Tuesday, 24 July 2007

The results are in...

...and, once again, Ak Parti wins the general elections.

The result was a landslide. This is a little worrying for most people living around the coastal regions of Turkey who are more 'open' in their thinking. The Turkish AK Parti, from what I understand, is a step towards Islam. The Prime Minister's wife covers her head and any government run restaurants do not serve alcohol.

The voting was confused. With so many political parties to choose from (over 30, I hear) most people were trying to vote tactically. To try and second guess the results, voters were trying to get as many non-AK parti ministers into parliament as possible.

The problem is that by splitting the vote across a number of parties, AK Parti became a clear winner.

What does this mean for Turkey? Well, I think it's a step in the wrong direction. Everyone around is fearing a move towards becoming another Iran. Time will tell.

(I should be a political correspondent for the BBC, don't you think?)

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