Erdogan's solo act
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s chairing of Cabinet meetings, coupled with signs of disagreements between him and the prime minister, are stoking concerns.
Jan. 19 will go down as a milestone in Turkish political history. Even a simple photo of the meeting at the presidential palace speaks volumes: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s first popularly elected president, sits at the head of the table, with Cabinet members lined on both sides.
For those familiar with Turkey’s 65-year multiparty political history, this is not an unusual or surprising sight. Five of Erdogan’s 11 predecessors had similarly convened and chaired Cabinet meetings. Before and after his election in August, Erdogan had openly declared he would use his presidential powers to their full extent.
Why, then, has this meeting stirred such passions? True, other Turkish presidents also chaired Cabinet meetings. And the constitution does allow Erdogan to convene the Cabinet. Yet, it allows him to use this authority in extraordinary circumstances such as natural disasters, epidemics, economic crises and wars.
The last time a president used this authority was 15 years ago. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been in power for 13 years now, priding itself on bringing political and economic stability to Turkey. No “extraordinary” situation seems to exist at present. And it is worth recalling that Erdogan’s immediate predecessor, Abdullah Gul, also from the AKP, never even thought of convening the Cabinet.
