Hrriyet Daily News published an article by Cihan Çelik devoted to the corruption scandal in Turkey. "For the last couple of days, the codes and rules, which have been turned upside-down by Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), have become hard to keep up with since the AKP was forced to fight a self-created “monster.” The AKP, which has been facing the direst showdown over a corruption scandal with its ally-turned-foe the Hizmet (Service) movement, led by self-exiled Islamist preacher Fethullah Gülen, has found itself in a fight with not only Gülen’s “state within a state” but also itself, as well," the article begins.
"Even the Cabinet reshuffle, dubbed as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “War Cabinet,” could hardly save his AKP government. The corruption disaster unleashed by the Hizmet Movement has already taken down the myth that the AKP is “unshakable” or even “challengeable.” This time, the AKP government has been hit hard by its own bullets," the article reads.
"The Hizmet-AKP fight has created a new dimension in the polarization of Turkey – a country that has been long divided mainly due to the AKP undertakings. The new polarization has appeared riskier for the AKP, which is in return trying to consolidate its power with desperate efforts, like pro-government rallies or greetings of the PM, or maybe with a call for early election," the author writes.
"The unusual silence from Turkey’s Western allies has also been interesting so far but it might be about the premier’s claim that the scandal was a plot against his ruling with both local and international parties. But it might also mean that the AKP has started to lose its charm abroad since Erdoğan has already tarnished his reputation in the eyes of its EU and U.S. allies, particularly during the Gezi protests. Along with the Hizmet blow, this might be the last act in a long-running saga, in which both the group and AKP will fight until one ends the other," the author concludes.
