Mediaboss Marketing

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan arrived in Tanzania on Sunday for a two-day official visit, where he is expected to meet with his counterpart John Magufuli and other local officials.

Erdoan was welcomed at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) by Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, and Yasemin Eralp, Turkish ambassador to Tanzania.

On Monday, President Magufuli will host Erdogan. A joint news conference will follow.

Before departing for Tanzania, Erdogan said Turkey intended to establish embassies in all African countries.

Speaking at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Erdogan said the goal was to have closer ties with all African states, a process he said started back in 2005 which was declared "Year of Africa" by the Turkish government.

Turkey was granted observer status by the African Union the same year.

"Our goal is to have embassies in all African countries, and turn Africa into a continent with which we have much closer bilateral ties," he said.

The official visit is part of Erdogan's five-day East Africa tour. He will visit Mozambique on Jan. 24 and Madagascar on Jan. 25- 26.

Erdoan visited Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea, Kenya and Uganda in 2016.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan will embark on a five-day tour to East Africa Monday. The trip will include a visit to Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar. 'First such visit to Madagascar' Erdoan, whose visit to Madgascar will be the first by a Turkish President, is expected to hold meetings with his counterparts in the 3 African countries. Meetings at the ministerial level are also planned to take place.Tanzania tackles FET-run schools issue In addition to discussing bilateral relations and economic cooperation during the visits, an exchange of views on African, regional and international issues and developments is expected to take place. Business cooperation deals are to be signed individually with these countries within the context of the visits. Additionally, business forums are planned to take place in each of the 3 countries during the visits. 'Visit aims to enhance cooperation' Erdoan's upcoming tour builds on what has been achieved during the President's previous visits to Africa in years past, and demonstrates a concrete will to reinforce political partnerships with African nations and deepen cooperation on the continent.

Read this article:

President Erdoan lands in Tanzania for 2-day visit - Yeni afak English

Turkish lawmakers begin a second round of voting Wednesday on controversial reforms that would hand sweeping powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The 18-article constitutional reform package -- put forward by Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) -- would turn Turkey's parliamentary system into a presidential one, effectively consolidating the power of three legislative bodies into one executive branch with the president as its head.

The reforms would also abolish the role of prime minister while granting authority to the president to issue law, declare states of emergency, dismiss parliament and to appoint ministers, public officials and half of the senior judges. It's known as the "power bill."

The bill would also allow Erdogan -- who served as prime minister from 2002 to 2014 before becoming president -- to extend his term in office until at least 2029.

Parliament can change the constitution directly if the bill gets 367 yes votes -- a two-thirds majority -- in the 550-seat assembly. But if the bill only gets between 330 and 366 votes, it must be put to the public in a referendum.

The AKP holds 317 seats and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has 39. Both parties support the changes -- so if all of their members vote yes, they will have 356 votes in favor.

As of Sunday, the AKP had secured more than 330 votes required for the reform package to progress to the next round.

Turkey's main opposition parties -- the Republican People's party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) -- are against the bill, and the atmosphere in parliament is tense.

After the brawl, the measure was passed, leading the way for further reforms later in the week.

If the bill is passed with the current amount of support it has in Parliament, it will be put to a referendum, likely in April. If the outcome of the referendum is also a yes, it could potentially catapult Turkey into snap elections.

The role of president is largely ceremonial under the current constitution. In order to become president in the new system, Erdogan would have to be reelected after the constitutional changes kick in.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says elections will be held in 2019 as scheduled.

Opponents fear the reforms will give too much power to Erdogan.

Since an attempted coup in July, Erdogan has led an intense crackdown on government critics and those with alleged ties to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey blames for the coup attempt.

Hundreds of military officers have been dismissed, roughly 11,000 teachers were suspended and many media organizations were shut down.

During a meeting of local leaders at the presidential palace in Ankara on Thursday, Erdogan said 43,000 people have been arrested and 95,000 fired from state posts in relation to the coup attempt.

