December 08, 2008

In a televised “address to the nation” one week ago Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister and the leader of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP), once again expressed unfounded optimism regarding the consequences for the Turkish economy of the deepening global financial crisis. Erdogan claimed the crisis has already reached its climax and that its effects will now begin to decline.Erdogan’s government has been under fire for the last two months—particularly from the so-called “secular” faction of the Turkish bourgeoisie—for underestimating the global financial and economic crisis and not taking the necessary precautionary measures.
Despite this, Erdogan declared: “We predict that the crisis has reached its peak and is now in decline.”He also attacked his bourgeois opponents, commenting: “There are some circles that have been speculating to benefit from the gloomy atmosphere of the crisis. I ask you to please not pay attention those who try to discourage you with pessimistic words. Please just ignore them…Turkey has enough potential to withstand and overcome the crisis.”