der was never challenged: state institutions and the bureaucracy remained under the command of the ruling elite, now the upper cadre of Atattirk's Republican People's Party (CHP). Once again, the elite felt that there was little need for broad-based support. In fact, Atattirk's reforms were intended to be imposed force

38 EFTA02689713 6 to any "act of provocation" by Israel. Erdogan, meanwhile, has accused his main opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of the Republican People's Party, of being insufficiently tough on Israel. Kilicdaroglu had criticized Erdogan's government for letting the 2010 flotilla go ahead and putting Turki