Turkey’s March 2009 Local Elections

Abstract

This article examines Turkey’s 2009 local elections in which the ruling Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP) lost some of its votes. The article argues that the AKP’s mismanagement of the Turkish economy facing the global economic crisis, the AKP‐related corruption scandals, the party’s authoritarian tendencies vis‐à‐vis the secular segment of the society, the party’s Kurdish policy, and its inability to satisfy the Islamist electorate’s political demands account for the decline in the AKP’s vote‐share. Although there was a decline in the AKP’s vote‐share, the party continued to rank first. The AKP’s strong organizational networks with diligent party workers, through which the party successfully distributed selective material incentives to poorly educated, low‐income voters in shantytowns and rural areas, account for this result.

Notes

1. “AKP’de sessiz gece,” [The Silent Night at the AKP] Milliyet, March 30, 2009.

2. “AKP’li Gedikli: Yüzde 47 civarında oy bekliyoruz,” [The AKP’s Gedikli: We Expect to Get around 47 Percent of the Votes] Milliyet, December 31, 2008.

3. “AKP’nin oy hedefinde % 42 kriz revizyonu,” [A Crisis Revision of 42 Percent in the AKP’s Targeted Votes] Milliyet, March 22, 2009.

4. Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜİK). See http://www.tuik.gov.tr.

5. Ali Bayramoğlu, “AK Parti’ye ne oldu?” [What Did Happen to the AKP?] Yeni Şafak, March 31, 2009.

6. For the concept of selective incentives see Sidney Tarrow, Power in Movement: Social Movements and Contentious Politics, 2nd ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998), p. 5.

7. “Vatandaş, açılımları samimi bulmadı,” [Citizens Did Not Find the Openings Sincere] Milliyet, February 9, 2009.

8. Katrin Bennhold, “Leaders of Turkey and Israel Clash at Davos Panel,” New York Times, January 29, 2009.

9. “Başbakan, Gazze’nin durumunu anlatıp 29 Mart’ta oy istedi,” [The Prime Minister Explained the Situation in Gaza and Demanded Votes in the March 29 Elections] Radikal, January 31, 2009; “Davos Resti’ne halktan tam destek,” [Full Public Support for the Davos Incident] Yeni Şafak, February 2, 2009.

10. “İsrail’e öfke büyüyor,” [Anger towards Israel is growing] Milliyet, January 3, 18, 2009. “İsrail’e öfke,” [Anger towards Israel] Milliyet, January 5, 2009; “Her yer Filistin, hepimiz Filistinliyiz Mitingi Başladı,” [Everywhere is Palestine, All of us are Palestinians Political Gathering Started] Milliyet, January 18, 2009; Kadri Gürsel, “AKP diplomasisi ile artık daha Ortadoğuluyuz,’ [We are More Middle Eastern as a Result of the AKP’s Diplomacy] Milliyet, January 22, 2009.

11. “AKP İstanbul’ da ‘vitrin’ yeniliyor,” [The AKP is Renewing its Appearance in Istanbul] Milliyet, January 4, 2009.

12. T.C. Başbakanlık Sosyal Yardımlaşma ve Dayanışma Genel Müdürlüğü, [Prime Ministry Social Assistance and Solidarity General Management] “2008 Yılı Faaliyet Raporu,” [Action Report for the Year 2008] (Ankara: Strateji Geliştirme Müdürlüğü, 2008), p. 112. See http://www.sydgm.gov.tr/tr/html/236/Aile+Yardimlari/.

13. T.C. Başbakanlık Sosyal Yardımlaşma ve Dayanışma Genel Müdürlüğü, “2008 Yılı Faaliyet Raporu,” pp. 101‐102. In December 2008, the dollar/YTL exchange rate was approximately 1:1.58.

14. “YSK’dan ‘seçim rüşveti’ tespiti,” [The High Election Board Declared that It is an Election Bribe] Milliyet, February 8, 2009.

15. “Savcıya rağmen yardıma devam,” [Assistance Continues against the Prosecutor’s Warning] Milliyet, February 11, 2009; “Erdoğan: Valimi Baykal’a yedirtmem,” [Erdoğan: I Protect My Governor against Baykal] Milliyet, March 8, 2009.

16. A&G Araştırma, “Milliyet Seçim Sonu Araştırması,” [Milliyet Election Following Up Research] (A&G Araştırma, April 2009), p. 5. See http://www.agarastirma.com.tr/arastirmalar/milliyet_secim_sonu_arastirmasi.pdf.