How did Turkey get to this point? Here's a look back at some of the key moments that defined Erdogan's political rise and that helped to lay the groundwork for this historic vote.

CNN's Gul Tuysuz contributed to this report.

Read the original here:

What if Turkey passes Erdogan's 'power bill'? - cnn.com

You are here: Home Featured General SHOCKING AND AMAZING: Erdogan Has Now Declared Himself To Be GOD

By Walid Shoebat (Shoebat Exclusive)

Erdogan proclaimed himself God. You heard it correctly.

But before I break it to you,I was asked yesterday by a friend (Vinny Zee) if Erdogan ever declared himself to be God, that my article yesterdayVinny alluded that ifothers calling Erdogan God and prophet, does not qualify, since in 2 Thessalonians 2, it is the Antichrist who declares himself to be God and not just his followers.

This is a valid argument. But to answer it, is not something for a speedy Gonzales who wants a quick outline,it takes more than a thousand words and a keen eye to dig deeper than the surface. Read this, consume it, and prevent yourself falling into the grip of the devil.

When I published my article yesterday, I did not include most of the research I discovered thinking to wait for a more beefy Tostada and that folks would trust my track record on being cautious, so I gave onlyan example or two. So here it is, to all my pestering friends, I will start with the minor then to the major.

Todays Zaman, a secular, not Christian, Turkish newspaper had this to say:

An alleged supporter of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) welcomed President Recep Tayyip Erdoan by chanting Welcome, O Messenger of God, a phrase commonly used to refer to the Prophet Muhammad, in the latest in a series of similar remarks attributing divine qualities to Erdoan.

Ok, I could hear the argument, some crazy parlamentarian calledhim prophet, so what. But it is not only one, Zaman adds:

In another example, AK Party Bursa deputy Hseyin ahin at one point said that touching Erdoan is a form of prayer, while AK Party Dzce deputy Fevai Arslan said Erdoan has all the attributes of God.

Now these are not some Joe-Schmo, these are AK Party deputiesfrom theGrand National Assembly of Turkeyandmembers of parliament.

AK Party Bursa deputy Hseyin ahin

A billboard lastmonth was erected for Erdogans birthday, February 26, in the Glba district ofadyamanprovince inviting people to attend a holy birthday event to celebrate the birthday of President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, except this celebration is not attributing the festivity for Erdogan as mere man, but as a prophet.

A billboard in the Glba district of Adyaman province invites people to attend a holy birthday event to celebrate the birthday of President Recep Tayyip Erdoan. (Photo: Cihan)

Zaman adds:

Among the activities planned for the event scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 26 are a religious talk from theologian mer Dngelolu; a concert of hymns (known as ilahi [my God]praising God and extolling the characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad) by Recep Aslan and Bilal Gregen; and a sema performance (whirling dervishes).

Religious talks, hymns and sema performances like those planned for the presidents birthday are common to religiouscelebrations held in honor of the Prophet Muhammads birth.

This is not treating Erdogan as mere man, but prophet. Whirling dervishes is not just Turkish art, but the process of Fana, on how one can become God.

Erdogan is also proclaimed as healer. When Erdogan once addressed the crowd from the platform, a woman was seen fainting. Erdogan gesticulated as if saying bring her over. Instead of being taken away byambulance, the allegedly sick woman was taken to Erdogan. The stretcher was elevated to the platform and Erdogan reached out to the woman. She grabbed his right hand with both hands, screaming what the dervishes you hear in the video: Allah, Allah, Allahu Akbar'.

