Turkey is both the historic "crossroads of Europe and Asia" and a powerful presence in the Middle East. As recently as 2009, President Obama visited Turkey and praised Tayyip Erdogan for curbing the military and showing that Islam can coexist with democracy. Since then, the Prime Minister has brutalized protesters, banned Twitter and YouTube, and jailed scores of reporters. This weekend, after his party won local elections around the country, he promised criminal action against his opponents and said, "There will be those who have to flee." Will he try to prolong his rule? What's at stake for Syria, Iran, Israel and the European Union? Is it time for the US to start paying attention?
Is Turkey the Next Dictatorship?
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Credits
Guests:
- Henri Barkey - Lehigh University / Wilson Center - @hbarkey
- Hugh Pope - International Crisis Group - @Hugh_Pope
- Pinar Tremblay - Al Monitor / California State Polytechnic University Pomona - @pinartremblay
- Steven A. Cook - senior fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations - @stevenacook