Kurds

The Battle of Heart and Fist: Who is Winning the Turkey Elections?

The Battle of Heart and Fist: Who is Winning the Turkey Elections?

Despite finishing ahead, President Erdogan faced the greatest electoral challenge of his political career on 14 May and conceded to a runoff for the first time in Turkish history. Although his chances looked brighter than the opposition’s Kilicdaroglu before the second round on 28 May, both contenders appear to be limited by the uncontested winner in Turkey’s elections: ultranationalism. Will Kilicdaroglu’s change of heart be enough to turn the tide? Or will Erdogan’s newfound allies carry him to a second-round victory and extend his rule into a quarter century?

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The Party is Over: Turkey Moves to Ban Pro-Kurdish HDP

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The Party is Over: Turkey Moves to Ban Pro-Kurdish HDP

A top Turkish prosecutor launched a case to ban the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), in the latest series of crackdown against the third largest party in the parliament, accelerating the democratic backsliding in the country. This short analysis explains the background of this 90s-inspired move and what it means for the Turkish politics and the Kurdish issue, including a take at Erdogan’s odds at the Constitutional Court vote.

ERDOGAN'S AKP IN SURVIVAL MODE, BUT CAN THEY MAKE IT?

ERDOGAN'S AKP IN SURVIVAL MODE, BUT CAN THEY MAKE IT?

Following the defeat of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP in big cities including the capital Ankara and megalopolis Istanbul in the local elections in March and June 2019, many expected change in the AKP leadership and some relaxation in the tightly-centralized new executive presidential system. Six months after the elections, it is the opposite.