17. TÜİK, “2007 Yoksulluk Çalışması Sonuçları,” [2007 Results of Poverty Study] TÜİK Haber Bülteni, No. 192 (December 5, 2008). See http://www.tuik.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=2080.

18. The OECD total GDP per capita is $32,664. OECD, OECD Factbook 2009: Economic, Environmental, and Social Statistics (OECD, 2009). The most updated figure in the Factbook is for 2007. See http://ocde.p4.siteinternet.com/publications/doifiles/302009011P1T011.xls.

19. OECD, OECD Factbook 2009. See website: http://ocde.p4.siteinternet.com/publications/doifiles/302009011P1G026.xls.

20. Erinç Yeldan, “Patterns of Adjustment under the Age of Finance: The Case of Turkey as a Peripheral Agent of Neoliberal Globalization,” University of Massachusetts Political Economy Research Institute, Working Paper Series, No. 126 (February 2007), pp. 14–16; Author’s interview with Professor Can Erbil, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, September 17, 2007.

21. Interest rates in Turkey are over 10 percent, while they range between 3 and 4 percent in global markets. See Yeldan, “Patterns of Adjustment under the Age of Finance.”

22. The gap in Turkey’s foreign trade balance increased from –$15.4 billion in 2002 to –$53.9 billion in 2006. Ankara Ticaret Odası, Aylık Ekonomik Görünüm, Ağustos 2007 [Ankara Trade Chamber, Monthly Economic Profile, August 2007], (Ankara: ATO, 2007), p. 15.

23. The Turkish lira appreciated by 40 percent in real terms against the US dollar and by 25 percent against the euro. See Yeldan, “Patterns of Adjustment under the Age of Finance,” pp. 4–7; Yeldan, “Turkey: Crisis and Beyond—A ‘New’ Government, with ‘Old’ Policies, and yet under ‘Altered’ Global Conditions” (Amherst College, September 2007, mimeographed). See Undersecretariat of Treasury website: http://www.hazine.gov.tr/stat/ti87.htm.

24. Yeldan, “Patterns of Adjustment under the Age of Finance,” pp. 14–16; Author’s interview with Professor Can Erbil, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, September 17, 2007.

25. OECD, “OECD Harmonized Unemployment Rates,” (April 10, 2009), p. 2. See http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/10/35/42549748.pdf. In January 2008, the unemployment rate in Turkey was 11.6 percent.

26. Youth refers to the age group between 15 and 24.

27. TÜİK, “Hanehalkı İş Gücü Araştırması 2009 Ocak Dönemi Sonuçları, (Aralık 2008, Ocak, Şubat 2009).” [Household Work Force Research (December 2008, January, February 2009] TÜİK Haber Bülteni, No. 64 (April 15, 2009). See http://www.tuik.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=4035.

28. Türkiye İş Kurumu, Ocak 2009 İstatistik Bülteni [January 2009 Statistical Bulletin]. See http://www.iskur.gov.tr/LoadExternalPage.aspx?uicode=statikistatistikindex.

29. Undersecretariat of Treasury; Şükrü Kızılot, “İç ve dış borç stoku sürekli olarak artıyor,” [Domestic and External Debt Continuously Increase] Hürriyet, April 2, 2009.

30. TÜİK.

31. Fikret Bila, “Baykal’dan yeni paket önerisi,” [Baykal’s New Package Proposal] Milliyet, March 19, 2009.

32. Güngör Uras, “Kart borcu çaresizlikten,” [Credit Card Debt is Because of Despair] Milliyet, March 19, 2009.

33. Türkiye Kamu‐Sen, “Memurun borcu kronikleşiyor,” [State Employees’ Debt is Becoming Intense] (February 12, 2009), http://www.kamusen.org.tr/mevzuat.asp?haber_id=1882.

34. “Erdoğan: Kriz psikolojik,” [Erdoğan: The Economic Crisis is Psychological] Milliyet, December 25, 2008.

35. “Abartmayın bilmeyenler işini kaybediyor, Kris teğet geçecek,” [Do Not Exaggerate, People who are Unqualified are Losing their Jobs, the Crisis will Bypass] Hürriyet, March 25, 2009.

36. “Erdoğan: Ağlamayın, ‘hamdolsun’ deyin,” [Erdoğan: Do Not Cry Say ‘We are Thankful’] Milliyet, February 11, 2009.

