TURKEY | The End of Erdogan?

On 14 May 2023, Turkey will go to the polls for presidential and parliamentary elections. For many, the vote is seen as potentially historic. After twenty years in power, it represents the best hope of finally unseating the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. During that time, there’s no doubt that Erdogan has profoundly transformed Turkey (or Türkiye, as it now officially wants to be known). But how exactly should we judge his legacy? Turkey is a fascinating country. Following its emergence in 1923 from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire, one figure dominated the country: Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the country’s first president. Although he died in 1938, his ideology and image dominated the state. However, over the past two decades, Erdogan has also had an enormous influence over the country. But while we now think of this negatively - especially given his growing authoritarianism, which has seen a clampdown on media, democratic failings, an ailing economy, and serious alleg