Turkey in hot water...

So that nutter in Turkey has declared himself the winner of that referendum where he had his main opponents in jail for months leading up to it, and where he allowed unverified votes to count in his 51% to 49% victory which gives him unprecedented powers to do whatever he likes, including bringing back the death penalty and the ability to get rid of any judges, police, politicians, teachers etc who he doesn't like. He also says he will stay in power until 2029 - all without the need for approval from parliament.

It sounds like Senator Palpatine in Star Wars to me!

its a lot scarier, imagine a country as big as Turkey turning into an Islamic state, well imagine no more as it will happen now. 

It does now mean they will never get into the EU but i suppose we won't care as neither will we be in a couple of years.

Expect an exodus of non-Islamic intellectuals, and professional people.

Exactly, any Westernized Turks will move out leaving the door wider open for a more fundamentalist group to exploit what is left...

Where are they going to go though? Even countries like Germany and France will be loath to let more Turks in even if they aren't muslim

True, but if they come with a profession, with transportable skills, they'll be made welcome almost anywhere. I'm sure the NHS would welcome more doctors and nurses.

Despite everything, Turkey has always been the most secular of Muslim states and has historically been a bridge between the West and the Middle East. Having taken 3 million Syrian refugees, it may well be different going forward. I feel terribly sorry for the Turks I know, especially the women who had until recently had many of the rights we expect in the West.

I wonder how it will affect the tourist trade? I know a few people who still go there religiously and say it hasn't changed the tourist areas but i'm sure that will come in time. An Islamic state isn't going to want a load of pissed up Brits there are they?

Norpig wrote:I wonder how it will affect the tourist trade? I know a few people who still go there religiously and say it hasn't changed the tourist areas but i'm sure that will come in time. An Islamic state isn't going to want a load of pissed up Brits there are they?

Wasn't it in Marmaris where the army tried to assassinate Ergodan and failed - although they killed a couple of hotel workers in the process?

People will still be holidaying in Turkey, as they will want the revenue. However, it'll be another area that becomes even more accessible to the fundamentalists. I doubt I will be going there, at least for a few years, (and then I'll be too old).

wanderlust wrote:

Norpig wrote:I wonder how it will affect the tourist trade? I know a few people who still go there religiously and say it hasn't changed the tourist areas but i'm sure that will come in time. An Islamic state isn't going to want a load of pissed up Brits there are they?

Wasn't it in Marmaris where the army tried to assassinate Ergodan and failed - although they killed a couple of hotel workers in the process?

That incredibly botched coup against Erdogan looks suspiously like a black flag operation to give him an excuse to round up and arrest anyone opposed to him. It is clear that the vast majority of judges, professors, teachers and journalists sacked and/or arrested had nothing to do with any coup. Their only crime was opposing Erogan and his drive to turn the clock back in Turkey and make it a Muslim rather than a secular state.

Erdogan's victory margin looks very much like that achieved by the brexiteers and is just as divisive. This is the problem with any referendum decided by a simple majority rather than say a two thirds majority. In this country you can't even go on strike in the public sector without 40% of all eligible voters voting for it - which is higher than the 37% of voters who actuallyvoted for brexit.

When we were over there a couple of years ago the locals were begging everybody to go home and tell all their friends not to believe all the rumour and innuendo about the way the country was heading.

They were desperate to spread the word that Turkey was and is a safe country to visit.

Sadly, I'm less sure that it is after Erdogan's latest machinations.

Yet again (as with Tunisia) it's the poorest and most needy who will suffer because of this.

And that's a real shame because the people in both countries were extremely welcoming and friendly.