On May 14, Turkish voters are headed to the polls for twin elections presidential and parliamentary that are expected to shape the country’s political trajectory for years to come. While the presidential race has generated wide interest in the international media, there is little informed discussion when it comes to the parliamentary elections. Unlike the presidential elections, which quickly turned into a tight contest between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the main opposition leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the parliamentary races are more unpredictable at this point.
Panagiotis Sotiris interviews Sebnem Oguz The emergence of a new fascism in Turkey is being intensively debated on the political left. In this context, an alliance of the left has formed under the banner of the Green Left Party, with support from other parties in the Labour and Freedom Alliance, with the hopes of a significant breakthrough for the political organization of the oppressed and the left in the election.
Catch up with the latest developments about Turkey's May elections with weekly updates from MEI's Turkey Program. In this week's installment of Turkish Election Watch: Erdoğan falls ill, Kılıçdaroğlu rallies in an AKP stronghold, Erdoğan dials up the culture war, concerns grow over election security, and what the polls tell us.
As a professor of political science, I have analyzed Turkish politics for many years. The upcoming elections are truly historic because voters will choose which vision they prefer in the second centennial of Turkey – Erdogan’s or Atatürk’s. Four candidates are running in the forthcoming presidential race.