Gönül Tol, the Founding Director of the Middle East Institute's Turkey program and an expert on Turkish politics, discusses the complex political landscape under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. She highlights Erdoğan's transition from a conservative democrat to a nationalist leader and its impacts on Turkish society and politics. Tol delves into Turkey's shifting relationship with Syria, the challenges of press freedom, and the implications of Erdoğan's controversial economic policies. Her insights provide a compelling look into the intersection of power, identity, and governance in modern Turkey.
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insights INSIGHT
Turkey's Complex Identity
Turkey's identity is complex, blending Middle Eastern, European, and Asian influences.
This cultural mix makes its domestic politics and foreign policy intriguing.
insights INSIGHT
The 1990s in Turkey
The 1990s significantly shaped modern Turkey, with political instability, economic struggles, and rising Kurdish separatism.
These factors created a demand for stability, paving the way for Erdoğan's rise.
insights INSIGHT
Kemalism vs. Erdoğan
Kemalism, Turkey's founding ideology, emphasized Turkish nationalism and strict secularism, often clashing with conservative values.
Erdoğan strategically used a pro-EU reform agenda to challenge Kemalism and the military's power.
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This book explores Erdoğan's transformation from a conservative democrat to an Islamist and Turkish nationalist, and how this shift has influenced his Syria policy, transforming Turkey's role from a democracy advocate to a power fanning civil war. It delves into Erdoğan's domestic and foreign policy strategies, including the Kurdish peace process and the refugee crisis, highlighting their impact on Turkey's authoritarian trajectory.
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Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is now Turkey’s longest-serving president. Since coming to power as Prime Minister in 2002 he has overseen a radical transformation of this pivotal country. Once a secular democracy with aspirations to join the European Union, Turkey has become a deeply nationalist, conservative country. Erdoğan has built a militaristic foreign policy abroad, intervening in regional flashpoints from Syria to Libya while dismantling democratic controls, clamping down on dissent and centralising power in the presidency at home. In September 2022, academic and writer Gönül Tol came to Intelligence Squared to shed light on how Erdoğan established an iron grip on the country, the subject of her upcoming book: Erdoğan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria. Tol is founding Director of the Middle East Institute's Turkey program and is a Senior Fellow for the Frontier Europe Initiative. She's also Adjunct Professor at George Washington University. Host for this discussion is Carl Miller, Research Director at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think tank Demos.
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