The Irish Times view on the Turkish election: a defining moment for Erdogan

Sunday’s election in Turkey, which could usher in a decisive change of direction in the country’s politics, pits challenger Kemal , Kılıçdaroğlu against incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in office since 2014.

Erdogan’s Justice and Development party (AKP), the country’s dominant force for more than 20 years, practises a politics that is often described as “national-conservative”. It has also been called Islamist, a label the party rejects. President Erdoğan certainly finds his most loyal support among traditionalist and deeply religious elements of the electorate, particularly in rural areas, while the opposition’s strengths lie in cities and coastal regions living off tourism.

The coalition backing , Kılıçdaroğlu brings together six parties, with often quite disparate views on how to solve Turkey’s problems. His own grouping, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), is the second largest in parliament, with an ideology based on social democracy, mild social liberalism, Europeanism and ‘Kemalism’, the modernising secularist philosophy of the founder of the Turkish republic, Kemal Atatürk.

After a hard-fought referendum campaign, Turkey narrowly voted in 2017 to move from a parliamentary to a presidential system, abolishing the office of prime minister. While the AKP again looks likely to dominate parliament, most opinion polls have shown , Kılıçdaroğlu a few points ahead in the presidential race, some predicting a first-round win, others a narrow victory after a second round on May 28th.

How Ireland drinks now: Teetotallers, wine-o’clockers and ex-drinkers

---

‘It is about power and control’ - scale of Baby Reindeer-type stalking in Ireland stuns researchers

---

Brake defects, faulty seatbelts, broken doors – the allegations made against a major bus operator

---

Dozy dozen: 12 of the best spots to get 40 winks in Ireland and overseas

---

The AKP has historic achievements to its credit in growing the Turkish economy. But its recent record, and that of Erdoğan, is more problematic, with political repression, galloping inflation, a currency collapse and a slow response to February’s catastrophic earthquake. A victory for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu would be generally welcomed in Europe. There is, however, the danger of civil unrest if the AKP refuses to accept the result. An opposition victory could also put Turkish accession to the EU back on the agenda, a development which would not be welcomed by all current members.