As the Financial Times wrote Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s political victory is expected to provide relief to the country’s markets and currency, after a failed coup attempt last July plunged Turkey into a period of uncertainty.
But the vote on Sunday to give vast new powers to Turkey’s executive branch was far from a resounding triumph. Erdogan had predicted Yes would garner 55% of the votes, but it fell far short with only 51.3%. The referendum also failed to win majority support in the country’s three largest cities, including Istanbul and the capital, Ankara.
This momentous step towards a new form of government is only part of Erdogan’s battle. He must win election in 2019 to fully claim the new executive powers.