If Turkey sacks its strongman, democrats everywhere should take heart
After 20 years of increasingly autocratic rule, Recep Tayyip Erdogan risks eviction by voters
BENEATH THE Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, home to the Ottoman sultans, a monument to another imperious leader has been on display. The Anadolu, Turkey’s first domestically built aircraft-carrier, was ordered into the Bosporus last month, as the country prepared to vote in an election on May 14th that is the most important anywhere in the world this year. By showing off the warship, which is making a campaign tour of the coast, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes to fire up patriotic voters. But his charisma, grand gestures and giveaways may not be enough. The man who has ruled Turkey since 2003, in an increasingly autocratic style, could face defeat.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “The most important election this year”
From the May 6th 2023 edition
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