​The Palace strikes back

TURKEY - In Brief 06 Jan 2022 by Atilla Yesilada

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It has become cliché to say so, but tensions in politics escalated further, as Erdogan threatened protestors with violence, while press accounts report an indictment against CHP’s popular Istanbul mayor Mr. Ekrem Imamoglu. These strikes are Erdogan’s last bullets in the area of intimidating the opposition. I don’t expect excessive use of force, if mass protest were to happen, as well as betting that Imamoglu’s post is secure.Erdogan and his ally (MHP leader) Bahceli held an unscheduled summit in the home of the latter though there is no clarity as to whether it was related to political agenda. Erdogan is in top form once again, spewing threats and condemnation to the opposition. His latest threat was “to chase protestors to wherever they came from”, if the opposition provokes mass protest. The response by CHP leader Mr. Kemal Kilicdaroglu helped raise tensions another notch, in which response he accused Erdogan of courting civil war. His ally, IYIP chairwoman Mrs. Aksener also condemned Erdogan. Both leaders urged their followers not to be lured into Erdogan’s trap. As I had mentioned in my last Market Brief “A starter kit..” small-scale demonstrations are becoming part of the political landscape, which may have scared Erdogan into nipping them in the bud. Alternatively, he may have gotten cold feet from the events in Kazakhstan, which are threatening the tenure of the pro-Russian leaders. I’ve stated numerous times that Erdogan and Bahceli may wish to lure opponents to the streets, to crack down hard, however it would prove futile and counterproductive at the end.I stick by that prediction. Mass protests, if they were to take place, are likely to be related to economi...