37. “Erdoğan: Kartı kullanamıyorsan mağduru oynama,” [Erdoğan Credit Card Debtors Should not Show Themselves as if they are in Difficulty] Hürriyet, March 20, 2009

38. “Okarneler Şeref defteridir,” [Those Results are our Honor] Hürriyet, March 25, 2009.

39. The polling was conducted in Turkey in December 2008.

40. Kenya ranked first (74 percent), Egypt (64 percent) second, and the Philippines third (55 percent). BBC World Service Poll, “Economic System Needs ‘Major Changes’: Globe Poll,” (March 31, 2009), p. 1. See http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/pdf/mar09/BBCEcon_Mar09_rpt.pdf.

41. Ibid., pp. 1, 11, 16.

42. Ipsos KMG, “Beklentiler, Tercihler, Beğeniler,” [Expectations, Preferences, Likings] (December 2, 2008), pp. 17, 42. See http://212.58.4.76/2009TurkiyeBeklentilerTercihlerBegeniler.pdf.

43. Kayseri is a conservative province in Central Anatolia.

44. Jale Özgentürk’s interview with Mustafa Boydak, Referans, February 16, 2009.

45. “1 milyon dolarlık iş takibi belgesi,” [A Document for $1 in Return for Assisting a Business] Milliyet, August 12, 2008; “Dişli istifa etti,” [Dişli Resigned] Yeni Şafak, September 3, 2008.

46. “Deniz Feneri’nde RTÜK Başkanı da var!,” [There is also the RTÜK chair in the Light House] Milliyet, August 30, 2008; “Kanal 7’ye Deniz Feneri desteği,” [The Light House Association’s Support for Channel 7] Cumhuriyet, September 10, 2008; and “Deniz Feneri davasında karar açıklandı,” [The Court Decision was Announced] Hürriyet, September 17, 2008.

47. “Alman Savcı Lotz: Asıl failler Türkiye’de,” [German Prosecutor: Lotz: The Real Criminals are in Turkey] Milliyet, September 17, 2008.

48. “Türkiye yeterli cevap vermedi,” [Turkey Did Not Respond Sufficiently] Milliyet, May 9, 2009.

49. “Kepenek skandalı Gökçek’e uzanıyor,” [The Kepenek Scandal Reaches Out to Gökçek] Milliyet, March 21, 2009; “CHP’li Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’ndan Yeni İstanbul Dosyası,” [Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s New Istanbul File] Milliyet, March 27, 2009.

50. “Hangi bakanın oğlu ne iş yapıyor?” [Which Minister’s Son Does What Business?] Milliyet, February 9, 2009; “Trade Links of PM Kin Raise Eyebrows,” Hürriyet Daily News, February 11, 2009; and Radikal, June 22, 2006.

51. “Bakan Şahin’e Deniz Feneri şoku,” [Light House Shock to Minister Şahin] Ortadoğu, March 20, 2009; “Kılıçdaroğlu’nun bir bildiği varmış,” [Kılıçdaroğlu Knew Something] Radikal, February 6, 2009; “PM Kin’s Firm No Secret,” Hürriyet Daily News, February 9, 2009; “Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan’ın kozmetik şirketi de varmış,” [Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan Had Also a Cosmetic Company] Radikal, February 10, 2009; and “Rivals Engaged in a Smear Campaign,” Hürriyet Daily News, February 16, 2009.

52. “Abdullah Gül 11. Cumhurbaşkanı,” [Abdullah Gül is the Eleventh President] Hürriyet, August 28, 2007.

53. “Sezer’in vetolu bürokratlarını, Gül atamaya başladı,” [Gül Has Started to Appoint Bureaucrats who were Vetoed by Sezer] Milliyet, September 18, 2007, “Sezer’in veto ettiği bir bürokrata daha atama,” [Another Appointment of a Bureaucrat who was Vetoed by Sezer] November 14, 2007, “Cumhurbaşkanı Gül hükümetten geleni onayladı,” [President Gül Approved All of the AKP’s Proposals] January 2, “Gül, 202 atama kararnamesi onaylamış,” [Gül Approved 202 Appointments] 17, 2008, “Gül, Sezer’in seçmediğini atadı,” [Gül Appointed People who were Vetoed by Sezer] August 19, 2008; and “AKP’nin en rahat yılı,” [The Smoothest Year for the AKP] Cumhuriyet, August 27, 2008.

