The results of Turley’s recent local elections (31st March 2024) came as a great surprise. Pre-election polling suggested the AKP party of President Erdogan was on course to win, but instead, the main opposition CHP party swept up an impressive number of cities and towns, notably the ten major cities of the country, which collectively represent over 74% of Turkey’s GDP. This is a massive shift in the country’s political landscape, signalling a potential call for deep change. Put another way: has Turkey reached a critical juncture after two decades under the Erdogan regime?

Zeynep Atikkan, senior Turkish journalist, joins Ilana Bet-El in a discussion of this and many other questions about the Turkish electoral and political landscape. From economic concerns, the Kurdish issue, and generational shifts, to civil society engagement, women’s roles, protests, media influence, and evolving political dynamics – the underpinning realities of Turkish politics are revealed and discussed; not least the weakened position of President Erdogan and his AKP party.

Recorded on 4 April 2024

Referenced materials and further reading

• Zeynep’s books
• Sinem Dedetaş, the new elected mayor of Üsküdar in Istanbul’s Twitter account
• “Turkiye has elected youngest Major in its history” Middle East Monitor
• “Turkey gains new wave of female mayors after opposition’s poll success” Reuters
• Zeynep’s Twitter
• Zeynep’s LinkedIn

Follow

• Instagram @women_leaders_podcast
• Our partner European Leadership Network social media Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook
• Our partner European Leadership Network website
• Ilana Bet-El

Credits

• Production: Florence Ferrando
• Music: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat
• Supported by a grant from the Foundation Open Society Institute in cooperation with the Open Society Foundations

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