Turkish Pres. Election: Will Turkey Restore Its Democracy or Further Slide into Authoritarianism?

The Moynihan Institute Middle Eastern Studies program presents Murat Somer (Koç University Istanbul), and Güneş Murat Tezcür (University of Central Florida).

On May 14, Turkey is scheduled to hold its presidential election, where the opposition will make a strong push to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. For the first time in Erdoğan’s 20-year rule, the opposition parties have formed a united front known as the Table of Six, with longtime main opposition party leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, as its presidential candidate. Among others, Kılıçdaroğlu is running on the promise to restore democracy to Turkey.

Join us on April 11 as a panel of experts explore the opposition’s chances of success in the upcoming election and the prospects for Turkey’s future. The outcome of the election will shape the country’s trajectory for years to come and will be one of the most significant international events of the year.