Elmira Bayrasli

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow, April 2019. Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images

Europa,

For Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s longest serving ruler, Sunday’s upcoming election may be the end of a two-decade winning streak.

Polls show that Erdogan, who has been at the country’s helm since 2003, first as prime minister and since 2014 as president, is in a tight race and vulnerable to defeat.

This has made many in Brussels and Washington giddy — and hopeful that Turkey, a once reliable ally and partner turned spoiler, will rejoin the Western fold.

At the start of his rule, Erdogan, a pious Muslim who successfully governed Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, in the 1990s, affirmed the country’s western orientation and ambition to join the European Union.…  Seguir leyendo »

“EVET” (Yes) campaign banners showing the portrait of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this month in Rize, Turkey. Credit Chris Mcgrath/Getty Images

Europa,

Turkish democracy is on life support. On April 16, Turks will vote on 18 amendments to their country’s Constitution, including whether to abolish the office of the prime minister and transfer its powers to the president.

Pushing for a “yes” vote is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A presidential system would not only give Mr. Erdogan more authority to appoint judges and ministers, and control budgets, but also allow him to rule for two more terms — until 2029 — and it would solidify Turkey’s shift to authoritarianism. But even if a “no” vote is preferable, it may not be enough to save the Turkish republic from Mr.…  Seguir leyendo »

Europa,

Russian-Turkish relations did not come to a head yesterday. Nor are they likely to unravel anytime soon.

Despite the assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey at the hands of a 22-year-old Turkish police officer at an art gallery in the Turkish capital, Ankara, Moscow did not blame the Turks for the incident.

"They (outside forces) want to drive a wedge between Moscow and Ankara at any price," said Leonid Slutsky, the head of the Duma's national security committee, hours after the shooting.

In fact, yesterday's shooting is likely to drive Moscow and Ankara closer together, and probably at the expense of the United States and NATO.…  Seguir leyendo »

Europa,

Istanbul’s towering Palace of Justice opened in 2011, a gleaming 19-story behemoth and the largest courthouse in Europe.

For more than a week, Emine has camped there with only a handbag in tow, hoping to catch a glimpse of her 22-year-old son, a low-level military conscript, who was detained in the aftermath of Turkey’s coup attempt on July 15. The morning after he rode in a military vehicle outside Istanbul's Ataturk airport, he texted her: “I think they’re taking me.”

She hasn’t heard from him since.

“He’s a child, he didn’t do anything,” Emine said, asking for her last name to be withheld.…  Seguir leyendo »

Europa

For Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s embattled prime minister, a win in Sunday’s local elections will be a Pyrrhic victory. While his Justice and Development Party, or A.K.P., will likely retain a majority of municipalities, Turkey as a whole, particularly as an international player, has lost.

Mr. Erdogan’s decade-plus grip on power has been weakened by anti-government protests, corruption allegations, and an ugly confrontation with the powerful and admired Muslim religious leader Fethullah Gulen. In a desperate effort to prevent any further hemorrhaging of his power, Mr. Erdogan has abandoned the ambitious foreign policy that was the basis for Turkey’s regional resurgence in recent years and has resorted to attacking his enemies.…  Seguir leyendo »