54. Milliyet, December 26, 2007; Meral Tamer, “Bürokratları artık şeyhler mi belirliyor?” [Are Shaykhs Determining Bureaucrats?] Milliyet, December 29, 2007.

55. “AKP’ye kapatma davası,” [Closure Case for the AKP]. Milliyet, March 14, 2008.

56. T.C. Anayasa Mahkemesi, Anayasa Mahkemesi Kararı, Esas Sayısı: 2008/1 (Siyasi Parti Kapatma), Karar Sayısı: 2008/2, Davalı Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi [The Constitutional Court’s Decision on the Justice and Development Party]. See http://www.anayasa.gov.tr/eskisite/KARARLAR/SPK/K2008/K-2008-2SPK.htm

57. Ibid.

58. “Türkiye kazandı: Anayasa değişikliği süratle yapılmalı,” [Turkey Won: The Constitutional Change Should be Implemented Immediately] Yeni Şafak, July 31, 2008.

59. “Bu gazeteleri evlerinize sokmayın,” [Do Not Purchase These Newspapers] Milliyet, September 19, 2008.

60. “Başbakanlıktan akreditasyon açıklaması,” [The Prime Ministry’s Accreditation Explanation] Hürriyet, November 12, 2008; “Başbakanlık 6 gazeteciyi akredite etmedi,” [The Prime Ministry Did Not Renew Accreditation of Six Journalists] Zaman, November 12, 2008.

61. Sedat Ergin, “Gazete kapama otokrasilere yaraşır, demokrasilere değil,” [Closing Down of a Newspaper is for Autocracies, Not for Democracies], Milliyet, December 23, 2008.

62. “Beni tüccarlarla ortak gösteriyorlar,” [They Show Me as a Partner of Businessmen] Milliyet, February 15, 2009.

63. “Vergi cezası yasal dayanaktan yoksun,” [The Tax Punishment is Without a Judicial Basis] Milliyet, February 20, 2009.

64. “Küresel gazetecilik örgütü WAN cezayı kınadı,” [WAN Condemned the Punishment] Milliyet, February 25, 2009.

65. “Boykot çağrısı susturamadı, cezayla yok etmek istiyorlar,” [Calling for a Boycott Could Not Silence, They are Trying to Eliminate by Punishment] Milliyet, February 22, 2009.

66. “DYH’ye ceza medyayı boğma teşebbüsüdür,” [Punishment over the Doğan Media Conglomerate is an Attempt to Silence the Media], Milliyet, March 2, 2009.

67. Ibid.

68. “Başbakan Erdoğan Yalova’da,” [Prime Minister Erdoğan is in Yalova] Sabah, March 14, 2009; “Erdoğan: Ahlaki değerlere saldıran medyayı almayın,” [Erdoğan: Do Not Purchase Newspapers that Attack Moral Values] Milliyet, March 15, 2009.

69. “Erdoğan’a Mersin mitinginde intihar şoku!,” [A Suicide Shock to Erdoğan During Mersin Political Gathering!] Milliyet, March 8, 2009.

70. “Başbakan Erdoğan, Niğda’de Baykal ve Bahçeli’yi eleştirdi,” [Prime Minister Erdoğan Criticized Baykal and Bahçeli in Niğde] Milliyet, March 11, 2009; Derya Sazak, “Öteki Turkiye,” [The Other Turkey] Milliyet, March 22, 2009.

71. “Miting sonrası gözaltına alınan öğrenci konuştu,” [Student who was Detained Following the Political Gathering Spoke] Hürriyet, March 10, 2009; “Başbakan ensemi sıktı” [The Prime Minister Squeezed My Neck] Milliyet, March 11, 2009.

72. “O çiftçi konuştu,” [The Farmer Spoke] Milliyet, March 9, 2009.

73. “MHP’den Erdoğan’a ‘Hitler’ benzetmesi,” [The MHP’s Hitler’ Analogy for Erdoğan] Milliyet, March 10, 2009.

74. “Erdoğan’da ‘iktidarla uyumlu belediye’ dedi,” [Erdoğan Also Stated a Municipality in Conformity with the Party of Government] Milliyet, March 4, 2009.

75. “Baykal: Vali değil, höşmerim yerim,” [Baykal: My Problem is not with the Governor] Milliyet, March 9, 2009.

