The only question in Turkey's election on Sunday was whether Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's prime minister since 2003, would move to the presidential palace in Ankara's Cankaya neighborhood after one round of voting, or two. After Erdogan the mayor (of Istanbul) and Erdogan the prime minister, it was clear we would get Erdogan the president (with expanded powers). At this rate, Erdogan may yet fulfill his dream of still leading Turkey in 2023, the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the secular republic by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Ataturk must be rolling over in his grave as the secular republic continues to evolve into the "State of Erdogan," led by an Islamist. Erdogan won Sunday's election with around 52 percent of the vote -- an easy victory. Erdogan's greatest advantage in the election was that his opponents preferred to spend their summer vacations at the beach, while his supporters (the lower classes and the religious) showed up to vote like dutiful soldiers. Despite the criticism Erdogan has taken in recent years, the Gezi Park protests last year and the corruption scandal allegedly involving Erdogan and his son, it appears that, for a majority of Turks, Erdogan represents continuity, stability and economic prosperity (Turkey's GDP has tripled during Erdogan's time as prime minister -- a significant achievement). When you add to this the national pride Erdogan endlessly espouses and the religious values he represents, you understand Erdogan's impressive electoral successes over the years. Erdogan is well aware that today's Turkey is divided, and he plays this card in his speeches when he talks about "them" and "us." He knows that his party's well-oiled machinery will lead him to electoral victories. And when you consider the weakness of Erdogan's opponents in the elections he has run in, including Sunday's, you see why we have been stuck with him for so many years. During the recent presidential election campaign, we usually just saw Erdogan. He made appearances like a rock star, and asked crowds, "Who is going to be president-" They roared back, "Erdogan!" Populism reigned, and it is no surprise that anti-Israel slogans, tinged with anti-Semitism, were prominent in the campaign. At a campaign event on Aug. 3, a woman in the crowd fainted due to heat. In front of cameras, the charismatic Erdogan treated her, massaging her hands. The joke goes that when she woke up and saw Erdogan, she became alarmed and asked, "Where are my gold bracelets-," an allusion to the serious corruption scandal that Erdogan survived. With the "bracelets," Erdogan is now president.
