Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing fiercest anti-government protests since assumed office in 2003, and the thousands of demonstrators are feeling emboldened in the face of police brutality.
That's clear with this 'Game of Thrones' reference scrawled on the a wall near Gezi Park of Taksim Square in Istanbul:
— Alex Christie-Miller (@AChristieMiller) June 3, 2013
Erdogan inadvertently responded to the graffiti on Monday when, referring to national elections, he said: “We already have a spring in Turkey … but there are those who want to turn this spring into winter ... Be calm, these will all pass."
And he's mostly correct: the former Istanbul mayor-turned-Prime Minister is a long way from being booted out of office.
His Justice and Development party (AKP) has had a majority in parliament since November 2002, and in June 2011 voters returned Erdogan and his party to power with 49.95 percent of the vote.
Here's Steven A. Cook of Foreign Affairs:
Even today, as the tear gas continues to fly, there is no question that Erdogan would win an election.
But he can't push his luck, given his aspirations.
It's understood that the 59-year-old from Istanbul wants to be president since his self-imposed three-term limit as prime minister expires in 2015.
Presidential elections are slated for next year.
"Erdogan can’t stay in power unless he wins another election,"Professor Riva Kastoryano at the Paris Institute of Political Studies told euronews. "Democracy in Turkey will be the solution. ... the electoral process will decide."
Perhaps that's why Turkey's deputy prime minister Bulent Arinc apologized for "excessive violence" against the protesters on Tuesday — admitting to a few days of violent overreaction could prevent a loss of votes for the AKP in local elections next year or even the derailment of Erdogan's presidential hopes.
On the other hand, Erdogan's my-way-or-the-highway mentality— the main focus of discontent after the protests over the destruction of trees in Taksim Square in Istanbul turned ugly — remains.
Cook notes that "Turkey is decidedly split. Erdogan governs one half the country — his supporters – and intimidates the other."
A prime example of that ambivalence is what he said Monday (via Hürriyet Daily News):
“A mosque will be built in Taksim,” said Erdogan, adding that he did not have to receive permission from the main opposition leader or a “few marauders” for the projects. He said that the authority had already been given by people who voted for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
All-in-all, the government's de-escalation doesn't take away from the power that the people have shown over the past five days in standing up to Erdogan's stubbornness.
And no matter how accurate this graffiti turns out to be, the turmoil has already created one enduring image: "The lady in red."
SEE ALSO: The Stunning Image Of 'The Lady In Red' Will Endure Even After The Turkey Protests End
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