{"id":16761,"date":"2015-06-08T17:14:38","date_gmt":"2015-06-08T17:14:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aaeurop.com\/?p=16761"},"modified":"2015-06-08T17:18:31","modified_gmt":"2015-06-08T17:18:31","slug":"the-beginning-of-the-end-turkish-president-erdogans-worst-moments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aaeurop.com\/?p=16761","title":{"rendered":"The beginning of the end? Turkish president Erdo\u0569\u0084\u056a\u0534an’s worst moments"},"content":{"rendered":"

Turkey\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0549\u0084\u00a7s president Recep Tayyip Erdo\u0569\u0084\u056a\u0534an has faced a major set-back in his plan to give himself more powers<\/a>. His AKP party lost its majority in parliament after a surge in support for the Kurdish leftist HDP.<\/p>\n

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The AKP is still the biggest party in Turkey and most likely to form the next governing, barring further elections and another major upset. But this could be the beginning of the end for Mr Erdo\u0569\u0084\u056a\u0534an\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0549\u0084\u00a7s ambitions of further power and a Turkish presidential republic centred around him. In recent years Mr Erdo\u0569\u0084\u056a\u0534an has developed a reputation abroad for having an autocratic style of government.\u0569\u0082\u0539\u00a0 Examples often cited include:<\/p>\n

Built a \u0569\u0082\u0539\u0589400m palace for himself with taxpayers\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0549\u0084\u00a7 funds<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Turkish <\/span> Ak Saray or \u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u056d\u009cthe white palace\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0549\u0084\u00a7 is the new resident of the Turkish president, build with taxpayers\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0549\u0084\u00a7 funds<\/a>. Bigger than the White House or Buckingham Palace, it occupies more than 1.6 million square feet of land and cost almost \u0569\u0082\u0539\u0589400 million.<\/p>\n

Vowed to \u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u056a\u0093eradicate\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0539\u009d Twitter and blocked the whole website in Turkey<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"In <\/span> Amid protests in 2014 Mr Erdo\u0569\u0084\u056a\u0534an said he would \u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u056a\u0093eradicate<\/a>\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0539\u009d Twitter, adding \u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u056a\u0093I don\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0549\u0084\u00a7t care what the international community says.\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0539\u009d The website was then blocked.<\/p>\n

He said he was \u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u056a\u0093increasingly against the internet\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0539\u009d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"In <\/span> The president chose a press freedom conference to announced that he was \u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u056a\u0093increasingly against the Internet every day\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0539\u009d. At a Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Press Institute (IPI) meeting last year<\/a> Mr Erdo\u0569\u0084\u056a\u0534an said the internet could be used to recruit terrorists.<\/p>\n

Gassed environmentalist protesters demonstrating against the redevelopment of Gezi park<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"Riot <\/span> Authorities were widely criticised for their harsh response to an environmental protest to save Istanbul\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0549\u0084\u00a7s Gezi park. Protests were gassed and 11 people were believed to have died as a result of the clashes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Arrested critical journalists and other opponents in an authoritarian crackdown<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"\" Staff members and supporters of the Zaman newspaper editor-in-chief Ekrem Dumanli shout slogans as he is arrested by plain clothes police and led towards a car.<\/span> <\/span> Late last year leading figures in the country\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0549\u0084\u00a7s G\u0569\u0083\u0539\u0536lenist opposition movement were rounded up and arrested<\/a>. Those detained included journalists, television producers, and police officials.<\/p>\n

\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0539\u00bband then claimed Turkey has the freest press and media in the world<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"A A supporter holds a copy of the Zaman newspaper behind a fence as police arrest its editor-in-chief in Istanbul.<\/span> <\/span> Despite all this Erdo\u0569\u0084\u056a\u0534an still maintains that \u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u056a\u0093nowhere in the world is the press freer than it is in Turkey<\/a>\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0539\u009d. Reporters Without Borders disagrees. The organisation told the Independent at the time: “Turkey ranked 154 out of 180 in our 2014 Press Freedom Index. Its once vibrant and diverse media environment is narrowing by the day.\u0569\u00a7\u0549\u0082-\u0539\u009dindependent.co.uk<\/p>\n