76. “Erdoğan’da ‘iktidarla uyumlu belediye’ dedi,” [Erdoğan Also Stated a Municipality in Conformity with the Party of Government] Milliyet, March 4, 2009; “Erdoğan: Valimi Baykal’a yedirmem,” [Erdoğan: I protect My Governor] Milliyet, March 8, 2009; and “AKP’nin oy hedefinde %42 kriz revizyonu,” [A Crisis Revision of 42 Percent in the AKP’s Targeted Votes] Milliyet, March 22, 2009.

77. For the Ergenekon case, see Soner Çağaptay, “Turkey Versus Turkey,” Wall Street Journal, July 8, 2008; Michael Rubin, “Erdoğan, Ergenekon, and the Struggle for Turkey,” Mideast Monitor, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, August 8, 2008.

78. “Ülkeyi sarsan gözaltılar,” [Arrests that Shake the Country] Milliyet, March 21, 2008.

79. “6. Ergenekon dalgasında 24 gözaltı,” [Twenty‐four Arrests During the Sixth Ergenekon Raid] Milliyet, July 2, 2008; “Ergenekon’da büyük gözaltı,” [A Great Arrest at the Ergenekon] Zaman, July 2, 2008. Retired General Eruygur, Retired General Tolon, and later Balbay were detained without an indictment. Turhan Çömez, who was expelled from the AKP for criticizing the party in April 2008, could not be arrested during the Ergenekon investigation because he was in the UK.

80. Dalan could not be arrested because he was in the United States.

81. “Dinci dikta yerleşemez,” [A Dictatorship Based on Religion Cannot Establish Itself] Cumhuriyet, January 8, 2009. Kanadoğlu, was not arrested, but the police searched his houses and seized a number of documents for investigation.

82. Özbek was detained without an indictment.

83. “Şok baskınlar!,” [Shocking Arrests!] Milliyet, January 22, 2009.

84. “Biri bizi gözetliyor!,” [Somebody is Watching Us] Milliyet, June 1, 2008.

85. “Bunlar dikta yönetiminde olur,” [Such Things Occur under a Dictatorship] Cumhuriyet, January 13, 2009.

86. Şanlıurfa is a province in Southeastern Anatolia, and Adana is a province in the Mediterranean region.

87. Fatma K. Barbarosoğlu, “Liderlerin sahnesi, özneler ve roller,” [Leaders’ Scene, Subjects, and Roles] Yeni Şafak, March 31, 2009.

88. “Kaynağı nereden bulacaksın?” [From Where Will You Find the Resource?] Milliyet, March 7, 2009.

89. Taha Akyol, “Önce laiklik dersi,” [Primarily a Secularism Lesson] Milliyet, March 31, 2009.

90. “Din hepimizin ortak temelidir,” [Religion is Our Common Basis] Milliyet, January 11, 2009; “Başı örtülü kadınlar bizim şerefimizdir,” [Women Who Wear Headscarf are our Honor] Milliyet, January 6, 2009.

91. “Çarşaf sorgusu,” [Question on Veil] Milliyet, December 14, 2008.

92. “CHP Head Backs Free Koran Plan,” Hürriyet Daily News, February 5, 2009.

93. “Vatandaş, açılımları samimi bulmadı,” Milliyet, February 9, 2009.

94. Fikret Bila, “Baykal’dan yeni paket önerisi,” Milliyet, March 19, 2009.

95. Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, “Pusula: Yerel Seçim ’09,” [Compass: The Local Election ’09] (CHP, 2009).

96. “CHP’den kendi belediye başkanına suç duyurusu,” [The GHP’s Application for Investigation for Its Mayor about Corruption Allegations] Milliyet, December 24, 2008.

97. “The CHP’s Sevigen Quits Party,” Hürriyet Daily News, February 21, 2009.

98. Derya Sazak, “Yardım meselesi,” [The Assistance Issue] Milliyet, February 7, 2009.

99. “Hazır mısınız? diyerek başladı,” [He Started by Asking Are You Ready?] Milliyet, January 4, 2009.

100. Taha Akyol, “CHP’de bir başarı modeli,” [A Success Model at the CHP] Milliyet, April 4, 2009.

101. Ibid.

102. Taha Akyol, “CHP nereye?” [Where is the CHP Going?] Milliyet, April 2, 2009.

103. “Peronizm bile daha demokratik,” [Even Peronism is More Democratic] Milliyet, December 22, 2008.

104. A&G Araştırma, “Milliyet Seçim Sonu Araştırması,” p. 6.

105. The MHP’s Ankara mayoral candidate was Mansur Yavaş, who was the MHP Beypazarı district mayor in Ankara.

106. Fikret Bila, “AKP’ye ilk uyarı,” [The First Warning to the AKP] Milliyet, March 30, 2009.

107. TÜİK; Milliyet, “Yerel Seçim 2009,” [2009 Local Elections] April 2, 2009.

108. See the Nationalist Action Party’s web‐site: http://www.mhp.org.tr/dokumanlar_afisler.php.

109. “Erdoğan’a ders verme zamanı,” [It is Time to Give a Lesson to Erdoğan] Ortadoğu, March 9, 2009.

110. “Dokunulmazığı kaldır,” [Lift the Immunity] Milliyet, March 6, 2009; “MHP’li Vural’dan ‘sülüklü’ basın toplantısı,” [The NAP’s Vural’s Press Conference] Ortadoğu, March 17, 2009; and “Aklan da gel,” [Come after You Become Pure] Ortadoğu, March 26, 2009.

111. “Bahçeli, AKP’yi Baas Partisi’ne benzetti,” [Bahçeli Argued that the AKP Resembles to the Baas Party] Milliyet, January 5, 2009.

112. “Vatandaşi azarlıyor,” [He Insults the Citizens] Milliyet, March 9, 2009; “Bahçeli: Kriz teğet geçmiyor,” [Bahçeli: The Crisis Is Not Bypassing] Ortadoğu, March 12, 2009; and “Milliyetçi hareket, kafatası ölçseydi Başbakan olmazdın,” [If the MHP was Racist, then You would not be the Prime Minister] Ortadoğu, March 23, 2009.

113. “Erdoğan siyaseti kirletti,” [Erdoğan Made Politics Dirty] Ortadoğu , March 23, 2009.

114. A&G Araştırma, “Milliyet Seçim Sonu Araştırması,” p. 7.

115. Fikret Bila, “Siyasi haritada Güneydoğu’nun konumu,” [Status of the Southeast on the Political Map] Milliyet, April 3, 2009.

116. “Baydemir: Bu toprakların adını kabullenecekler,” [Baydemir: They Will Accept These Lands’ Name] Milliyet, January 7, 2009.

117. Taha Akyol, “Milliyetçilik faktörü,” [The Nationalism Factor] Milliyet, April 3, 2009.

118. “Sessiz yürüyüşte taş ve gaz bombası,” [Stone and Gas Bomb in the Silent Protest Walk] Milliyet, February 19, 2009.

119. “Kürtçe yayına tepki var,” [There is Reaction to Kurdish Broadcasting] Milliyet, December 28, 2009; “Yurtsever Demokratik Gençlik’ten TRT 6’ya protesto,” [Patriotic Democrat Youth Protested the TRT‐6] Cumhuriyet, January 12, 2009.

120. “Baydemir: Bu toprakların adını kabullenecekler,” Milliyet, January 7, 2009.

121. “İsrail’e öfke,” [Anger toward Israel] Milliyet, January 5, 2009.

122. “Türkiye’den İsrail’e tepki yağıyor,” [Protests from Turkey to Israel] Radikal, January 3, 2009.

123. “Diyarbakır’da miting gibi mevlid,” [A Mawlid in Diyarbakır Like a Political Gathering] Radikal, March 9, 2009.

124. “Peygamber Sevdalıları Platformu kuruldu,” [The Prophet Lovers Platform was Founded] Milli Gazete, April 12, 2009.

125. “DTP’lilerin zafer coşkusu,” [DTP Supporters’ Celebration] Milliyet, March 30, 2009.

126. “Saadet’te Kurtulmuş devri,” [Kurtulmuş Era at the Felicity Party] Yeni Şafak, October 27, 2008.

127. “Millet Saadet istiyor,” [The Nation Wants the FP] Milli Gazete, March 8, 2009; “Bayrampaşa’da Saadet Partisi’ne büyük katılım,” [A Great Admission to the Felicity Party in Bayrampaşa] Milli Gazete, February 21, 2009.

128. Mustafa Canbey, “Saadet’n çıkışı ve Kurtulmuş,” [The Felicity Party’s Rise and Kurtulmuş] Milli Gazete, March 31, 2009.

