Source: STRATFOR
The Turkish High Electoral Board has yet to issue the official results, but the June 24 national elections for all intents and purposes are over, and incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan has secured another five-year term as president.
With his victory, Erdogan can remain president for an additional two terms, until 2028. And he may even follow Russian President Vladimir Putin’s model and swap in a loyalist for a single presidential term before running again in 2033 or beyond.
The major takeaway of this election is that Erdogan is now in possession of extremely expanded presidential powers. During his time in office, he has engineered constitutional amendments to give him one of the most powerful presidencies in modern Turkish history.
And though in theory there are still some internal checks on his power, in practice little can be done to block his agenda and that of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Among other things, Erdogan now has the power to rule by decree, appoint Cabinet members, write Turkey’s budget and appoint judges — all without parliamentary approval.
Moreover, the opposition cannot mobilize either the necessary 360 legislative votes needed to investigate Erdogan’s presidency or the 400 votes needed to try him in the country’s highest court.
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