Turkey's local elections which looked more like parliamentary elections are finally behind us. Never had an election season in the country's history been so aggressive and tense.
MoreOne of the most significant elections in Turkey's recent political history is over. These are the first elections after the Gezi Park incidents of last year and the Dec.17 operation against the government and the last elections before the first direct presidential elections will be held.
MoreIn the post-election period, Turkey has already entered a new era of high economic growth and robust political stability, thus restoring its decade-long virtuous circle.
The elections will not end polarization in Turkish politics. In fact, this election should be seen as the first phase of the presidential elections of Aug. 10, 2014.
Politics in Turkey has been in normalization process in which different demands and identities come forward and the invisible becomes visible since 2002
The AK Party wins the elections because it is the only party that is capable of running in all political districts in Turkey.
In an atmosphere where the Kurdish issue is interpreted as Turkey's most important political problem aside from terror, the position and responsibility of both the government and the Kurdish political movement is growing.
MoreOnce again, Turkey is bracing itself for an extremely tense and contentious atmosphere of political debate as we approach what is undoubtedly the most critical municipal election in recent years.
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Consequently, our political discussions cannot seem to free themselves from Kemalism and Third Worldism, which consist of two factors.
When the race for the March 30 elections began, there were at most 15-17 swing vote cities that were up for grabs. In all but one of these swing the race was between the AK Party and only one other opposition party.
In the aftermath of the local elections, the conflict with the parallel structure needs to be addressed in a setting where democratic freedom is not restricted. This is also a requirement of the AK Party's own contributions to the consolidation of Turkish democracy.
While no big surprises are expected from the local elections, the perception of success or failure of the ruling party will have an impact on its calculations with respect to the presidential election and the parliamentary election in 2015.