty broad stroke.

Not open and fair elections. Erdogan controlled the media. On polling day he went around voting stations handing out money to buy votes. 52% votes for him.

None of that would have mattered had the widely popular mayor of Istanbul and opposition party leader Ekrem Imamoglu not been jailed last December for "insulting a public official", namely their election commission. Imagine a nation where making a critical comment of a government institution can get you jailed. He called the election commission "idiots". Imamoglu stood accused of insulting 11 members of Turkey’s High Election Board, YSK, when commenting on the board’s decision to annul and re-run a March 2019 local election in Istanbul. Imamoglu had won the vote and again won the re-run.That one word landed him in jail for two years seven months and fifteen days, banned him from politics for life and sealed Mr. Erdogan's win.