Tag: Turkish Opposition

Turkey’s opposition parties have taken important steps to present a united front against Erdogan in next year’s presidential elections. Still, in and of themselves, these measures won’t be enough to secure them an electoral victory in 2023 if they fail to wisely select their presidential candidate.

Turkey’s former economy minister Ali Babacan split from Erdogan’s party ranks as the result of several disagreements over democracy and management of the economy. In short order, he established his own party built on a promising agenda; but can Babacan remedy Turkey’s woes? While the answer is unclear, it is certain that Babacan will remain an important political actor.

Meral Aksener’s Good (IYI) Party is the AKP’s greatest competition for the heart of the Turkish right. The Good Party’s recent activism has drawn the ire of both friend and foe.

Amid deepening economic crisis, domestic and foreign policy disarray, and the decline of public support for Turkey’s strongman president, discussions on what a Turkey without Erdogan could/should look like are becoming more prevalent. Still, many experts agree that the end of Erdogan’s rule in and of itself wouldn’t usher in an era of democracy, especially without the opposition’s adoption of a pluralist approach.