Erdoğan's victory a threat to democracy

A clear victory for the AKP and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan in the parliamentary elections on Sunday could endanger Turkey's democratic progress, fears the conservative daily Lidové noviny: "The only thing that isn't clear is the extent of his victory. If the dream of the post-Islamists comes true, they will hold two thirds of the seats in parliament. This would bring them closer to their goal of changing the constitution without running the risk of holding referendums. One of these changes could affect Erdoğan himself. Instead of reinforcing the current parliamentary system the position of president could be given a major boost. There is speculation that Erdoğan has his eye on such an 'improvement' of the head of state function. ... The erstwhile concerns that the AKP would Islamise secularised Turkey have only been realised in part. Now there is a different risk: that the AKP will curb democracy. There are more imprisoned journalists in Turkey than in China, for example."

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