Sleepy heads who are hung up on some Nicolae Jetty Carpathia, need to begin taking their heads out of the junk and need to begin to learn more about Sufism and how man can become divine:

ERDOGAN DEMANDS WORSHIP

Erdogan is hailed, not only as prophet or healer only, but as one who can change the laws of the universe: Spring has come to Sanliurfa. Both nature and history are rising up to greet our prime minister, says Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek on Erdogans visit to the southeastern province of Sanliurfa on March 9th. Yet the Finance Minister did not face any sanctions from Erdoganfor declaration of divinityand neither didAKP lawmaker Fevai Aslan who on January 16th when he said: Erdogan is a leader who gathers all of Allahs qualities in himself. Neither did theDeputy Health Minister Agah Kafkas was reprimanded when on May 19, 2013 hesaid: To do what Erdogan does is sunna.Sunna which theDeputy Health Minister was referring to is theobedience to Muhammad. In other words, to obey Erdogan is to obey the Prophet himself! And neither wasAKP lawmaker Huseyin Sahin on July 20, 2011 was reprimanded by Erdogan for saying: Believe me, even touching our prime minister is worship to me.

These are major figures and Erdogan as if he is Christ who did not denounce worshiping Him, Erdogan did not denounce worship either. And if one thinks that its only the followers who elevate Erdogan to prophet, healer, master of the universe and nature, or deity, think again. Just last weekmedia from Istanbul, wrote this regarding Edrogan himself, firing anyone who denounces him beingGod:

Turkeys Religious Affairs Directorate fired an imam who is highly regarded as a hafiz a person who has memorized the entire Quran in zmir on Feb. 23 because of posts on Facebook criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdoans use of religious terminology to praise himself.The imam, who asks that his name not be revealed because of the judicial process he has started against the directorate, told Todays Zaman that directorate inspectors started an investigation against him when zmir Muftis Office filed a complaint in May of last year regarding posts the imam had written, arguing that language used by Erdoan and his followers goes against the principles of slam. The anonymous imam insisted that it is a duty of religious officials to warn people when their behavior, attitude and language contradict religious mandates.In a speech in March of last year that many theologians found to be problematic, then-Prime Minister Erdoan said, Our mercy will prevail over our wrath, to a crowd in Mula province, using terminology from a hadith qudsi (sacred hadith), a category of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad which are attributed to God. The hadith qudsi in question states: When God decreed the Creation, He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: My mercy prevails over my wrath.

In other words, Erdogan Islamically proclaims himself as Allah. The statement Our mercy will prevail over our wrath in Islam only pertains to Allah himself.

But this is not only Erdogan using Islamic terminologies for such claims of deity. Speaking to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation(OIC)consisting of57 member statesfrom every Muslim nation on the globe,Erdogan uses termminology that only is known to have been said of Christ inthe Bible. For example, God, in Zechariah calls Jerusalem the apple of my eye and Erdogan does the samein denouncing what Christ said that Jerusalem is the apple of My Eye, that is Christs eye. Erdogan said:Jerusalem is the apple of every Muslims eye.Such biblical terminology belongs to Christ, God, regarding His Temple in Jerusalem. The prophet Zechariah prophetically declared what Jesus will proclaim regarding a temple that is propheticallybuilt for Him in Jerusalem with use of this terminology:

Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand.2I asked, Where are you going?

He answered me, To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.

While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him4and said to him: Run, tell that young man, Jerusalem will be a city without wallsbecause of the great numberof people and animals in it.And I myself will be a wallof firearound it, declares theLord, and I will be its glorywithin.

Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north, declares theLord, for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,declares theLord.

Come, Zion! Escape,you who live in Daughter Babylon!8For this is what theLordAlmighty says: After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered youfor whoever touches you touches the apple of his eyeI will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them.Then you will know that theLordAlmighty has sent me.

How Erdogan knows this, or why he is using such blasphemy is unknown, or whether he manifests a demon or Lucifer himself remains to be seen. While Erdogan is the changer of Turkish laws, the dishonorer of womens desires, the writing is on the wall, this man undeniably desires to be deified and Jerusalem is his focus. Must this not be a reason for all who are required to heed Pauls instruction in 2 Thessalonians 2?

I believe it should. But we need all pieces to proclaim him The Antichrist. While he proclaims himself attributes of prophet and deity, he must enter the Temple of God making such declaration there. It is either Hagia Sophia, the Jewish Temple in Turkey or a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, only time will tell.

