Going cold Turkey

Election night is always exciting. All the more so when the vote pits two clashing personalities, two opposing visions, against each other.

That is just what happened in Turkey on Sunday. On the one side, Recep Tayyip ErdoganA Turkish politician who has been president of Turkey since 2014., the brash strongman leader who rules the country. On the other, soft-spoken former bureaucratAn administrative official who works for the government. Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

In a nail-biting night, Erdogan pulled ahead, leading in the first round of voting with 49% of the vote to Kilicdaroglu's 45%.¹ That worries some experts who say this election will define Turkey's future. 

This year marks exactly one century since Turkey was founded. Before this, it had been at the head of a sprawling empire. The sultanA Muslim king or ruler. in IstanbulA major city in Turkey, crossing both Europe and Asia. claimed to be the leader of the whole Islamic world.

But from 1923, under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal AtaturkThe founding father and first president of modern Turkey. , Turkey changed beyond all recognition. Instead of a multi-ethnic empire based on IslamA religion centred around the Quran. Followers of Islam are called Muslims. , it became a nation with a secularA word used to describe something that is not connected with the religious or spiritual sphere. constitutionA document that sets out the fundamental rules according to which a country is governed, which are usually difficult to change.. It maintained friendly relations with surrounding countries.

Since then, Turkey has often been rocked by political turmoil. The government was overthrown three times by the military. Yet throughout this time, it stayed true to Ataturk's principles.

Until 2003, when a new party, the Justice and Development Party, swept to power under the leadership of Erdogan.

In two decades, Erdogan has overturned almost all of Ataturk's legacy. He has undermined Turkey's constitution by imprisoning his opponents, censoring the press and centralising power in the presidency.

That is why many see this election as a battle for Turkey's soul. They say if Erdogan wins another term, Turkey will break from its republican past entirely and become an authoritarianEnforcing strict obedience to authority. state.

His opponent, Kilicdaroglu, has promised to restore democracy and secularism. He also wants Turkey to cooperate more with other countries.

Some, however, say that regardless of the result, Turkey will keep heading in Erdogan's nationalist direction. They argue his opponents are apingImitating someone else's behaviour, speech, or style. his rhetoric: for example, Kilicdaroglu has whipped up hatred of Syrian refugees. Erdogan's ideas, they argue, have already won.

Yes: Turkey plays a pivotal role in global affairs, as a member of NatoThe North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was founded in 1949 to unite Western democracies in Europe and North America against the perceived growing threat of the USSR. It now has 31 members. and intermediary between Europe and Russia. Its future matters to the whole world.

No: The movement towards aggressive nationalism is already entrenched in Turkey. Whatever the outcome, this election will only confirm its relentless march.

Or... Erdogan is one of a number of populist leaders using combining religion with politics. Narendra ModiThe prime minister of India. He inspires passionate support from many in his country, but his critics regard him as populist, anti-Muslim and authoritarian. in India and Benjamin NetanyahuThe prime minister of Israel. in Israel will take heart from an Erdogan victory. That is the importance of this election.