ANKARA — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared a shadow of his former self after his party suffered major losses in the June election — embattled and no longer in control of his political fate. His once-dominant movement was forced into the humiliating position of seeking a coalition with opposition parties intent on reining him in. Two months later, the shrewd politician seems to be back in the saddle. The coalition-building he reportedly opposed has collapsed, and Turkey is now edging closer toward the new election he has been angling for. Erdogan appears to be betting that a new ballot could revive the fortunes of the Islamic-rooted party, which he founded and led for more than a decade. That would put him back on course to reshape Turkey's democracy, giving the largely ceremonial presidency sweeping powers that would allow him to wield control over government affairs. Last week, he claimed since he was elected by popular vote instead of by Parliament, Turkey now had a “de facto” new system with a more powerful president, and a new constitution was needed to reflect the change. Erdogan has already been overstepping the bounds of his symbolic role on most matters of state, including Turkey's fight against terror. But a new election at a time of escalating violence between Turkey's security forces and Kurdish rebels — and amid Turkey's deeper involvement in the US-led campaign against Daesh (the so-called IS) extremists — could backfire. The truth is Erdogan is already calling the shots, including on military affairs, behind the scenes. “Erdogan is back in the driver's seat,” said Svante Cornell, Director of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute. “But the car's wheels are falling — and the car is breaking down.” The ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, came first in the June 7 election, but fell short of a majority for the first time since it came to power in 2002. A coalition government would have limited Erdogan's ability to influence the government. After weeks of stalling, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, a former foreign minister and Erdogan adviser, embarked on talks with Turkey's pro-secular party leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, to seek a possible coalition. The power-sharing talks failed Thursday, days after Kilicdaroglu accused Erdogan of obstructing the coalition efforts — a view shared by many but denied by Erdogan. Davutoglu held a last-ditch coalition meeting Monday with the leader of Turkey's nationalist party. On Tuesday, he returned his mandate to form a new government to Erdogan just days before the Aug. 23 deadline to do so runs out. Turkey has now been left with little option but to hold a new election, probably in November. Erdogan is apparently betting that this time around the party could reverse its losses. Opponents have accused Erdogan of launching the military operations against the PKK in a bid to win nationalists' support and discredit a pro-Kurdish party, whose gains in the June election deprived the AKP of its majority. Last week, Erdogan cited the violence — which has wrecked a nearly three-year old peace process — in stressing the need for a strong government. The government rejects any political motivation behind the military strikes, insisting that the operations were launched in response to PKK attacks on police and the military. “The gamble is that the people will go back to the safe embrace of the AKP,” said Cornell. “He is gambling the peace of the country and even the economy for the sake of his personal gains.” — AP
