Is Erdogan On His Way Out?

[ichkeria]

After 20 largely disastrous years?
Mildly surprised no one has raised this before …

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkey-votes-pivotal-elections-that-could-end-erdogans-20-year-rule-2023-05-13/

[Toorak]

I hope so

But I doubt it :-(

[ToraToraTora]

dunno they keep talking about some geezer called hair-do-one on the news.

[DTCwordfan]

Couldn't happen to a finer Muslim......

Maybe Putin will bomb Ankara by mistake?

[ichkeria]

Kilicdaroglu will be a challenge for the commentators :-)

[Toorak]

It’s looking very close :-(

[jourdain2]

It's the first round. I hope Erdogan loses, but, from experience in France, when that happens all the stops are pulled out. I helped in a local election (translating etc.) and when the party in power did not do well in the 1st round I saw them carrying old ladies in their nightwear (well wrapped up), tenderly sitting them in the voting booth and explaining who was where on the ballot paper. They stopped short of saying "Put your cross there".

I expect it will be much the same in Turkey if Erdogan is behind, with, possibly, some skulduggery? We shall see.

[Hopkirk]

I don't trust him to have allowed a fair election.

[youngmafbog]

Haha, a nice thought but it wont happen.

Elections can be 'manipulated' you know!

[Khandro]

Erdogan once said that democracy is like a bus, you use it to get where you want & then you get off.
He dreams of re-starting the Ottoman Muslim empire with him as the overall sultan.

[Gromit]

I have never been a fan, but by hook or by crook, he has a habit of clinging on. So I think he can still win.
I have a lot of Turkish friends, and they are desperate to be rid of him.
He has always been a bit of a maverick, but the NATO leaders love him because he is an helpful idiot. So fingers crossed for his demise.

[Toorak]

Unfortunately I think he will win - the voting margin suggests that

[Gromit]

My friends are in the cities and towns are are very liberal. His heartland is the countryside which is very conservative and religious. Such polarisation exists in many countries, even the UK.

[Khandro]

Did you know he was, as a young man, a star professional football player? I believe that being famous was how he launched himself into politics, rather like Imran Khan from his cricket background did in Pakistan.
The difference though is that Imran is a goodie & Erdogan is a baddie.