Skip to main content

Turkish opposition motto comes from unexpected contributor: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that he will step down if the people say "Enough" gave the opposition the best slogan for the June 24 snap elections.

RTS1MCQJ.jpg
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling Justice and Development Party during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, March 6, 2018. — REUTERS/Umit Bektas

There was not a dull moment in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s election speech when he addressed this party’s parliamentary group on May 8.

“They [the opposition] have just one goal — to destroy Recep Tayyip Erdogan. If, one day, our nation says enough, then we will move to the side,” Erdogan said. The Turkish word Erdogan uttered for enough was “tamam,” which has multiple meanings in Turkish. It also means OK, done, finished or over. Yet this little word has ignited a fire among Turkey’s opposition ranks and offered a rare opportunity to unite Turkey’s highly fractured and polarized opposition.

Subscribe for unlimited access

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more

$14 monthly or $100 annually ($8.33/month)
OR

Continue reading this article for free

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more.

By signing up, you agree to Al-Monitor’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Already have an account? Log in