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It looks like Turkey’s next president won’t be decided until a runoff election is held on May 28 because neither candidate cleared the 50% threshold needed to win the presidential election. The incumbent, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has governed for two decades but has faced criticism in recent years for his ties to Russia, his handling of the economy and his authoritarian consolidation of power.
Opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu has promised to strengthen the economy and return to a more democratic form of governance. But as Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan explains, Kilicdaroglu has an uphill battle to victory.
Excerpted from Peter’s May 12 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:
Turkey’s presidential elections are upon us. President Erdogan has run the country for nearly 20 years, but his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, hopes to shake things up. This could very well be a turning point for Turkish politics.
Once upon a time, Erdogan was well-liked in Turkey and beyond. He ran a tight ship, and his policies were solid. And then he fell into a spiral of narcissistic nationalism and everything went to s***. Needless to say, much of the country is ready for a change.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu is the top challenger but also comes with some baggage. Yes, he’s old. More importantly, he’s the head of a six-party coalition. Meaning at best, this is going to be a transitionary government. At least it’s a step in the right direction.
Probably.
