Turkey faces political, economic turmoil under emergency state

CAIRO – 13 July 2017: One year after the failed coup attempt, Turkey is facing a growing, unprecedented security crackdown in the country, which has led to major changes in the country’s economic, social and diplomatic affairs.

Last year on July 15, Turkey witnessed a long night after a coup attempt by Turkish military personnel to overthrow Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

The attempt, which took place while the Turkish president was out of the capital on holiday, failed within a few hours after dozens of Turkish people took to the streets to reject any attempts by the military to rule their country.

Erdogan said on Wednesday that it was out of the question under current circumstances to lift the state of emergency in Turkey, which was imposed soon after an attempted military coup on July 15 last year.

This implies that the State of Emergency would be extended for the fourth time in Turkey since the coup attempt.

Only one day ago, Turkish authorities issued an arrest warrant for 105 IT experts suspected of helping the failed coup last year. These arrests are taking place under the enforcement of the State of Emergency in Turkey that was declared directly after the failed coup attempt in July 2016.

This group adds to a total of 50,000 people who have been arrested for connection to the coup. Also, more than 100,000 people, including civil servants, university professors and soldiers have been dismissed from government jobs.

Among those arrested in Turkey are supporters of Fethullah Gülen, the United States-based Turkish preacher who was blamed by the Turkish president as being the one behind the coup; however, the preacher has previously denied this several times.

Erdogan demands that the U.S. extradite Gülen, but the U.S. never responded.

Moreover, members of the Turkish opposition who opposed the coup were also arrested.

Erdogan has been facing global accusations for exploiting the attempted coup in order to impose a state of emergency to stifle any form of opposition, especially against the media that has never stopped criticizing his government.

The continuous violations increasing in Turkey are weakening the country’s chances to obtain European Union membership, which has been a dream of Turkey for 40 years. These violations have further resulted in economic and social harms, as well as diplomatic.

Beginning with the economic conditions, the harsh political situation has resulted in serious impacts to the country’s economic affairs, as both citizens and foreign investors became fearful of engaging with Turkey.

Not only this, the political risks have been reflected in a rise in the risk premium in the financial markets, causing major international rating agencies to lower Turkey’s credit rating.

Turkey is currently facing fewer investments, a reduction in tourism and the value of the lira, in what is considered a high deterioration of the country’s economic growth that was achieved years ago.

Prior to the coup attempt, the economic growth rate was around 5 percent, which was considered an achievement for Turkey at the time. Despite that, the flow of foreign capital, which is a vital resource for the Turkish economy, was slow.

Despite one year of high security measures imposed in the country, including arrests, restriction of freedoms, arbitrary procedures against governmental employees and other violations committed to eliminate all unknown coup plotters, it still remains unclear who was exactly behind the coup that killed and injured dozens.