Turkey’s President Erdogan and his government have come under fierce criticism for what many see as an inadequate relief effort following last month’s devastating earthquakes. In the meantime, the government appears to be getting ready to mount a strong crackdown on the dissent highlighting its mismanagement of disaster relief. Expert Sinan Ciddi joins Thanos Davelis to discuss this backlash against Erdogan and the government, looking at the key issues being raised, and breaking down how Erdogan is dealing with this public defiance. We also explore whether this is an inflection point for Turkey’s relations with the West, especially after the outpouring of support from its allies in the wake of the earthquake.

Sinan Ciddi is a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he contributes to FDD’s Turkey Program and Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP). He is also an Associate Professor of Security Studies at the Command and Staff College-Marine Corps University and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Read Sinan Ciddi’s latest articles here: 

Erdogan faces growing backlash over earthquake mismanagement

Will Erdogan Embrace The West?

You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:

Rescuers comb wreckage of Greece’s deadliest train crash as death toll rises

Greece train crash: Angry protests erupt after disaster

Power costs a priority for Nicosia

Economy, migration, green energy: new ministers present priorities