Europe | No sharp tacks

A post-Erdogan Turkey would only partly change its foreign policy

On Russia, Syria and the Kurds, the country’s interests would remain much the same

Billboards carrying pictures of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and a slogan that reads "For Turkey century; right time, right man" are seen on a building ahead of the May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections, in Istanbul, Turkey April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Image: Reuters
|ISTANBUL

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s magic is not working. With less than three weeks until the elections, Turkey’s populist leader has made up little ground against Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the candidate of the main opposition alliance, in the presidential race. (Parliament will also be up for grabs.) Most polls give Mr Kilicdaroglu an edge in the first round on May 14th and see him winning a run-off two weeks later. Mr Erdogan is trying to regain popularity by dipping into the public purse. But he is also looking for help abroad, balancing, as he has done over the past decade, between NATO allies, Russia and other autocracies, all while flexing his muscles at home.

Explore more

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “No sharp tacks”

From the April 29th 2023 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Europe

Participants of the II Black March of Wolyn 1943 are walking through the streets of the city on the 81st anniversary of the Wolyn massacre in Krakow, Poland, on July 11, 2024.

A dispute over old war crimes strains Polish-Ukrainian relations

The beneficiary is Russia

The leader of the far-right Freedom party (FPOe) Herbert Kickl leaves after talks with Austria's President on January 6, 2025 at the presidential Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria

Austria could soon have a first far-right leader since 1945

Herbert Kickl of the Freedom Party could be the next head of government



Europe has lots of lithium, but struggles to get it out of the ground

Its targets for strategic autonomy look hard to meet

Spain’s government marks 50 years since Franco died

Opponents say it is the birth of democracy that should be commemorated

How extremist politics became mainstream in France

Jean-Marie Le Pen paved the way for his daughter, Marine