The dictatorship in Turkey is falling tomorrow | Hacker News Reader

The dictatorship in Turkey is falling tomorrow

dostoynikov.bearblog.dev

49 pointsdostoynikov40 comments

If he can be voted out then by definition that is not a dictatorship.

As a theoretical yes but practice... basic example; Türkiye citizenship couldn't access to news about earthquake. Also meantime blocked biggest social platform at Türkiye. etc. etc.

> citizenship couldn't access to news

thats a good day in west

> If he can be voted out then by definition that is not a dictatorship.

Correct, except for the fact that he hasn't handed the reins over yet.

I'll agree with you if he actually hands the power over peacefully, most certainly not a given if you consider some of his exactions in the past 5 years.

Well, maybe definition of dictatorship is wider than we think. There is a one-man regime in Turkey currently and he can just do whatever he pleases thanks to the regime he created. Turkish public opinion calls it a dictatorship.

While that's true, it is possible that an an elected government transforms the country into a dictatorship, e.g. by undermining the other branches of government, seeking control over the judiciary, press; changing the constitution to give themselves additional powers, etc.

That's happening in a lot of countries and from what I know (not in Turkey), it's also something that Erdogan did.

He certainly tried to become a dictator.

I don't think that's accurate. Perhaps it's practically true, but I don't think that's an inherent property of dictatorships. Certainly the original dictatorship was an elected, time-limited office.

It's hard to believe these days that Erdogan once was a pretty good leader. As the mayor of Istanbul he really helped transform the city in a good way (with enough exceptions, but still). But unfortunately he fell in all the traps that so many people that are given too much power for too long seem to do.

Even harder to believe that Pu*in wasn't that bad 20 years ago. If you bombard an average person with unlimited power for 20+ years they can emit corruption, oppression and eventually war

> It's hard to believe these days that Erdogan once was a pretty good leader.

Either that or he was smart enough to look like a good leader when he was in fact playing the long game to get to the top.

Power is a beast in itself. Not supporting these leaders but there are plenty of examples were power reshape people. Obviously, it can be say that few people is ready to receive a lot of power and have an ethics for good.

By the nature of it, to substantial degree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStL7niR7gs

"Power doesn't corrupt, it reveals"

-Robert Caro

Please wish Turkish people luck! It is so important not only for Turkey but all countries who live under dictatorships.

Meanwhile, "In response to legal process and to ensure Twitter remains available to the people of Turkey, we have taken action to restrict access to some content in Turkey today."

https://twitter.com/GlobalAffairs/status/1657219168863756288

“free speech absolutist”

Given the election frauds in the last Erdogan elections, I doubt it.

I totally agree with you. I guess Kemal will win this election but other side wouldn't accept this result.

Post-trump that is the standard playbook for authoritarians

This has been common elsewhere since long before trump.

Not in the west/near west.

The comment I replied to didn't specify that. It came off as a lazy way to collect upvotes while also displaying an ignorance of the wider world. And your comment similarly presumes that Western/near Western players are unaware of and uninfluenced by the wider world.

Well, the opposition fought against all fraud and rigging and won elections in major cities in last elections and it became hope for everyone as it happened for the first time in 20 years.

Could you elaborate about the alternatives to Erdogan and their thoughts?

The alternative is right now is Kemal Kilicdaroglu. He is social democrat and his party, CHP, values in power of law, education, secularism, freedom, art, tech. They will ensure the transition from a one-man regime to a parliamentary system and restore democracy, separation of powers.

I was just cheking betting odds and they are all over the place, not a common sight.

Erdogan was a good leader as long as he was applying his beliefs. Once he decided to listen to the most uneducated part of turkey he became a dictator. More than 40% of the people still like him. If it wasn't the earthquake we would still be first!

On the other side, Kilicdaroglu is a worst nationalist than Erdogan. Most probably for me, he will try to exploit the situation and become the new king. I hope the other members will hold him.

Erdogan is not a dictator.

* Turks are able to boo and mock and yell at him all day everyday in social media.

* The man won 15 elections in 20 years.

* Half of Turks voted for him today, and so did I.

* If he can be voted out, it’s not dictatorship.

google dictatorship ; form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations

yet he is falling with an election?

Nah. Western media and Turkish leftists call it a dictatorship. Think about it, half of the Turkish media and people are ABLE TO call it a dictatorship, is this a dictatorship? It’s not even near a one-man regime. Western media is hallucinating whatever fits their narratives.

Source: I’m a Turk living in Turkey.

Good luck. We'll see what happens, but I don't think it will be as 'peaceful' or will go as expected either way. I hope I'm wrong.

I hope there will be change to a more secular government.

One can only hope that Turkey does not become a religious dictatorship.

> One can only hope that Turkey does not become a religious dictatorship.

I guess you meant "does not become a religious dictatorship again"

That's is a subset of my statement. Also agreed.

your lips to god’s ears.

While I strongly wish Erdogan will be ousted tomorrow, it's rather unfortunate that if he his, he'll be replaced by a hard-core socialist, and there is therefore a sizable likelihood that Turkey will be in an even worse shape in the hands of the next leader.

Kılıçdaroğlu is not a socialist by any stretch of imagination, let alone a hard-core one. He’s center-left at best. Besides, the coalition includes right wing conservatives, right wing nationalists, and liberals.

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