Strongman’s grip on Turkey not so ironclad

About half of Turkey’s voters still want the secular state they used to have, which means that Mr. Erdogan’s ostentatious piety and strident promotion of political Islam alienate almost as many voters as they seduce.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is running for re-election, with the vote scheduled for June 24. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Opinion

BY GWYNNE DYER

June 22, 2018

There is no possibility of a happy outcome in Sunday’s election in Turkey. Almost exactly half the population adores President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in power since 2002, while the other half hates him and believes his victory would mean the death of demo...

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