Why have AKP elites lost touch with reality?
The presidential system’s negligence of Turkey’s realities has turned what would be a difficult economic and political era anyway into one that is also dark and dangerous.
At a speech at an award ceremony for academics on Dec. 19, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned the sharp decrease in the Turkish treasury reserves. He said “when I was the Prime Minister, we increased the reserves up to $135 billion. Then a decrease was experienced. I was not there. I was the President by then. Now the reserves are again above $100 billion.”
Erdogan’s comments confused the public. What does Erdogan mean when he says he was absent? Who was then in charge then? Politicians and satire outlets ridiculed Erdogan’s bizarre comment. This is particularly perplexing for Turkey watchers who had heard Erdogan much repeated phrase: “I am the one responsible for the economy.” Who is responsible for what and under which conditions is becoming more and more difficult to determine in Turkey.
On Dec 20, Erdogan pledged to protect the Turkish lira and urged everyone to invest in the national currency. Lira surged from a historic record low 18.36 per dollar to 11.09 per dollar in the span of a day. Erdogan and his team seem to keep trying new “experiments” while the only constant is volatility and instability.
It is understandable that during tough times people in charge would do their best to boost public morale. However, AKP politicians’ refusal to accept unpleasant reality has reached alarming levels. It is almost impossible to report objectively, simply because reporters cannot access reliable information.