And it is not as if all of the sudden AKP party leaders have just come up with all this deification of Erdogan on their own. It is actually the reverse, their deification of Erdogan comes from him and through them they proclaimed him as God.

With a book written with his approval titled Recep Tayyip Erdogan: The Sun of the Age, whichproudly gives him titles that only belong to deitywhich even to Wahhabist Muslims, would sound bizarre, if not heretical. But whoever said that all of Arabia will accept Antichrist misses Scripture, that in Ezekiel 38, Sheba and Dedan mock his invasion of Israel and as we see Libyas Haftar and Egypts Al-Sisi, both hate Erdogan today, these are perfectly set up for the invasion by Antichrist in Daniel 11.

And to be amazed with Gods wonder, whoever wrote Daniel, had it not been God, as the naysayers deny, Daniel would have to have understood that Turkey being pro-Muslim Brotherhood and that Libya and Egypt are anti-Muslim Brotherhood, would be some genius who knew exactly the politics and demography of todays situation. Indeed, it is for thousands of these biblical points I read from the Holy Scripture was the reason I left Islam, left Antichrist, repented and I believe in Thy Name O Lord Jesus The Christ, The Son of The Living God Who died on the Cross of Calvary and resurrected on the third day as written in Scriptures . It is Thee whom I prostrate, it is Thee whom I worship. For to Thee, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Thee alone is Lord over the universe. It is Thee who is the Healer, the Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. It is Thee whom every knee will bow, including Bel (Allah) and Nebo (the prophet) (see Isaiah 46:1).

Nabi or Nebo is prophet. This false prophet claims himself as god. To all Turks,touching Erdoganas a form of worship, and proclaimed that Erdogan carries all the attributes of Allah in himself is a great blasphemy. There is only one who is to be calledThe Sun of the Age, whocarries all the attributes of Godin himself, that is Christ.

So lets wait and see if Erdogan takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2 1-4

AKP deputy Duzce Miletvekili Feavi Arslan proclaimed that Erdogan carries all the attributes of Allah in himself.

Shoebat.compredicted this will be the outcome last year and even explained it theologically from a Muslim perspective (read here). Sufism is key, which we illustrated, before Erdogans coming out of the closet, this very issue, by quoting the most infamous of Islamic Sufi writers who is praised by Erdogan, Jalal al-Din Rumi,whowrote of how the goal of the Sufi is to become divine viaFana (eliminating the self to become God):

Remember the famous utterance of al-Hallaj, I am God. People think that to say I am God is a claim of great pretense and spiritual arrogance. It is actually a claim of extreme humility. I am God means I do not exist. He is all, everything is He, existence is Gods alone. I am without existence, pure non-existence. I am nothing. I am God is not a claim of great pretension, it is a claim of extreme humility. There is more humility in this than any supposed claim to greatness, but people do not understand the inner meaning. When a man acknowledges his servitude to God, he is aware of his being a servant. He may see himself as a devoted servant of God, but he still sees himself and his own actions as apart from the one reality of God. He is not drowned in the Ocean of Divine Unity. Drowned is he in whom there is not separate motion or mobility. Drowned is he whose movement is the movement of the water. And so it is with the enlightenment ones, those who declares, I am God. Anyone who says I am the servant of God asserts the reality of two existences, one for himself and the other for God.But he who says I am God andhas realized the deepest levels of unity within his being has seen through the illusion of his existence. He knows from the experience of unity that his own separate existence is nothing but an illusion. Knowing that, he casts its former selfhood upon the winds of oblivion. (Rumi, Hearts bear witness one to another, in The Complete Discourses of Jalal al-Din Rumi, discourse 11, p. 75, ed. Louis Rogers)

The deception is so immense that evenJoel Richardson, who writes in both of his books not only praised the foremostMuslim scholar behind Sufism,Jala al Din al Rumicomplementing him and asking his readers to learn from the Antichrist religions positive aspects stating that Rumi,the father of Sufism and Antichrist theology, as the essence and beacon for such transformation to God:

Jalal al Din al Rumiwas one of Islams greatest mystics. Hepracticed a mystical form of Islam known as Sufiism. Rumi often spoke of God as the Beloved or the Friend. Sufis such asRumi also placed far more emphasis on Jesus as their model for life than other Muslims.One cannot read many of Rumis writings without feeling as though he was very close to being a Christian. There is at leastone quote of Rumis that I have truly come to appreciate. Rumi said, One day I was going along looking to see in people the shining of the Friend, so I would recognize the Ocean in a drop.

