Given Erdogan’s close relationship with Putin, Erdogan’s return means further friction with the West
Posted Date – 12:15 AM, Thu – 6/1/23
Given Erdogan’s close relationship with Putin, Erdogan’s return means further friction with the West
Religious nationalism, deep polarization, conservative social agendas, repression of dissent, and a decisive shift toward authoritarianism. These are key elements of the agenda that helped Turkish strongman Recep Tayyip Erdogan return to power for a record fifth term. One can easily feel a striking similarity to the prevailing political climate in India; the governing system gives a more or less similar ideological boost here. Erdogan’s victory in a contentious runoff presidential election has strengthened his authoritarian grip on a country beset by economic crisis, mismanagement and widespread corruption. The combative leader, who practices hardline political Islam, won a run-off against his closest rival, Kemal Kilidaroglu, after failing to secure a clear majority in the first round. select. Clearly, more voters side with his religious nationalist, conservative agenda and believe he will lead the country at a time of great change in the world. A fifth re-election for Erdogan would mean further friction with the Western world, given Erdogan’s close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and internal polarization. Despite being part of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), Turkey was an outlier under his leadership. He has been blatantly engaging with Russia in the Ukraine war. Ankara’s stakes in the Syrian conflict and Egypt make it an important player in the region. By pushing his country toward full dictatorship, Erdogan risks exacerbating internal instability and hurting old Western allies.
Turkey, the gateway between Europe and Asia, is now more divided than at any time in its history. With Turkey a powerful regional player, the West faces the challenge of persuading Erdogan to withdraw his opposition to Sweden’s NATO membership. He accused Stockholm of being soft on terrorist groups hostile to Ankara and not doing enough to stop protests over the burning of the Koran. Sweden’s membership in NATO must be unanimously agreed by member states, which is crucial to Western efforts to isolate Russia geopolitically; but that will not happen as long as Erdogan remains steadfast. Erdogan has consolidated control of the country since his victory in a 2017 national referendum on constitutional reforms, marking Turkey’s transition from a parliamentary democracy to an unbridled dictatorship. By abandoning the secular ethos of the country’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Turkish Republic has taken a decisive slide towards authoritarianism and a virtual reboot. For India, his views on Kashmir have been problematic. Turkey was one of the major absentees at the recent G20 tourism working group meeting in Kashmir. Earlier this year, India blasted the UN Human Rights Council in Ankara for raising the Kashmir issue.
