23 June 2019 Istanbul mayoral election

[New Sukberia]

The Turkish Army should try a coup again.

There was no coup before, that was Reggie making an excuse to purge like Uncle Joe.

I swear, everytime someone says "Uncle Joe" i Just wanna give him a medal.

Papa Joe's also gets me everytime.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Well that sounds dodgy.

[-Ocelot-]

Erdogan is the best thing to happen to Turkey.

If you hate Turkey. The guy is going to turn one of the most historically powerful and respectable nations in the world into a weakened banana republic. At least Erdogan has Putin on his side, so it's totally worth it.

[Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum]

Erdogan is the best thing to happen to Turkey.

We can give you as a gift

[Hurdergaryp]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-48190351

Much criticism from the EU, and others, as Erdogan decides to re-run the mayoral vote in Istanbul that his party narrowly lost last month. To me another sign that Erdogan is taking Turkey deeper into dictatorship.

Let's not give Trump ideas, now...

Surely such a thing could never happen in the USA, bastion of freedom and democracy. It could never happen at all. Never.

[Vassenor]

Let's not give Trump ideas, now...

Surely such a thing could never happen in the USA, bastion of freedom and democracy. It could never happen at all. Never.

I mean it's not like Trump started demanding that he get two extra years to make up for the time "stollen"[sic] by Mueller or anything.

[Thermodolia]

Sounds like Erdogan should just declare himself Sultan and stop with the subtly.

The Turkish Army should try a coup again.

The Turkish military is practically a slave to Erdogan now

[United Muscovite Nations]

Attaturk is rolling in his grave now.

I love how people use Ataturk as some great democrat in Turkish history when he spent most of his reign as a dictator who brutally quashed dissent, and was even a major inspiration to fascism in Europe.

[Shofercia]

That's not quite the same ASB, and by that, I'm referring to US vs UK. In the US - Republicans set America's Economic Agenda, whereas in the UK, the heel dragging is becoming atrocious. We both realize that the Trump Impeachment accusations are gamesmanship for the 2020 Presidential Election; an anti-BREXIT vote was quite different.

The parts of England that voted to remain are London, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Oh yeah - Gibraltar too. That's it. Quite a few others preferred to leave, precisely because their economic policies are being ignored. You had London vote to remain, and entities that fear London more than Brussels, or detached entities. That's it. And who is setting their economic agenda? Nigel Farage didn't come to power with the BREXIT vote, and all May's actually done is say "ya, ya, big deal, very complex, I drag feet, watch" - whereas in the US we heard economic points from both parties. (Not to be confused with political ranting from both parties)

I'll wholeheartedly agree that what's going on in the U.K. is very different from what's going on in the U.S.; but my greater point is that those who are calling for the abandonment of Brexit — or even another referendum — have this single point in their favor: The actual task of splitting the U.K. off from the E.U. has proven to be such a Gordian Knot as to beg a rethinking of whether separation is REALLY what the country wants NOW.

And it really does all come down to the Irish border problem, for which there is simply no solution. Separation requires a closed Irish border, and a closed Irish border would be an utter disaster, as it would openly invite a return to the Troubles. And therein lies the best possible justification for another referendum: Did the people of the U.K. REALLY vote for a return to the sectarian violence of Northern Ireland's past, or for increased separatist pressure in Scotland? The "Leave" faction absolutely soft-pedaled the price of "independence", to the point of committing open fraud; does that mean that the people of the U.K. must now accept that they were duped, and burn their country down for the sake of consistency?

Of course, in that sense, the U.S. and U.K. situations are quite similar. In both ("Leave" and Trump), the principal reason for the vote among those who cast it was anger at the status quo; yet we shouldn't then conclude that both electorates must ride their bad decision all the way down to the very pit of Hell. The British people didn't vote to tear their country apart, and the American people didn't vote to burn their Consitution to ash and instantiate a narcissistic asshole as their autocratic ruler for the rest of said would-be tyrant's horrible life. Elections have consequences, to be sure; but electorates can always double back once they get a real taste of those consequences and change their minds. Democracy is not, after all, a binding suicide pact.

Every election involves some degree of the voters being duped, such as Obama's Campaign sending out its very own personalized campaign messages through friends to unsuspecting targets whose data the campaign harvested without their consent. The status quo hasn't been working, and those in control are too wimpy to change, so you get Trump and Brexit. I didn't see Obama attempting to deal with the opioid crisis, at least not with as much energy and zeal as he placed in lifting up inner city communities, and his party rightly paid the price. He's the president of all Americans, not just those whom he likes.

And here's the thing, once a Referendum passes, you don't get to hold another one, if your very own side dragged their feet. Did May solve all other problems, except for the Irish Border? Nope. She was dragging her feet, deliberately, hoping that an issue such as the Irish Border issue pops up, and is now begging to be rewarded for her very own incompetence, much like Eric Holder during Fast and Furious, except the latter wasn't elected. May was.