How this shows love for Jesus by Rumi is astounding, he continues in his admiration of Rumi:

Rumi attempted to see God in all of His creation, and particularly in every one of His creatures.

Richardsons fascination with Rumi goes too far to even admire the very religion of Antichrists peaceful form of Islam, Sufism:

Maybe you say that we cannot find any goodness and light in the religion of the Antichrist. Butbelieve it or not, you can. And heres the reason:Islam is made of Muslims. And Muslims are people who are created in the image of God. And many of them are genuine God seekers. As such, evenin Islam there are things that Christians can learn from.

Even Christians who claim serpentine wisdom, fall, how will it be for the rest?

Erdogan is a master ofgreat deception. This is the first time in history that this connect was made. And it is not as if Erdogan is unaware of Rumis theology. Far from it. It was no surprise to us that the president of Turkey, Erdogan even praised Rumis work, revealing that he himself is not only Sufi but that he also believes inFanathe art annihilation and becoming God himself. Why else would Erdogan praise Rumis work TheMasnavi,saying:

A work can live for more than seven centuries only if it is written with love.

TheMasnaviis amongst Rumis most popular works, and it is inthis very bookthat the idea ofman becoming divineis adulated. He praises the Sufi declaration I am the Truth! saying, Mansurs I am the Truth! was purest light (Masnavi, 2.307, trans. Mojaddedi)

When Christ said I am The Truth He was declaring Himself to be God Almighty. Likewise in Sufi Islam, this also exists, yet mimicking Christ. In Sufi Islam for one to exclaim, I am the Truth, is to say I am God!

Here is the bottom line. Many missed it because they thought that Islam can never deify a man while others even fell for the deception. Islam is filled with disclaimers like we do not worship except Allah while they deify Muhammad, Khalifa and Mahdi, giving these the titles: Al-Maqam-Al- Mahmud (The Glorious One), Awal-Khalq-illah (The first of Creation), Muhammad (The Praised One), Al-Insan Al-Kamel (The Perfect Man), Rahmatan-lil-Aalameen (Mercy to All Mankind), Al-rasul Al-Atham (The Greatest of All sent by God), Shafi (Healer), Munji (Savior), Mahdi (The Guided One/Deliverer), Al-Mustafa Al-Mukhtar (The Chosen One), Amir (The Prince), which is the exact term for Antichrist in the Bible, Khatimun-Nabiyeen (The Seal of Prophets), Al-Hadi (The Guide), Awal (First), Akher (Last), Sayyid Walad Adam (The Leader of The Sons of Adam) and then at the same timeAl-Siraj Al- Muneer (The Luminous One, The Glowing Lamp, Lucifarian).

When one sees Erdogan triumphant with the crowds of millions carrying fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow flags (Revelation 19:17), proclaiming himself deity, changing the laws we should pay attention:

The man in Turkey will bring the worst persecution ever to the Church. In the meanwhile, please consider the serious issue on Christian persecution which will increase as we see these events unfold. we operate a very effective mission in rescuing fellow Christians. We are a unique organization (Rescue Christians) who rescue Christians, predominately in Pakistan that live under the Muslim yoke baking bricks in kilns under the heating sun. Christians in Pakistan are also burned in furnaces. To see an example out of the thousands we rescue, click here, and listen to the amazing testimonies first hand on how you can help and make a difference, now in this life and for eternity. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.CONSIDER DONATING TO RESCUE CHRISTIANS

Every Five Minutes A Christian Is Killed For The Faith, Click Here To Save Christian Lives

RescueChristians.org Success Stories

CBN Interviews Rescue Christians Executive Director

End Times Today

Christian Militancy

God's War on Terror

Read more:

SHOCKING AND AMAZING: Erdogan Has Now Declared Himself To Be ...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan spoke for the first time about the national referendum after parliament approved the constitutional reform package at the opening ceremony of a new metro line in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday.

