What You Need to Know Ahead of Turkey’s Election
On May 14, Turkish voters will go to the polls to elect a new president in what is one of the most important elections of 2023. Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has maintained his grip on power for 20 years. But, in recent months, an economic downturn and a deadly earthquake in the country have chipped away at confidence in his administration. According to the latest polling, Turkey’s united opposition poses an unprecedented challenge to Erdogan’s rule.
On May 14, Turkish voters will go to the polls to elect a new president in what is one of the most important elections of 2023. Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has maintained his grip on power for 20 years. But, in recent months, an economic downturn and a deadly earthquake in the country have chipped away at confidence in his administration. According to the latest polling, Turkey’s united opposition poses an unprecedented challenge to Erdogan’s rule.
With Turkey’s election a week away, we’ve compiled five essential reads that provide the necessary historical and geopolitical context to understand the stakes of the vote. The essays below examine how Erdogan has reshaped Turkish politics, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu’s chances, and more. And for a deep dive into the election, check out our recent FP Live podcast episode, where FP’s Ravi Agrawal and two experts on Turkish politics, FP’s Steven A. Cook and Gonul Tol, discuss what the election results might mean for rest of the world.—Chloe Hadavas
Foreign Policy illustration/Getty Images
What Happens When a Turkish President Loses an Election? No One Knows.
Erdogan has few role models for how to peacefully concede power, Reuben Silverman writes.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey’s Republican People’s Party and the opposition’s main presidential candidate, gestures to supporters at a campaign rally in Tekirdag, Turkey, on April 27.Burak Kara/Getty Images
Turkey’s Elections Won’t Be Free or Fair
But the opposition could still win, Nate Schenkkan and Aykut Garipoglu write.
Supporters wave Turkish flags at a rally for Turkey’s Republican People’s Party chairman and presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Canakkale, Turkey, on April 11.OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images
What if Kemal Kilicdaroglu Wins Turkey’s Election?
It seems that only an act of God could dislodge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Maybe the Feb. 6 earthquake was just that, FP’s Steven A. Cook writes.
Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu speaks during a rally in Canakkale, Turkey, on Apr. 11. OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images
Turkey’s Opposition Can’t Win Without the Working Class
Kemal Kilicdaroglu’s abandonment of the left and his embrace of allies’ neoliberal economics could cost him the election, Halil Karaveli writes.
6 Books to Understand Turkey
FP contributors’ top titles to make sense of the country ahead of its most important election.
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