The rejection of Turkey's Islamic-rooted ruling party on Sunday was a clear sign that the nation does not want President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to turn it into another Islamic State, according to Dr. Marc Benhuri, the acclaimed Iranian author of
"Price for Freedom."
"He wanted to get the majority of the vote and then make a referendum and change the constitution after. Fortunately, Turkish people wised up and they voted against him. In fact, he lost quite a bit of parliamentary seats," Benhuri said Monday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
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Erdogan's party lost its parliamentary majority as The Justice and Development Party won the biggest share of the vote.
"It's giving a clear message like the Egyptians sent that they don't want Sharia law. They want to have democracy and that's very important. Turkey showed it yesterday and I'm proud of them," Benhuri said.
Benhuri's best-selling memoir has been turned into a movie, starring Martin Kove, Sally Kirkland, Paul Sorvino and Navid Negahban. It follows the creation of an underground railroad to help the escape of countless people from 1979 Iran, which was under the brutal dictatorship of the Ayatollah Khomeini.
"The majority of the people forgot what happened with the Revolution in Iran and how Ayatollah Khomeini came to power," Benhuri said.
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