The people will make the ultimate choice when we go to a referendum. I believe the people will vote for what is right," said Erdoan.

The constitutional reform bill was approved overnight with 339 votes in the 550-member assembly.

Turkish lawmakers approved a new Constitution early Saturday as deputies completed voting on 18 articles. A total of 339 MPs voted in favor of the law that will now head to a referendum that will likely be held in early April. The initial round of ballots on the reforms was completed after each passed with more than 340 votes. A second round of voting on the 18 articles began Wednesday after almost three weeks of debates in parliament. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, who also chairs the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, congratulated lawmakers for passing the constitutional changes. People will have the final say," he told deputies. "We have done our job. Now we convey the issue to its real owner, our people," Yildirim said. "People's vote will be the most accurate one." Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli told lawmakers, "The Turkish nation will do its own evaluation and hopefully it will add to what have been achieved so far" But main opposition leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu, urged Turks to "spoil the game that was played in the parliament. "The mistake that have been done in the parliament can be revoked by the people," Kilicdaroglu said. Proposed changes to the Constitution require a simple majority, or 51 percent, in the referendum.

The President called his supporters to work day in and day out" throughout the referendum campaign.

"My people will give the final decision... I believe this referendum period will conclude with the will of our people," said Erdoan.

The legislation aims to bring stability at a time of turmoil and unrest, and prevent the fragile coalitions of the past.

Erdoan said the metro line will be further developed to span across even more of Istanbul.

The Kadky-Tavantepe metro line that we are opening today expands Istanbul's rapid transit line of the metro to 150 kilometers. The part of the line that extends to Sabiha Gken Airport will be completed by 2019. It is our aim to expand Istanbul's metro line to 260 kilometers," he said.

The President also spoke about the rocket attacks that were launched on the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's local headquartes on Friday.

They can attack AK Party as much as they want. We have devoted all we have to this path," he said.

The AK Party provincial head, Selim Temurci, reported that the rocket did not explode despite piercing the wall of the building and pointed to the involvement of the ultra-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C).

Istanbul police arrested Saturday five suspects over the rocket attacks that targeted the provincial police headquarters and the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party headquarters in Istanbul on Friday evening, a police source said. Security forces raided 15 addresses across Turkey's largest city, and five people were taken into custody over suspected links to the attackers, the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said on Twitter late Friday that no one was injured in the attack on the police headquarters, and an investigation had been launched.No injuries were reported after the attack on the AK Party headquarters, according to a Twitter post by the group's provincial head, Selim Temurci on Friday.He told reporters later on Friday that the rocket pierced the wall of the building but did not explode, and pointed to the involvement of the ultra-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C). He also said two assailants were involved in the attack.

Rocket attacks Friday targeted police headquarters in Istanbul and the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's local headquarters. Istanbul Gov. Vasip Sahin said on Twitter that no one was injured in the police station attack and an investigation had been launched. No injuries were reported on the AK Party attack, according to a Twitter post by the group's provincial head, Selim Temurci. He later told reporters the rocket pierced the wall of the building but did not explode, and pointed to the involvement of the ultra-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C). He said two assailants were involved in the attack. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said terror groups carried out the attack on police headquarters. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was briefed about incidents by Temurci and the governor. Turkey's EU Minister posted a condemnation of the attacks on social media. "While terror targets our people and security services, it also targets politics and tries to influence decision making mechanisms," Omer Celik said on Twitter. "Terror is ideologically nourished by placing itself in between the societyamp;politics. Thus, it tries to seize society's right to administer." He said strong bonds between society and politics are "the biggest barriers terror can't overcome. "Politics relying on society is our greatest foundation," he said. "Turkey, w/ its vast experience, sees through the ideological amp; political agenda behind terror. Terror cannot have an influence on Turkey."

