I just couldn't resist but to say 'I told you so' back in early May:
My Predictions for Turkey:This summer (or earlier depending on what 'early' elections mean from one day to the next,) CHP will lose big. Baykal will resign the day after the general elections as party leader after the humiliating defeat. Agar of DP may not even make the 10% barrier. Mumcu has already been kissed bye-bye. AKP and Erdogan will still be the majority party. And the Presidency may even go to Erdogan instead of Gul, as might have been scripted all along.
The 'aging' protectors of 'secularism,' I mean 'the generals' will talk about threats to intervene but actually will not be able to. Reforms will be aplenty. The EU will be begging Turkey to join it, the opposite of the case in the past. The Armenian and the Kurdish issues will be settled once and for all. And everyone will live happily ever after.
As for the U.S., Gore versus Giuliani in a battle of the 'Geez.' Gore wins and global warming comes to an end.
Then I wake! Wishful thinking or a bad nightmare? All I know is Baykal, Agar, and Mumcu (already gone) are history pretty soon!
CHP, Ataturk's Party with Baykal ('Mister Stay') at the helm, was decimated as a result of the Turkish parliamentary elections. The Nationalists (MHP) showed a great improvement in terms of the popular vote, but their success is overshadowed by the resounding win by Erdogan & Gul's AKP.
Good luck to Turkey in the coming weeks. And may the 'generals' start looking for retirement homes in Florida, where the humidity may melt their swollen egos, but their stars will forever shine into the night.
FINAL RESULTS:
AKP: 340 seats - More than enough to be the single ruling party
(47% of popular vote)
CHP: 112 seats (21% of popular vote)
MHP: 71 seats (14% of popular vote)
Independents: 27 seats (5% of popular vote)
Others: 0 seats (13% of popular vote - but didn't meet the 10% nat'l. threshold)
AKP receives more votes than all others combined! And you can't blame that on Islam. AKP is fast becoming a mainstream party!
Don't forget all of this is a part of a master plan. You are merely the observers and the pretend participants.
