The Challenge for Turkey’s True Friends: the AK Party Closure Case and the West

The recent closure case brought against the ruling Justice and Development Party is a direct assault on Turkey’s democracy. For this reason, America should not lose the opportunity to swiftly and unequivocally repudiate the establishment’s attempts to re-assert control over Turkish politics by undemocratic means. The lack of a concrete resolution on the part of the U.S. in regard to the case has already resulted in a credibility gap. Given America’s emphasis on and interest in Turkey’s democracy and attendant reform process, a simple re-affirmation of its commitment to citizen’s choices in free and fair elections would send a powerful message to a country that is on edge. Instead, Turkey is left with ‘friends’ who lack credibility and resolve at the worst possible moment. If the ruling party and its leadership are banned from political life, not only will Turkey lose its credibility in the Middle East as the only indigenous Muslim-majority democracy, the United States will also lose credibility in the world theatre for failing to support democracy in Turkey