The re-election of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey

Xinhuanet

‘Tough attitude’

“The result shows that Erdoğan is still dominant… and his political career is not coming to an end. It is also a clear sign that Erdoğan’s tough attitude toward the US is popular among the Turkish people, as most Turks might not see the United States as the “City upon a Hill” anymore.” Editorial

Atlantic Council

‘More money’

“The most pressing issue on Erdoğan’s agenda is the economic situation. Should pressure mount, he would likely resort to a mix of strategies, including soliciting more money from regional partners and allies such as Azerbaijan, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.” Ali Bakir

The Washington Post

‘US keeping him onside’

“The United States and its partners seem prepared to focus on getting Erdoğan to drop his opposition to letting Sweden join NATO and keeping him onside more generally as the alliance supports Ukraine against Russia’s expanded war.” Olivier Knox

Haaretz

‘Bleak future’

“The opposition lost to Erdoğan not only because it was a distorted playing field, but because Kılıçdaroğlu’s campaign was, at least in the run-off, reactive rather than proactive, winking to extremism and confused in how to brand Kılıçdaroğlu.

“But having an organized, principled, and efficient opposition is part of the democratization process. Being the lesser of two evils is simply not good enough.

“If this is the state of the opposition and its leader, then together with five more years of Erdoğan, the future of Turkey’s democracy is bleak.”