Islamist Parties in Turkey: A Perpetual Matryoshka

Source:Middle East Forum Date:20Mar2020

Notwithstanding the awkward title, this analysis by Turkey expert Mr Burak Bekdil draws excellent conclusions about Turkey’s right-left divide and the prospects for a regime change:  

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Turkey being run like ‘island state’, says former deputy PM

Source:Financial Times Date:17Mar2020

And..”new” opposition party leader Ali Babacan starts his election campaign Turkey is being run like an “island state” managed by a tiny circle of people, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s

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Ruling party rebel Babacan could end Erdoğan’s government

Source:Ahval News Date:01Dec2019

The website adminstrator doesn’t agree with Mr Babahan’s view of CHP, but the article is a good read anyhow:   It is vital for conservatives, secular Alevis, Kurds and Turks who

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Domestic politics, Idlib sway timing of Turkey’s Syrian operation

Source:al Monitor Date:13Oct2019

Across Turkey and in big cities in particular, most of the Syrian refugees live in close proximity to AKP voters, either in the same neighborhoods or adjoining ones. Under the impact of the

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Turkey: old friends threaten Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reign

Source:Financial Times Date:25Sep2019

In a country where the voting population can be divided into two roughly equal blocks that are pro- and anti-Erdogan, even shaving a small chunk off the AKP alliance — which won 52.6 per cent in

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Babacan’s movement creates panic among Turkey’s ruling party

Source:Middle East on line Date:31Aug2019

Erdogan facing pressure from within.  What does his former economy czar Ali Babacan want?   Although no one is willing to admit it, it’s clear that Babacan’s movement has created a

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Turkish voters welcome creation of new party by ‘honest’ former AKP heavyweight

Source:Ahval News Date:24Aug2019

Ahval News interviewed oridanary citizens to get a feel whether Ali Babacan and Ahmet Davutoglu could sway the hearts of voters.  The reception is generally positive, but Ahval should have

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Expect Turkish business world to embrace former economy czar’s new party

Source:al Monitor Date:12Aug2019

Erdogan appears alarmed and already on the offensive. He has accused Babacan of “fracturing the ummah” and threatened that “those who commit treason will pay the price.” Despite the threats,

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Is Ali Babacan the man to finally take on Erdogan?

Source:Arab News Date:26Jul2019

(t)he challenges to Erdogan are beginning to pile up. Some he can shrug off, others, such as the economic hardship squeezing many of Turkey’s 80 million residents, are much more complex. The

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Erdogan’s one-man rule no longer safe

Source:PA Intelligence Date:20Jul2019

Ten days after Babacan, Davutoglu gave an interview broadcast live online in which he appeared to suggest he would be ready to set up a new party.   Erdogan has downplayed the threat but

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