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The general elections in Türkiye on May 14 could see the defeat of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been the country’s leader for the last 20 years. Criticism has been growing over his government’s unpopular economic policies and slow response to the devastating February 6 earthquake, which struck southeastern Türkiye (and northwestern Syria) and resulted in over 50,000 fatalities. While the electoral concerns seem to be primarily domestic, there are issues on the agenda with foreign policy dimensions. One of these is the question of the Syrian refugees currently residing in Türkiye and a potential deal that Ankara might strike with Syria’s Assad regime (and Iran and Russia). The electoral campaigning is heating up and, according to polls, the leader of the main opposition party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, is currently in the lead. It is uncertain whether there will be a peaceful transition of power if Erdogan loses.
Listen to these developments in Türkiye and more, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center is organizing a panel discussion on May 15. Among the participants will be Alper Coskun, Barcin Yinanc, and Selin Nasi. The discussion will be in English and moderated by Armenak Tokmajyan.