What's Behind the Maghreb Street's Reaction to the Turkish Election Results?

Through various media figures, politicians, and intellectuals, the streets of the Maghreb expressed their joy over the Turkish democratic celebration that resulted in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's victory in the presidential elections.

Through press statements, tweets, and Facebook posts, these peoples affirmed their delight in this triumph that strengthens the democratic path in Turkiye, expressing their hope that this democratic fervor would spread to the rest of the Maghreb and Arab nations at large.

The Turkish Supreme Election Council (YSK) announced the final results of the second round of the presidential elections in early June 2023, with President Erdogan securing 52.18% of the votes, while his rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, received 47.82%.

 

A Historic Victory

With the preliminary results declaring Erdogan's victory, former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki emphasized that Turkiye provides the world with an exemplary lesson in managing this distinguished political system.

He added on Twitter: "Congratulations to Erdogan's win to the Turkish brothers who voted for him…and congratulations to all Turks who voted for or against Erdogan, as it is a victory for democracy."

He further stated: "May our Arab and Islamic nations follow the example of the Turkish people, a people of exemplary citizens."

In her message, Samia, the daughter of Rached Ghannouchi, the imprisoned former speaker of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People of Tunisia, wrote that "this is a historic victory not only for Turkiye but for everyone who believes in the project of freedom and democracy, as an alternative to tyranny and authoritarianism."

In a video shared on Twitter, she further added that this is "the project for which my father dedicated his life…This is a triumph for you, my father, in your prison, over the forces of oppression, treachery, and coups!"

According to former Moroccan ambassador to Malaysia, Mohammed Reda Benkhaldoun, the Turkish elections were not ordinary or conventional but rather described as civilizational elections.

Benkhaldoun added, in a statement to a local website, that the West is apprehensive of Turkiye's rise and its potential role in uniting national and Islamic forces, as well as uniting the nation around the idea and significance of civilizational independence.

As for Mauritanian political activist Muhammad al-Mukhtar al-Shinqiti, he stated that "hope is renewed with President Erdogan's victory, and the millions in the region and around the world were closely following and reacting to the Turkish elections."

Al-Shinqiti further expressed in a tweet that "this indicates that Turkish politics is no longer solely Turkish in any way, and that the domestic political equations in Turkiye have become influential in the region and throughout the world."

 

Illusions Faded Away

The Moroccan media figure, Younes Masskine, affirmed that the Turkish elections shattered the illusion of the collapse of intellectual and moral components in the politically successful discourse.

In a Facebook post, Masskine stated that Erdogan and his party based a significant part of their electoral campaign on "idealistic" ideas that would be difficult for any politician in the world to "sell" to the people during challenging economic circumstances, particularly concerning the Syrian refugees and the necessity of their safe return.

Masskine believed that there was an "old-new illusion" that Turkiye has been debunking for the past two decades, which revolves around the notion that democracy is impossible to establish in Eastern societies due to cultural inclinations towards authoritarianism, as well as internal contradictions that are difficult to manage.

He concluded that Turkiye is establishing a genuine democracy that the West envies before the East, adding: "It accomplishes this through a party with a clear Islamic reference, debunking all alleged contradictions between Islam and the modern democratic state."

Former Tunisian Foreign Minister, Rafik Abdessalem, stated: "Congratulations to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the deserving leader, on this historic and well-deserved victory. Congratulations to the great Turkish people who defended the ballot box, just as they previously defended their nascent democratic will against tanks."

In a Facebook post, Rafik Abdessalem added: "This is a supportive triumph for the Islam of freedom, emancipation, democracy, and justice in the face of despots, dictators, coup plotters, and deceivers."

He continued: "Congratulations to our Turkish brothers and to all the freedom-seeking peoples in the region. God willing, Tunisia will soon overcome this coup and coup plotters with the help of Allah."

 

Anticipation of Victory

The jubilation and lively response that accompanied Erdogan's victory were seen by Moroccan expert in Turkish affairs, Idriss Bouwano, as reflecting the desire of people in several Arab nations to taste the flavor of victory and prosperity, even if only for a short period, after years of pain and setbacks.

He further stated to Al-Estiklal that the empathy following Erdogan's victory and the expressions of joy among many individuals resonated with the feelings and sentiments expressed by some members of Arab and Islamic societies following the successes achieved by the Moroccan national team in the FIFA World Cup held in Qatar, although there is a distinction between the sporting event and the political event.

Regarding the reasons behind the significant interest of Maghreb and Arab societies, in general, in the Turkish electoral process, Bouwano believes that it is due to "Turkiye's centrality in a range of regional and international issues, in addition to the political and economic successes Turkiye has achieved in the past two decades."

He further elaborated that Turkiye, under Erdogan's leadership, has emerged as a prominent player in the European and Islamic political scenes, which has also motivated this level of attention and interest. He emphasized that the Turkish experience has become an inspiring model for some countries in the Arab, Islamic, Asian, and African worlds, challenging the Western-imposed paradigm.

Bouwano pointed out that the success of Turkish democracy in overcoming various political challenges, particularly the disengagement of the military elite from civilian political interference, is one of the reasons that make Turkiye an inspirational model for many nations.

He highlighted that the most significant reason for the interest in Turkish elections remains the charismatic personality of Erdogan and his ability to navigate political maneuvers and overcome obstacles and pressures from all sides in favor of his country's interests and the interests of several oppressed peoples.

Regarding the messages derived from Erdogan's victory in this election, Bouwano emphasized that "when the political will combines with the ability to achieve results on the ground, countries can make significant gains for their people."

He added that one of the significant messages from the Turkish elections is that the Western model is no longer attractive or worth emulating, as it showed a clear bias towards its core interests without considering the democracy it once promised.

The expert on Turkish affairs believed that political awareness within society is a fundamental prerequisite for achieving the desired change, stating that respecting the will of the people is a key element in bringing about change and reform.

Bouwano acknowledged that the democratic tool remains an effective mechanism in political practice, emphasizing the urgent need for necessary reviews by various political actors, both in the West and the East.

He pointed out that the existence of a single model of democratic practice imposed on people and communities by certain entities has largely come to an end.

He concluded that the democratic model is not a quick-fix solution that can lead to immediate recovery, but rather it requires a path of effort and struggle in building a successful democratic structure.