Description
He's the most powerful leader since Ataturk founded the modern Turkish republic a century ago. After three stints as prime minister, the highly divisive and populist Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking a third consecutive term as president in Sunday's elections. A champion of religious piety and low interest rates, his popularity has been hit by a cost-of-living crisis caused by rampant inflation. In this special edition, we take a closer look and speak to Deniz Yonucu from Newcastle University about how Erdogan has become more divisive over time. We also hear from our correspondent Shona Bhattacharyya about why conservative women appear to be losing enthusiasm for the incumbent. Finally, we take a look at Erdogan's main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
For this final edition of Middle East Matters, we bring you a series of reports from our correspondents in the region. We begin in Israel, where as the war in Gaza drags on, divisions in Israeli society are growing more stark. Immediately after the attacks of October 7, the vast majority of...
Published 02/07/24
Around a dozen donor countries are freezing funding to UNRWA, the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees, after Israel alleged that 12 UN staffers took part in the October 7 Hamas attacks. The UN has fired the employees in question and promised a full investigation. The budget cuts come at a...
Published 01/31/24