Turkish PM Erdogan's allies desert as crisis deepens
Turkey鈥檚 government slipped into deeper turmoil Thursday as more ministers in Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan鈥檚 government resigned and Mr. Erdogan and his allies stepped up rhetoric complaining of a foreign conspiracy.
The resignations, recriminations, and a widening corruption investigation have shaken confidence in the decade-long tenure of Erdogan and his Islam-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP). Turkey鈥檚 economy has been one of the strongest in the region for years, outpacing many European nations as well, and Erdogan鈥檚 leadership has been embraced in the West as a stabilizing influence amid the Syrian civil war, political tumult in Egypt, and the Iranian nuclear impasse.
Remarks by Erdogan鈥檚 and press leaks in Turkish newspapers suggesting a Western-backed plot have also unnerved Turkey鈥檚 allies. Last weekend, Erdogan at unnamed foreign ambassadors, accusing them of doing 鈥減rovocative things.鈥� Some Turkish newspapers have printed photographs of the US ambassador on their front pages, demanding he leave the country.
The simmering unrest gained wide attention earlier this month, when police raided the offices of bankers, business leaders, and others with ties to the prime minister, arresting dozens. The Erdogan government then fired police officials; Reuters reports that, according to local newspaper Hurriyet, , including senior commanders, have been dismissed in the past week.
On Wednesday, three government ministers resigned abruptly: Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan, Interior Minister Muammer Guler, and Environment and Urban planning minister Erdogan Bayraktar. Press reports say Mr. Caglayan鈥檚 and Mr. Guler鈥檚 sons were .
Mr. Bayraktar, meanwhile, said in a live TV interview that he had been forced to resign, and he suggested Erdogan was also involved in corrupt real estate deals.
鈥淭he prime minister has the right to work with the ministers he prefers,鈥� Mr. Bayraktar said, . 鈥淏ut I can鈥檛 accept this pressure on me to resign. The prime minister too has to resign.鈥�
Erdogan later announced he had shuffled 10 other ministers鈥� posts in his cabinet, and today, Hurriyet reported that Erdogan . 聽鈥淚f they try to aim at Tayyip Erdogan through this, they will [be left empty-handed]. They know it and that鈥檚 why they are attacking [the ministers],鈥� he said.
The rhetoric, particularly that blaming the US, has worried Turkey鈥檚 Western allies. According to The New York Times, US officials called off high-level meetings with Turkish counterparts over the weekend, fearing that Amb. Francis J. Ricciardone Jr., whose name has been appearing on protest placards and newspaper front pages, would be ordered to leave the country.
The growing crisis pushed down the Turkish currency, the lira, and , The Wall Street Journal said.
With the next election cycle set to begin in March, Turkish analysts and Western observers have focused on two possible underlying factors for the crisis. The first is the state-run bank Halkbank, which news reports said has been investigated by the US for skirting sanctions against Iran. Halkbank chief executive S眉leyman Aslan had been charged with taking bribes and that the police reportedly found $4.5 million in cash stored in shoe boxes in his home.聽
The second factor is the influence of Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic religious leader who lives in the US and whose followers include police and judicial officials in Turkey. Mr. Gulen and his Hizmet social and religious organization have been allies of Erdogan in the past, but remarks published on the show a break with Erdogan, accusing the prime minister of using nationalist and xenophobic rhetoric to drum up support ahead of next year鈥檚 elections.
Erdogan鈥檚 government has been accused of growing authoritarianism by opponents and critics. In May, police violently cracked down on demonstrators protesting a government decision to build a shopping mall at Gezi Park, a popular outdoor park in central Istanbul. The demonstrations were some of the largest in Turkey in years, and the police crackdown outraged and shocked many, particularly among the more liberal Istanbul electorate. 聽
In a speech to Turkish business groups today, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu argued that Turkey鈥檚 economic growth and political stability had made it a target for meddling outsiders.
鈥淭he revolution done by Turkey in its geography has disturbed some,鈥� Mr. Davutoglu said, . 鈥淚f today there are some making some calculations about us, if we have disturbed some, be sure that this is due to the revolution we have started in this land.鈥�
