AKP members want this
Yes I know. Let's see how much they still want it after a year or two of the RTE one man show.
While the party loyal are still enjoying the privileges associated with membership, such as preferential employment, cash handouts, free coal, pots and pans, electrical goods, a goat or sheep here and there, cars etc etc, they'll be happy. The voting patterns at the last general election showed how "satisfied" many are, unfortunately.
In my opinion, the regions where we're likely to see unrest are places like Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir where the younger educated Turks are in the highest concentration. Unlike their compatriots in, for example, central Anatolia, they are far more questioning of what they are told by the government and have greater access to news and information from outside Turkey.
Any chance of the Referendum spoiling the plans?
I'd like to think so, but for similar reasons as above, I think its unlikely - and, at the end of the day it is the Turks country, no matter what we (as ex-pats/observers) think about the prospect of a supreme leader.
JF