Read more:

The people will make the ultimate choice in the referendum: Erdoan - Yeni afak English

Ankara (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is closer to getting a power boost after parliament's first approval of a bill to change the constitution, but the flagging economy could present an unexpected roadblock.

The Turkish parliament approved late Sunday, on first reading, a bill to create an executive presidency like in France or the United States, but which critics fear will lead to one-man rule.

However, after a bloody 2016 during which hundreds of people were killed in multiple terror attacks and a failed coup last summer, the Turkish economy is losing momentum.

Unemployment is increasing, inflation is rising, economic growth is slowing down and the Turkish lira is reaching record lows against the US dollar.

Investor confidence has fallen while tourism has dramatically dropped with holidaymakers avoiding the country last year because of the violence and political instability.

This is in stark contrast to the booming Turkish economy under the rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), co-founded by Erdogan, since 2002.

One of the main reasons for Erdogan and the AKP's continued electoral success was this boom that followed the 2001 financial crisis. It even made itself known with a new lira that no longer had six extra zeros introduced in 2005.

From fast trains connecting big cities to new bridges, large hospitals to the development of long-neglected central Turkish cities, the AKP ploughed money into areas that had not seen such rapid development.

The constitution plan has now gone to a second reading in the parliament on Wednesday where the 18 articles will again be debated one by one.

If approved again with 330 votes from the 550-seat parliament, it will go to a referendum, expected this spring, for the people to decide.

- 'A vote on Erdogan's leadership' -

Questions were raised this week over whether the worsening economy would affect Erdogan's chances of winning the public vote for constitutional changes.

Jean Marcou, professor at Sciences Po Grenoble and associate researcher at the French Institute of Anatolian Studies, said the current state of the economy could affect the AKP's voters.

But he noted that the government played the "security card" to create fear among the Turkish public, suggesting safety and peace could play a bigger role in people's decision.

Marcou said Erdogan presented himself as the leader to tackle the security troubles in the southeast where the state is fighting against Kurdish rebels, to rid the Islamic State group and battle against his former ally-turned-foe Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen whose movement is blamed for the July 15 attempted putsch.

Erdogan has also repeatedly urged Turks to change their foreign currency into lira to stimulate the currency which was at 3.78 against the greenback on Wednesday afternoon. Less than a month ago, it was 3.52 against the dollar.

The president attributed the dizzying fall of the lira to interference in the markets with elements he called "terrorists" aimed at "putting Turkey on its knees".

For Murat Yetkin, editor-in-chief of Hurriyet Daily News, it would be unlikely that the "economic difficulties of today will dramatically affect the result of the referendum" because the vote is about Erdogan.

"If the country goes to a referendum, it will not be about the government or its economic programme. Many people will not even consider it as a radical shift in Turkey's administrative system, but 'Yes' or 'No' to Erdogan's leadership."

- 'Relative prosperity' -

According to Ilter Turan, emeritus professor of political science at Istanbul's Bilgi University, when the people decide on the changes, their motivations will be varied.

"Concerning the change of constitution, liking or not the government is not the only factor. In these times, the problems that Turkey has can end up in the rejection of the people," Turan told AFP.

The proposed changes, which would create an executive presidency for the first time in modern Turkey, are controversial and far-reaching.

The president would have the power to appoint and fire ministers, while the post of prime minister will be abolished for the first time in Turkey's history.

Instead, there would be a vice president, or possibly several.

According to Jean-Francois Perouse, director of the French Institute of Anatolian Studies in Istanbul, there still remained the belief that if the electorate does not support Erdogan, this would "jeopardise relative prosperity".

"It remains to be seen whether explanations provided by Erdogan (on the economy) will convince people, and given the public's state of mind, they can convince," Perouse said.

Follow this link:

Erdogan faces weak economy in path to greater power - Yahoo News