Daphne McCurdy On “Turkey’s Post-Election Crisis”

Daphne McCurdy, POMED Senior Research Associate, writing at OpenDemocracy discussed the political and legal crisis confronting Turkey since its June 12 election. She examined the apparent politicization of legal decisions that have precluded Hatip Dicle, an independent backed by the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) from taking his seat. McCurdy used the Dicle case to highlight tensions within Turkish society, including those between the political and armed aspects of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the “lack of credibility in the judicial system.” McCurdy concluded that the BDP should reverse their boycott decision and participate in the political process but that the majority party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), should create a “cooperative rather than confrontational political environment so that Kurds are encouraged to participate.”