ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared a shadow of his former self after his party suffered major losses in June elections – embattled and no longer in control of his political fate. His once-dominant movement was forced into the humiliating position of seeking a coalition with opposition parties intent on reining him in.
Two months on, the shrewd politician seems to be back in the saddle. The coalition-building he reportedly opposed has collapsed, and Turkey is now edging closer toward the repeat elections that he has been angling for.
Erdogan appears to be betting that a new ballot could revive the fortunes of the Islamic-rooted party, which he founded and led for more than a decade. That would put him back on course to reshape Turkey’s democracy, giving the largely ceremonial presidency sweeping powers that would allow it wield control over government affairs.
Last week, he claimed that since he was elected by popular vote instead of by Parliament, Turkey now had a “de facto” new system with a more powerful president, and a new constitution was needed to reflect the change. Erdogan has already been overstepping the bounds of his symbolic role, and is believed to be calling the shots on most matters of state, including Turkey’s fight against terror.
But new elections at a time of escalating violence between Turkey’s security forces and Kurdish rebels – and amid Turkey’s deeper involvement in the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State extremists – could backfire.