The Foreign Policy Implications of Turkey's Elections

More Erdogan.

Turkey is holding national elections on May 14, and for the first time in twenty years President Erdogan is facing a serious challenge at the ballot box. The opposition has unified behind Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a mild mannered career politician from a religious minority group.

So who is Kilicdaroglu? And does he stand a chance to beat an entrenched and charismatic authoritarian? I recently spoke with political scientist Lisel Hintz of The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies about Turkey’s elections and the man who may replace Erdogan as President of Turkey. She answers these questions and more.

The podcast episode is freely available and the full transcript (below) is unlocked for paying subscribers. Enjoy!

Mark Leon Goldberg: So it would seem that Kemal Kilicdaroglu is posing the most serious challenge to Erdogan's hold in power in decades. Who is he and what do listeners need to know about him? 

Lisel Hintz: I would say that there have been numerous challenges to Erd…