Turkey’s election failings may lead to yet another legitimacy crisis for Erdoğan www.opendemocracy.net /arab-awakening/halil-gurhanli/turkey%E2%80%99s-election-failings-may-lead-to- yet-another-legitimacy-crisis-f Halil Gurhanli In line with the AKP government’s rudimentary understanding of “democracy” that considers it synonymous with elections, Erdoğan has reiterated countless times that the solution to all problems, including the allegations against his government, lay in that holy of holies: the Ballot Box. Election poster featuring Turkish PM Erdoğan. Demotix/Alexandros Michailidis. Most self-proclaimed political analysts in Turkey are long since finished with analysing the results of the local elections on March 30 and half way through their exchange on the different ways in which his victory could influence PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s decision to run for presidency in August. Let us state the obvious, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) won Turkey’s local elections. Though the official results are yet to be announced by the High Electoral Council (YSK), AKP candidates appear to have gained about 43.2 percent of the votes, followed by the Republican People’s Party (CHP) as a distant second [26.1]; the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) [16%], and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) [6%].[1] As usual in the country’s recent history, the turnout was quite high: over 85% of the 52 million voters in total went to the polls. Election Year/Level AKP CHP MHP B/HDP[2] Others 2002 [General] 34.2% 19.4% 8.3% 6.2%[3] 31.9% 2004 [Local] 41.7% 18.2% 10.5% 4.9% 24.7% 2007 [General] 46.6% 21.8% 14.3% 3.8% 13.5% 2009 [Local] 38.4% 23.1% 16.0% 5.7% 16.8% 2011 [General] 49.8% 26.0% 13.0% 6.0% 5.2% 1/5