President Erdogan emerges stronger after failed coup despite deep divisions within Turkey
Erdogan seeks constitutional change for a presidential system, despite already having unprecedented power over politics, the economy and the media
When President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s drawn face was seen on television appealing to supporters through a humble mobile phone app, some may have thought the game was up for the Turkish strongman.
But his backers flooded the streets of Istanbul and Ankara in response to his desperate appeal on FaceTime to counter the botched military coup that represented the biggest threat to his 13-year domination of the country. And rather than being damaged by the coup, Erdogan is likely to emerge strengthened, analysts said.
They said his pugnacious charisma and image as the protector of conservative and pious Turks from treachery emanating from outside are likely to receive a huge boost.
He will have the full powers, with a mindset of vengeance and desire to control the country in a totalitarian fashion
However, Erdogan still faces obstacles, notably to implementing his dream of a fully fledged presidential system in Turkey and keeping military support to fight Kurdish rebels.
“[Erdogan will now] have his hands free”, said Dorothee Schmid, Turkey specialist at the French Institute for Foreign Relations (IFRI). “He will have the full powers, with a mindset of vengeance and desire to control the country in a totalitarian fashion.”
Since the coup, Erdogan has roused crowds of thousands in his home district of Istanbul, vowing to listen to their calls for the reimposition of the death penalty. He has also enjoyed a rare degree of across-the-board support in Turkey, with even opposition parties lining up to denounce the coup.
Indeed, there are so many reasons to see the coup as a boost to Erdogan that there have been suggestions in particular on social media that it was staged with the express aim of helping him.