Erdogan's lessons from malaysianinsider

written by Abdullah, January 19, 2009

Erdogan was a hardcore Islamist for decades. Then he was suffocated and literally went through hell.through hell. His parties were being shut down one by one by the hardcore Maoist Constitutional Court. Then came the 1998 episode where at the same time like Anwar, he went to jail on flimsy claims that he was fanning Islamism and dividing the nation. There came his sobering. After he was sent to jail in a flagrant breach of justice, he was banned from politics for life. He was young by then, only 43 and he was the most charismatic leader of the Islamists and Istanbul (the eyes of Turkey) Mayor.As he languished in jail, his friends led by incumbent Turkish President Abdullah Gul formed another. Soon, the Maoist Constitutional Court that employs political judges who never pray, never fast and never pay zakat shut down the party. Finnaly Erdogan was released through Presidential Pardon. When he came out, he called for a meeting with his friends. They discussed a lot. He told them a new path was needed. He said that for 3 decades, they were persecuted and when they got power in 1997, their PM (Necmettin Erbakan) was deposed. Abdullah Gul too was deposed. Then Erbakan (former PM) was banned from politics for life. He told them the hardcore position they have taken is only scaring others and making the enemy stronger. He told them that they system (Courts and Military-which control Turkey) were being used against them. He told them to think out of the box and look for new ways and alliances. Then he commissioned a 50,000 internall poll on what Turks wanted.The outcome was a conservative but open minded party which was to concentrate on the economy, social issues, EU joining and equality and centrism. He established the party in 2001, yet was he was banned from politics. Then came 2002, he campaigned on Centrism (still banned) and nominated Islamists, (majority), secularists, centrists, right and left politicians and got a crushing victory for his 1 yr old party. Since he was banned, he installed his right hand man for decades, Abdullah Gul as PM. Then Gul pushed for constitutional amendments (he had 2/3) which was to allow Erdogan's ban to be lifted. Ban lifted. Erdogan stood for a by-election in Sirt Province (his wife's bastion) and won with over 80%. Abdullah Gul stepped down for Erdogan who became the PM and Gul his Deputy and Foreign Minister. Then in 2007, he nominated Gul for the Presidency (to be vacant), then the Military threatened with coup saying Gul was an Islamist. The secular opposition organised a millon walk and things got out of hand. Erdogan was frustrated by the Courts when they anulled Gul's election. He then called for a snap election and Europe and his friends sought help to salvage him. Anwar Ibrahim was in Brussels and wrote articles in the Washington Post warning EU not to abondon democarcy in Turkey.Then Erdogan fielded centrists in order to get a broad based win which will not affect his programmes. He won with a crushing victory that has never been seen in 53 years. Erdogan went ahead and installed his loyal man, Gul as the President. Today he controls the Presidency, Parliament, Prime Ministry and his party controls all Councils (elected unlike Malaysia). In 2007, when he was fighting for his political life, he threatened to resign from politics forever if his party doesn't win an outright victory. He surpassed his own goal.Lessons:1. He ditched confrontation with the hardcore Maoists and hardcore Secularists.2. He infiltrated the system rather than trying to conquer it since he failed to do in 3 decades.3. He brought both hardrcore Islamists, moderates and even secular idealogues in his party to get national will.4. He concentrated on the economy to obtain the support of the elite and the wealthy.5. He promoted his men and women slowly to establish his strength without raising eyebrows.6. He built Turkey's prestige to get the people's support and foreign support (investments and respect as well).7. He stopped talking about Islam directly and started talking in tongues. For example, when he says the Hijab ban should end, he will say "because of human rights." Before he used to say bcoz "of God." He realised that the courts will ban his party if he continued with direct talk.8. He brought nationalists to his party to undermine the nationalist parties.9. He brought hardcore secularists to his party to undermine secular parties. Today, his 7 yr old maintains a stranglehold on the whole of Turkey and his party has representation (MPs) from 80 out of 81 states. The next party has representation from 37 states alone while the third 17 alone.