While the modern Turkish Republic was founded in the 1920s as a secular republic, the last two decades have seen this nation move from a democratic regime toward an authoritarian one. In this episode of Big World, SIS professor Doga Eralp joins us to discuss the political career and the politics of a man who’s been Turkey’s leader for most of that time period, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Professor Eralp breaks down Erdogan’s rise to power, including how his controversial—and criminal—recitation of a poem played a role in that rise (2:48), and describes the beginnings of the leader’s dominant AK Party (5:42). He then showcases how Erdogan has steered Turkey toward religious nationalism (8:21) and what motivated him to do so (15:33).

To explain Turkey’s current stance on the war in Ukraine, Professor Eralp describes Erdogan’s unique relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin (18:27). He then describes why and how Turkey came to be the world’s largest host of refugees and the role Erdogan has played in that situation (24:33). The episode concludes with Professor Eralp weighing in on whether Erdogan’s power is waning and how much longer he may stay in power (28:19).

During our “Take Five” segment, Professor Eralp shares five policies he would enact to improve Turkey's standing in the world (12:58).