Were the people in the Remain Campaign a bunch of idiots? If not, why didn't they single out the Irish Border issue as the core issue at the time? Both campaigns had plenty of time to present and focus their arguments. In Ireland, 44% voted to leave - did they not think of the issue that they live through every day, or do all of them want the Troubles to return? Asking for a revote because one of the issues didn't get enough airtime, which is essentially what you're doing, is very undemocratic.

[Thermodolia]

Attaturk is rolling in his grave now.

I love how people use Ataturk as some great democrat in Turkish history when he spent most of his reign as a dictator who brutally quashed dissent, and was even a major inspiration to fascism in Europe.

Well he wasn’t an Islamic asshole though

[San Lumen]

Like any good dictator "You will keep voting until you vote how we want you to vote." Democracy no longer exists in Turkey

I wonder if Republicans are taking notes from this move by Erdogan

[Hakinda Herseyi Duymak istiyorum]

Attaturk is rolling in his grave now.

I love how people use Ataturk as some great democrat in Turkish history when he spent most of his reign as a dictator who brutally quashed dissent, and was even a major inspiration to fascism in Europe.

Empty words Atatürk was not a dictator,It was Turkey's hero

[Hurdergaryp]

Like any good dictator "You will keep voting until you vote how we want you to vote." Democracy no longer exists in Turkey

I wonder if Republicans are taking notes from this move by Erdogan

Or the European populists and conservative nationalists.

[United Muscovite Nations]

I love how people use Ataturk as some great democrat in Turkish history when he spent most of his reign as a dictator who brutally quashed dissent, and was even a major inspiration to fascism in Europe.

Empty words Atatürk was not a dictator,It was Turkey's hero

Dictator is a neutral term in the way I use it, but he certainly didn't come to power democratically and didn't hold power democratically. He also did a lot of things that at the time the populace resented him for.

[Othelos]

Anyone in Turkey who voted for Erdogan and DIDN'T see him becoming increasingly authoritarian is frankly - dumb.

Ok liberal who supports the totalitarian eu.

Countries join and leave the EU based on their own choice. Not comparable.

[Othelos]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-48190351

Much criticism from the EU, and others, as Erdogan decides to re-run the mayoral vote in Istanbul that his party narrowly lost last month. To me another sign that Erdogan is taking Turkey deeper into dictatorship.

Let's not give Trump ideas, now...

The US is too big and decentralized for one person to have that much power.

[Thermodolia]

Let's not give Trump ideas, now...

The US is too big and decentralized for one person to have that much power.

What is the Soviet Union?

[Betelgeuse Alliance]

I wish Erdogan just accepted that he lost instead of forcing people to vote for him until he gets a majority. He's turning Turkey into a totalitarian dictatorship and it's disgusting. I'll be entirely honest, I don't know too much about how things are over there in detail, but all I know is that he's completely ruining democracy and freedom and it's just saddening. Just wanted to get this out there.

[Great Aletia]

Rather hypocritical for the EU to condemn this considering how they handled the Lisbon treaty. Looks like you can't trust anyone now.

[An Alan Smithee Nation]

The US is too big and decentralized for one person to have that much power.

What is the Soviet Union?

A fading memory

[Czechoslovakia and Zakarpattia]

I would love to see the smirk on Erdogan's face be wiped off when Ekrem Imamoglu wins with a even larger majority than if he simply left him be, because at this point, even the AKP supporters in Istanbul more or less accepted Ekrem as the legitimate winner, and considering even the most rigged recount failed to dislocate his majority, it would be a miracle if Yildirim manages to edge him out this time, especially if Ekrem exploits voter fatigue in his own favour. Remember when Labour in Britain wanted to get rid of Corbyn after the 2016 Referendum passed? Well, let's just say that in the leadership election triggered afterwards, he not only won again, but increased his margin. Same thing could happen to Ekrem if the election is indeed held again in June.

[Vassenor]

Rather hypocritical for the EU to condemn this considering how they handled the Lisbon treaty. Looks like you can't trust anyone now.

Oh hey, someone else still pushing the Ireland myth. Everybody drink.

[San Lumen]

I would love to see the smirk on Erdogan's face be wiped off when Ekrem Imamoglu wins with a even larger majority than if he simply left him be, because at this point, even the AKP supporters in Istanbul more or less accepted Ekrem as the legitimate winner, and considering even the most rigged recount failed to dislocate his majority, it would be a miracle if Yildirim manages to edge him out this time, especially if Ekrem exploits voter fatigue in his own favour. Remember when Labour in Britain wanted to get rid of Corbyn after the 2016 Referendum passed? Well, let's just say that in the leadership election triggered afterwards, he not only won again, but increased his margin. Same thing could happen to Ekrem if the election is indeed held again in June.

Knowing Erdogan he will have the election run a third time

[San Lumen]

Rather hypocritical for the EU to condemn this considering how they handled the Lisbon treaty. Looks like you can't trust anyone now.

Oh hey, someone else still pushing the Ireland myth. Everybody drink.

How is it a myth? They voted no and they made them vote again

[Vassenor]

Oh hey, someone else still pushing the Ireland myth. Everybody drink.

How is it a myth? They voted no and they made them vote again

That's the myth, yes. Because "they made them vote again" is intentionally reductive and designed to force a narrative about the situation.