Recep Tayyip Erdogan's leadership in a nutshell.

[Mouthwash]

Jesus Christ.

After the recent Turkish mining disaster, Prime Minister Recep Erdogan visited Soma and made a speech declaring that "accidents happen" and this wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He was then mobbed by the furious crowd and had to seek refuge in a shop. Both Erdogan and his chief of staff were photographed punching and kicking protesters, and Erdogan himself is heard using an antisemitic slur.

Can anyone find the full speech transcript?

 

[Tee Kay]

He's going Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, he's going troppo, he's going troppo!

High time for a coup?

 

[kramerfan86]

Im honestly surprised the Turkish military hasnt couped him yet.

 

[Tee Kay]

Im honestly surprised the Turkish military hasnt couped him yet.

Erdogan largely declawed and detoothed the military a few years back, I believe. Not sure if he was planning on channeling Deli İbrahim back then too.

 

[kramerfan86]

Its a shame, used to be one of the more secular and liberal countries in that portion of the world and it feels like he is steadily decaying that away and slowly turning it into another middle eastern dictatorship. Seems hard to believe it was ever even remotely in the running to be a EU nation at this point.

 

[Tee Kay]

Erdogan's an interesting character. You can't really characterise him as just another Mubarak, say, or even a Morsi. During his rule Turkey arguably became more politically liberal even while becoming less secular - secularism and liberalism aren't the same thing - before veering towards authoritarianism in recent years. He's an Islamist fancying himself as an Asian regional power who looks west to Europe and inches towards reconciliation with Armenia. Like everything else about Turkey, he's complex and a lot is unspoken or unseen.

But sometimes a leader stays in power too long. It's almost time to go, if it's not already. If he stays any longer things could get really interesting.

 

[kramerfan86]

There are times where I almost feel its better to lose some political liberalism if it means more social liberalism will be allowed. Political liberalism that essentially leads to nasty tyranny by majority situations isnt desirable to me personally, but I know others are flip flopped on that thought.

I mean I look at an Egypt situation,after Mubarak went down political liberalization happened with proper elections, but i feel those in charge were promptly turning around and going to dial back some personal freedoms because they had a slim electoral majority to do so. Im a bit torn on the whole thing though i suppose.

 

[Tee Kay]

You're not alone, a bit have been written about "middle class revolts" against democratically-elected (but perceived as illiberal/corrupt) governments of various mid-tier countries, from Turkey to Brazil. The Thai government as of ten hours ago was the latest casualty.

 

[Antilogic]

Actually, that picture sums it up pretty well. I would assume it was a political cartoon satirizing his leadership if only it was drawn.

There are times where I almost feel its better to lose some political liberalism if it means more social liberalism will be allowed. Political liberalism that essentially leads to nasty tyranny by majority situations isnt desirable to me personally, but I know others are flip flopped on that thought.

I mean I look at an Egypt situation,after Mubarak went down political liberalization happened with proper elections, but i feel those in charge were promptly turning around and going to dial back some personal freedoms because they had a slim electoral majority to do so. Im a bit torn on the whole thing though i suppose.

You aren't the only one who is a bit queasy looking at places like Egypt (although I wasn't too hopeful there from the start), Ukraine, etc.

 

[Borachio]

He's going Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, he's going troppo, he's going troppo!

"Going troppo". I've not heard that phrase for a bit.

 

[Kyriakos]

Jesus Christ.

After the recent Turkish mining disaster, Prime Minister Recep Erdogan visited Soma and made a speech declaring that "accidents happen" and this wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He was then mobbed by the furious crowd and had to seek refuge in a shop. Both Erdogan and his chief of staff were photographed punching and kicking protesters, and Erdogan himself is heard using an antisemitic slur.

Can anyone find the full speech transcript?

Reminds me of...


Link to video.

Particularly the angry expression of that advisor/thug :/

 

[Tee Kay]

"Going troppo". I've not heard that phrase for a bit.

I think you'll enjoy our former prime minister Paul Keating's selection of insults. That was one of his.

 

[r16]

all the Islamist reforms foreign observers love to bandy about are the products of an earlier period when the Islamist hold on the country was not "that" strong . Now fighting each other all the reforms tend to mean some yet another power grab . Some child molester kills a kid ; tougher laws are immediately promised . Here they come , strangely enough holding new election / selection rules for the Judiciary ? Why , the Congregation still holds a few courts . It's not them , certainly not that they claim being Muslims and wanting to shape the landscape to that order -which doesn't sound like Muslim to this half baked Hanefi Sunni but that's a different debate . It's the belief that they are here forever , can do anything and will never have to answer . When things appear otherwise they have to "fight" and the danger is one of these days the people -whomever they might be- will just say "OK." There is but one God , nobody can stop the disaster when it begins ; the World being a test and all . This is the issue with the Islamists , they attach themselves more power than they do to God .

but then this is the exact reason why the entire West has always refused to see that , at every single turn until the Turkish Civil War seems so close . For some weird reason a full up fight with the Turks is so undesirable ...