Seeking 'His President's Opposition' in Turkey

The "pervert" debate between Turkish President Tayyip Erdo?an and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader, Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu, has finally faded out after Erdo?an said he would no longer count K?l?çdaro?lu as a political counterpart, with the latter providing no reply.

In theory, they are not counterparts anymore already. According to the Turkish constitution, the president should be non-partisan. Yet in today's Turkey, very little room has been left for such formalities. It is reported that in the draft for a new constitution to be submitted to parliament by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) under the instructions of Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu, the president - who will be granted more executive powers - could lead this party as well.

Erdo?an also said K?l?çdaro?lu was not suitable to chair the CHP and that he would no longer acknowledge the fact that the CHP has K?l?çdaro?lu as its chairman. Erdo?an also recalled that K?l?çdaro?lu was elected as the head of the CHP after the preceding chairman, Deniz Baykal, had to resign after illegal video recordings allegedly showing him engaged in an affair hit the internet in 2010 when Erdo?an was prime minister. The relevant court case is still continuing.

It is not only Erdo?an who despises K?l?çdaro?lu and praises Baykal. In a recent speech in parliament, Davuto?lu said the CHP (the founding party of the Turkish Republic) had failed to perform like a "national opposition" under K?l?çdaro?lu, adding that Baykal did.

But the AK Parti desire to design the opposition is not limited to the CHP.

Before the Nov. 1, 2015, elections, a deputy chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) resigned to join the AK Parti; Tu?rul Türke? is now a...