“The Kiss of Biden” and Foreign Policy in Erdoğan’s Re-Election
Pity Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The Turkish opposition candidate faced an impossible challenge: running for president with American lipstick on his cheek. Call it the kiss of Biden. In 2020, when Joe Biden was a candidate for president, he told the editorial board of the New York Times that he favored working with “elements of the Turkish […]
Four Reflections on Turkey After the Elections
The JST asked four experts on Turkey from journalism, academia and government service for their thoughts on “whither Turkey” in the immediate aftermath of the May 28 elections. In Turkey, “It’s not the economy, stupid”Alan Makovsky The run-off elections of May 28 ended with Erdoğan winning roughly 52% of the vote, essentially as was expected […]
Turkey’s Hinge Election
In 2023, Turkey will hold a hinge election. An opposition victory would mean a more democratic, pro-Western Turkey—and a Turkey that keeps its distance from Islamist groups. An Erdoğan victory would solidify his hold on the nation and most likely mean diminished freedoms and continued Turkish efforts to balance East and West, as well as […]
