If the soul wanted to take breath, it would also be forbidden

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
This was said by Abraham Lincoln.

Right now the person with the most authority in Turkey is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan!

In theory, our constitutional order has brought some restrictions, set up some mechanisms to have balance between institutions that are there to use authority on behalf of the nation, yet where we are is a regime where just one person uses nearly limitless power.

There is no limit to his authority. The Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) imposes bans and when this displeases the prime minister, this is what we hear: “We can ban bans, too.”

Look at what he said when YSK bans a campaign film violating election bans: “They imposed a ban, but we have plenty of solutions.”

This is what he plans to do just because telephone taps alleging bribery and corruption investigations were posted on Facebook or YouTube:“We will take the necessary steps, including closure.”

Citizens resort to Twitter to learn about news due to “monetary pools set up to buy newspapers,” and more than half of the media being owned by pro-government businessmen. The solution is easy for the prime minister. “We will wipe out Twitter and the like. I don’t care what international media will say.”
What happens if a prosecutor starts an investigation that does not please the prime minister? His undersecretary gives an instruction saying, “Tear it apart; we will change the law if necessary.”
If a journalist writes a news article that angers the prime minister, the interior minister lashes out,
“Break the door; go in and apprehend him.”

He has the authority to choose the winners of public tenders.

He is the one to decide who will get the tender, and how much money should be given to which foundation by the winner.

Land belonging to the state has been sold. It would be impossible for him not to be informed. The words: “Don’t sell them without asking to me; find a way to cancel the one you sold,” can easily come out of his mouth.

The court decides to stop the construction on the premise of the Prime Ministry; he has the power to say: “Let them demolish it if they have enough strength. They will not stop it. I will inaugurate it and I will go and sit on it.”

But there is no problem when the courts make a decision that pleases the prime minister, for he says: “The judiciary is independent. We cannot interfere to it.”

He sees himself above everything else.

He is the law, the public procurement commission, the court, the judge and the police.

He thinks he is some kind of a “selected leader.”

As said by Lincoln, when his character was tested by giving him power, what we face is an authoritarian personality.

He was riding on the “democracy tram” until he got authority. Now he does not even hide his intention of jumping off the tram when it comes to the last stop.