Raid on protesting students shadows Erdoğan’s reform vow

Murat Yetkin writes: Erdoğan, on the one hand, gives the impression that he will undergo reforms in order to gain more space in the post-coronavirus world. On the other hand, he wants to keep society under lock and key to keep everything under his control.

Wednesday February 03 2021 10:35 am

Duvar English

Prominent journalist Murat Yetkin has penned an analysis on how the police response to Boğaziçi University protests contradicts President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's recent reform promises.

Erdoğan on Feb. 1 said that it was time for Turkey to discuss a new constitution, as police were detaining students during their demonstration against his appointment of Melih Bulu as the rector of the university.

"Is it too much or too little power and authority for Erdoğan? Or does Erdoğan intend to pull back the timing of his goals for 2023 (the 100th anniversary of the Republic) and 2024 (the 100th year of the Caliphate’s annulment) through a referendum and without taking risks due to concrete reasons such as pandemic, unemployment and high cost of living?" Yetkin said in his piece on the news website Yetkin Report.

"Still, there is a serious problem: How and with whom can he make constitutional amendments?" he asked.

"Erdoğan, on the one hand, gives the impression that he will undergo reforms in order to gain more space in the post-coronavirus world, on the other hand, he wants to keep society under lock and key to keep everything under his control," Yetkin said.

Yetkin's piece in full can be reached here.