THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: A neck-and-neck race could conclude the president’s two decades in power, with profound consequences for the country
Few elections have been more closely contested or more important than those taking place in Turkey on Sunday. Voters face a stark choice which will not only define their country’s future, but reverberate more widely. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been part of a broader global shift towards authoritarianism. His defeat, after 20 years in power, could allow Turkey to move back towards democracy and greater freedom – the pledge which unites the multiparty opposition Nation’s Alliance. Another victory for him might see it slide into outright autocracy – leading to the destruction of essential institutions and civil society, already badly damaged by the assaults of the president and his Justice and Development party (AKP). » | Editorial | Thursday, May 11, 2023