129. “Kurtulmuş: Artık herkes Saadet yıldızının etrafında toplanıyor,” [Kurtulmuş: Now Everybody Gets Together around the Felicity Star], Milli Gazete, February 21, 2009; “Millet Saadet istiyor,” [The Nation Wants the FP] Milli Gazete, March 8, 2009.

130. Serdar Akinan, “Saadet Partisi oylarını üçe katlar mı?” [Would the Felicity Party Triple its Votes?] Akşam, March 26, 2009; Muslim Coşkun, “Niçin Saadet Partisi?” [Why is the Felicity Party?] Milli Gazete, March 26, 2009; Cüneyd Ülsever, “The Saadet Party factor,” Hürriyet Daily News, April 1, 2009; and Osman Toprak, “Saadet Partisi’nin Bakanları hazır mı?” [Are the Felicity Party Ministers Ready?] Milli Gazete, April 3, 2009.

131. “Kurtulmuş: Artık herkes Saadet yıdızının etrafında toplanıyor,” [Kurtulmuş: Now Everybody Gets Together around the Felicity Star] Milli Gazete, February 21, 2009; “Millet Saadet istiyor,” Milli Gazete, March 8, 2009.

132. “Millet Saadet istiyor,” Milli Gazete, March 8, 2009.

133. “Batı medeniyeti çöküyor,” [Western Civilization is in Decay] Yeni Şafak, March 1, 2009.

134. “En büyük sorun sosyal bozulma,” [The Greatest Problem is Societal Decay] Yeni Şafak, March 19, 2009.

135. Akinan, “Saadet Partisi oylarını üçe katlar mı?” Akşam, March 26, 2009.

136. Devrim Sevimay’s interview with Numan Kurtulmuş, Milliyet, December 8, 2008.

137. “Erbakan: Saadet Saadet’tedir,” [Erbakan: Felicity is at the Felicity Party] Milli Gazete, March 24, 2009; “Erbakan’ın hedefi AK Parti,” [Erbakan’s Target is the AKP] Yeni Şafak, March 22, 2009.

138. “Saadet Partisi ‘Rachel Corrie’yi’ unutmadı,” [The Felicity Party Did Not Forget Rachel Corrie] Milli Gazete, March 18, 2009; “Filistin artık bölge değil, insanlık meselesi,” [Palestine Is No Longer a Regional Problem but a Humanitarian Issue] Yeni Şafak, January 14, 2009.

139. “Artık eylem zamanı!” [It is Time for Action!] Yeni Şafak, January 5, 2009.

140. Resul Tosun, “AK Parti’ye muhalefet şimdi geliyor,” [Now an Opposition is Coming against the AKP] Yeni Şafak, October 29, 2008.

141. “Fakıbaba: yerim de, gönlüm de Saadet Partisi’nde,” [Fakıbaba: My Place and Will is at the Felicity Party] Milli Gazete, March 20, 2009; “Balıkesir’li Saadet’i bekliyor,” [Balıkesir Waits for the Felicity Party] Milli Gazete, March 20, 2009; “Kurtuluş reçetesi Saadet’te,” [Salvation is at the Felicity Party] Milli Gazete, March 22, 2009; and “Saadet Partisi Belediye Başkan Adayları ziyaretlerini sürdürüyor,” [Felicity Party’s Municipal Candidates Continue Their Visits] Milli Gazete, March 21, 2009.

142. “Saadet’in yükselişi AKP’yi korkuttu,” [The Felicity Party’s Rise Frightened the AKP] Milli Gazete, March 12, 2009; “Saadet’e dev katılım,” [A Great Admission to the Felicity Party] Milli Gazete, March 23, 2009; and “Elazığ’da Saadet’e kitlesel iltihak,” [A Mass Enrollment in the Felicity Party in Elazığ] Milli Gazete, March 10, 2009.

143. A&G Araştırma, “Milliyet Seçim Sonu Araştırması,” p. 8.

144. “Kabine sil baştan,” [A Comprehensive Revision in the Cabinet] Milliyet, May 2, 2009.

145. “DP genel başkanından ‘Soylu’ davranış,” [A Respectful Behavior on the Party of DP Chair Soylu] Zaman, March 31, 2009.

146. “Zeki Sezer kararını açıkladı,” [Zeki Sezer Announced His Resignation Decision] Milliyet, April 8, 2009.