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The devastating Feb. 6 earthquake that hit Turkey could have united the country. Instead, the catastrophe — which has taken the lives of at least 46,000 people inside the country — is widening the political divide between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his opponents. With a general election just nine weeks away, Erdogan is confronting a wave of public anger over poor governance and misguided centralization.

After 20 years in power, Erdogan has been badly weakened by the quake. The opposition finally has a chance to beat him. But they should not assume it will be easy.

On March 6, the opposition parties announced their decision to rally behind Kemal Kilicdaroglu, 74, the leader of the secularist Republican People’s Party.…  Seguir leyendo »

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a visit last Saturday to Diyarbakir, Turkey, after an earthquake struck the region. (Ilyas Akengin/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey’s horrific earthquakes are a human tragedy. It would be even more tragic if Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used them as an excuse to postpone the country’s scheduled June elections. President Biden and other Western leaders should use their influence to prevent that from happening.

Erdogan has ruled the country since 2003 as head of the Justice and Development Party, also known as the AKP, the initials of its Turkish name. He has done so in an increasingly autocratic manner, arresting journalists and political opponents, though the country’s election mechanism remains largely fair and free.

In Turkey’s most recent elections, the opposition captured the mayoralties of its two largest cities, Istanbul and Ankara.…  Seguir leyendo »