logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
32m 39s

Turkey’s Critical Elections

Middle East Institute
About this episode

On this week's episode Alistair Taylor, MEI's editor-in-chief, is joined by Gönül Tol, the founding director of MEI's Turkey Program and the author of "Erdogan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria," to discuss Turkey's critical upcoming elections. After two decades in power, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) are facing unprecedented challenges, including an economy in shambles, the ongoing impact of the devastating early February earthquakes, and a united opposition.

Up next
Yesterday
After Two Years of War in Gaza, Can Trump’s Plan Deliver Peace?
Two years after Hamas’ October 7 attack and Israel’s punishing response, both sides say they accept in principle President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to halt the war and chart a path toward enduring peace. MEI Senior Fellow Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen joins hosts Alistair Taylor an ... Show More
38m 34s
Oct 2
Water and Power: Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia at Odds Over Africa’s Largest Dam
In this episode of Middle East Focus, hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Mirette F. Mabrouk to unpack the growing tensions over the recently inaugurated Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile. With no water-sharing agreement with ... Show More
40m 28s
Sep 25
A Middle East NATO? Regional Security Options After Doha
Israel’s September 9 strike on Hamas leaders in Doha rattled Gulf capitals and revived a decades-old debate over whether the region needs a NATO-style defensive alliance. MEI Senior Fellow Jason Campbell joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to unpack why past attempts a ... Show More
43m 3s
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
Turkey’s President Fights for Political Survival
For two decades, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has loomed large over Turkish politics. But skyrocketing inflation and a devastating earthquake have eroded his power and, in a presidential election over the weekend, he was forced into a runoff.Ben Hubbard, The Times’s Istanbul bu ... Show More
24m 50s
May 2023
Erdogan wins third decade in power
Recep Tayyip Erdogan's supporters are celebrating after Turkey's long-time president won Sunday's vote, securing another five years in power. But the country is divided. Almost half the electorate in the polarised country did not back his authoritarian vision of Turkey. We speak ... Show More
48m 49s
May 2023
Erdogan wins presidential election
Turkey's long-time president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has won today's presidential election run-off. He told his supporters that Turkey itself was the only winner. We'll bring you the latest from our correspondent in the capital. Also in the programme: One-person-one-vote could be ... Show More
48m 39s
Feb 2021
Erdogan's Middle East Policy
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman talks with Ambassador James Jeffrey, who recently finished serving as the Secretary of State's special representative for Syria engagement and as the special envoy to defeat ISIS. Ambassador Jeffrey talked about Turkey's Middle East policy, how to ... Show More
32m 58s
Feb 2023
Turkey Earthquake Challenges Erdogan Ahead of Elections
A.M. Edition for Feb. 17. Even before last week’s earthquake, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was facing public discontent over the state of the economy. WSJ reporters Jared Malsin and Daniella Cheslow in Adana, Turkey, detail the added challenges Mr. Erdogan now confronts ... Show More
17m 13s
May 2023
Turkey decides on a future with or without President Erdogan
Millions of Turks are voting in one of the most pivotal elections in the country's modern history to decide if Recep Tayyip Erdogan remains president after twenty years in power. Long queues formed early at polling stations. Turnout is expected to be high. President Erdogan faces ... Show More
47m 21s
May 2023
Turkish Elections: The End of Erdogan?
Turkey’s longtime leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing what many describe as his toughest election yet. On Sunday, May 14th polls will open for presidential and parliamentary elections, and amid a dire economic crisis in the country, his prospects are in doubt. His leading rival ... Show More
46m 32s
May 2023
La Turquie à l'heure du vote
Les yeux tournés vers la Turquie, alors que les élections de ce dimanche (14 mai 2023) sont présentées comme le scrutin le plus important de l'année dans le monde par The Economist. Après 20 ans au pouvoir, le président Erdogan pourrait-il perdre face à une opposition enfin unie ... Show More
48m 30s
May 2023
The end of Erdoğan? — Turkey's EU accession ambitions — Europe Day
This week, the focus is on Turkey and what's at stake in elections happening May 14. We also hear from British writer and scholar Hugh Pope, who has written extensively on modern Turkey and tackles the long-standing issue of EU accession. Host Suzanne Lynch is joined by POLITICO' ... Show More
32m 56s
Mar 2023
Turkish commentator Cengiz Candar says Turkey's opposition will win elections overwhelmingly with Kurdish backing
Turkey will hold parliamentary and presidential elections on May 14. The outcome will determine whether Turkey can return to a more democratic path or plunge into full blown autocracy, or worse dictatorship, some say. For the first time the opposition appears to have a chance of ... Show More
25m 52s