Turkey Marches Towards Authoritarianism as It Becomes a Global Power

Protests have taken hold of Turkey in recent months, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to consolidate more and more power in the country. Recently, Erdogan’s government arrested a major political opponent, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, leading to widespread demonstrations.

As Erdogan consolidates power, the government is engaging in a new peace process with left-leaning Kurdish groups that have long maintained an insurgency against the state. Simultaneously, Turkey has been expanding its influence in Syria, Ukraine, the Mediterranean, and even Western Europe.

Erdogan has led Turkey for over two decades, reshaping the country from its republican roots into a more right-wing, nationalist, and Islamist state. To discuss the history of Turkey, its political evolution, and recent developments, Drop Site’s Murtaza Hussain is joined by Selim Koru. Koru is the author of “New Turkey and the Far Right: How Reactionary Nationalism Remade a Country” and an analyst at the Ankara-based Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey.

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