President Recep Tayyip Erdogen failed to establish a majority through his AKP (Justice and Development Party) that would have solidified his power and that of his Islamic populism. The split will likely force him to at least slow down Turkey’s Islamic populism and compel him to share power with the strong Republican opposition.
Turkey has been at odds with the West in general, from departing from Europe to distancing itself from NATO and Washington’s counterterrorism policies against ISIS. Like other states in the region, the focus has been toward the East; chiefly, China but also closer to Russia and regional partners. But with the Kurdish plight, the inflow of refugees, the targeting of Kurdish militants and the growing threats of ISIS, and only a recent economy uptick, the government’s performance has been lacking.
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