Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    A Political Upset in Turkey Means New Uncertainty in the Middle East

    Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was not on the ballot, but Sunday's parliamentary election was widely seen as a referendum on his leadership and his ambition for more political power. His Muslim-oriented party won the most votes, but lost the parliamentary majority it's held since 2002.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Warren Olney • Jun 9, 2015 • 31m Listen

    Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was not on the ballot, but Sunday's parliamentary election was widely seen as a referendum on his leadership and his ambition for more political power. His Muslim-oriented party won the most votes, but lost the parliamentary majority it's held since 2002. For the first time, a party including Kurds and other minorities won the right to participate in government. The conservative leader now faces a deadline to form a ruling coalition. But, what liberals call a win for democracy has led to drops in economic indicators, and political instability seems likely. What will that mean for the US, Turkey's other NATO allies and the fight against ISIS?

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Historic Parliament Gains Could Transform Turkey's Political Landscape
    1. 1:17Obama Defends Healthcare Law ahead of SCOTUS Ruling
    2. 8:05A Political Upset in Turkey Means New Uncertainty in the Middle EastYou’re reading this
    3. 40:14Reading the Poems of ISIS
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • KCRW placeholder

      Sáša Woodruff

      Producer, 'To the Point'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Benjamin Gottlieb

      Reporter, Fill-in Host

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Evan George

      Director of Content, News

    • KCRW placeholder

      Soli Ozel

      Kadir Has University

    • KCRW placeholder

      Ahu Sila Bayer

      language translator and resident of Istanbul

    • KCRW placeholder

      Max Hoffman

      Center for American Progress

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    Historic Parliament Gains Could Transform Turkey's Political Landscape
    1. 1:17Obama Defends Healthcare Law ahead of SCOTUS Ruling
    2. 8:05A Political Upset in Turkey Means New Uncertainty in the Middle EastYou’re reading this
    3. 40:14Reading the Poems of ISIS
    Back to To the Point