- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

Erdogan Regime Has Endangered Turkey's 'Democratic Architecture'

© REUTERS / Can ErokAn assailant who attempted to shoot prominent Turkish journalist Can Dundar is caught by Dilek Dundar, wife of Can Dundar, and an unidentified man outside a courthouse in Istanbul, Turkey May 6, 2016
An assailant who attempted to shoot prominent Turkish journalist Can Dundar is caught by Dilek Dundar, wife of Can Dundar, and an unidentified man outside a courthouse in Istanbul, Turkey May 6, 2016 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The framework of Turkey's democratic government is on the verge of collapse; the country remains in the grip of chaos due to the political ambitions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ahmet Insel, a columnist from the opposition magazine Birikim, told Sputnik.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during his meeting with mukhtars at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, March 16, 2016 - Sputnik International
Erdogan's 'One Man' Regime: Turkey 'Headed Down a Dead-End Path'
In an interview with Sputnik, Ahmet Insel, a Turkish opposition columnist, slammed the political ambitions of Turkey's President Erdogan, which he claims have caused Ankara to backslide on its commitment to democratic principles, adding that his country's political crisis shows no signs of abating.

The columnist was interviewed almost a week after an unknown attacker tried to shoot and kill Can Dundar, the editor-in-chief of the opposition Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, in front of a court house in Istanbul, according to media reports.

© REUTERS / Can ErokTurkish journalist Can Dundar (2nd L) is seen with his wife Dilek Dundar after an assailant attempted to shoot him outside a courthouse in Istanbul, Turkey May 6, 2016
Turkish journalist Can Dundar (2nd L) is seen with his wife Dilek Dundar after an assailant attempted to shoot him outside a courthouse in Istanbul, Turkey May 6, 2016 - Sputnik International
Turkish journalist Can Dundar (2nd L) is seen with his wife Dilek Dundar after an assailant attempted to shoot him outside a courthouse in Istanbul, Turkey May 6, 2016

"Such incidents are a clear proof that all the nails, which earlier held together the democratic architecture in Turkey, are already rotten, and that its collapse is just a matter of time," Insel said.

He also pointed the finger at Erdogan, whose "political ambitions and projects turned the figure of the President into the main source of instability in Turkey."

Insel also berated Erdogan for being behind the resignation of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, which was  announced on May 6.

"By insisting on the presidential system of ruling, Erdogan, who should be the main guarantor of the Constitution, in fact violated its provisions. This very fact is sufficient to recognize the depth of the crisis and the chaos that is currently in place in Turkey. Well, the fish rots from the head," Insel pointed out.

Banners from left to right show Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, also leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP); Turkey's current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan' and Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk - Sputnik International
Time to Say Goodbye: Turkish PM Davutoglu's Resignation is 'Capitulation'
As for the shooting incident, it occurred after a case was heard regarding the publication of journalists' stories about the involvement of Turkish intelligence services in transporting weapons to Syria.

The assailant came up to Dundar when he was speaking with a journalist and fired at least two shots at him. Dundar managed to escape unharmed.
"You're a traitor!" — the shooter is said to have screamed during the incident, according to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News.

Police standing nearby immediately intervened and arrested the assailant. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, it was revealed that another reporter, Yagiz Senkal, was wounded during the incident.    

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала