TEHRAN - South Alabama University Professor Nader Entessar believes that the outright victory of the Justice and Development Party in the Sunday election will embolden President Recep Tayyip Erdogan both at home and abroad, especially in Syria

“The victory of the AKP and its capturing the majority of the seats in the Turkish parliament will embolden Erdogan both domestically and internationally,” Entessar tells the Tehran Times.

Entessar also says “feeling of insecurity and fear of terrorism played a role in AKP’s victory” in the parliamentary election.

Following is the full text of the interview:

Q: What were the reasons that Erdogan’s AKP won the absolute majority in the snap parliamentary elections?

A: Three major developments account for the overwhelming victory of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the November 1, 2015 Turkish parliamentary election. One reason had to do with the recent terrorist bombings inside Turkey. The ruling party’s campaign highlighted the importance of security and the ability of the AKP to maintain security of Turkish society better than its opponents. Secondly, the opposition parties were unable to counter the AKP’s claims to be the best guardian of tranquility, prosperity and security in Turkey. Thirdly, some opposition parties, especially the members and activists of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), complained that the AKP had targeted their party activists and had killed or jailed upwards of 500 of them prior to the November election. Therefore, the HDP claimed that it was unable to mount as a vigorous of campaign as it had hoped for.

Q: How could the feeling of insecurity favor Erdogan’s party?

A: As I had indicated in my answer to the previous question, feeling of insecurity and fear of terrorism played a role in AKP’s victory in the recent parliamentary election. This certainly was not the only issue in AKP’s favor, but it was a significant factor in the ruling party’s decisive victory.

Q: The HDP complains the atmosphere of insecurity put a great pressure on its electoral campaigns, especially after the Ankara terrorist attacks. How much did this condition benefit the AKP?

A: There is some empirical evidence to support HDP’s complaints. The arrest of HDP activists in the past few weeks had intensified, and the Party was unable to mount as effective a campaign as it launched prior to the June 2015 parliamentary election, even in such HDP strongholds as Diyarbakir.

Q: What is your prediction of Erdogan’s foreign policy in the light of the major victory by his party?

A: The victory of the AKP and its capturing the majority of the seats in the Turkish parliament will embolden Erdogan both domestically and internationally. In terms of foreign policy, Erdogan’s regional ambitions will strengthen, especially in places like Syria.


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“The opposition parties were unable to counter the AKP’s claims to be the best guardian of tranquility, prosperity and security in Turkey.