Erdogan Reclaims Party Leadership as Result of the Changes he Imposed

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reaped another benefit from the constitutional changes he imposed, becoming the head of the ruling AK Party. Although Erdogan founded the AKP, in the previous form of government he could not be president and run a party. But last April Erdogan narrowly won a referendum that made numerous changes to the constitution, one of which allowed him to lead the party – a post that also allows him to openly control the legislative agenda of the largest party. In another move to shore-up his power, Erdogan extended Turkey’s state of emergency, in effect giving himself a series of extraordinary powers that override human rights for Turkish citizens. Erdogan has arrested thousands, including hundreds of journalists, and has closed hundreds of media outlets that disagree with him. Opposition parties warn that Erdogan is heading toward a one-man dictatorship.