A Turkey of an Election for Erdogan: AKP losses, CHP wins, and İmamoğlu's rising star

The recent local elections in Turkey did not go to plan for President Erdogan. 

The voters sent a clear message to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) party and the strongman president, when they voted in unprecedented numbers for the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). 

The CHP took control of Turkey's biggest cities and also managed to make significant headway into provinces that had been traditional AKP territory. 

Additionally, the AKP also lost out to the New Welfare Party (YRP), and Islamist party, who collected former AKP voters, who were angered by Erdogan's Gaza policy. 

The recent vote raises some big questions about the future of Turkey and Erdogan. 

This week on The New Arab Voice, we look at the recent Turkish elections. Why did the AKP and Erdogan do so badly? How big was the CHP victory? Has the path been set for Ekrem İmamoğlu to rise to the presidency? Can and will Erdogan run again? Will Erdogan start another crackdown? And what is the state of Turkish democracy?

Joining us this week, we speak with Gönül Tol (@gonultol), the founding director of the Middle East Institute’s (@MiddleEastInst) Turkey programme and a senior fellow with the Black Sea Program. Gönül's new book, Erdogan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria, is out now. 

Also, Soner Cagaptay (@SonerCagaptay), the Beyer Family Senior Fellow and director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (@WashInstitute), and the author of A Sultan in Autumn.

his podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge). 

Theme music by Omar al-Fil. 

To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com

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