Nov 6, 2025
In this episode
of Middle East Focus, hosts Alistair Taylor and
Matthew Czekaj are joined by MEI Senior Fellow Gönül Tol to discuss
democratic backsliding in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip
Erdoğan. The conversation explores how Erdoğan’s crackdown against
Turkey’s opposition has reached new heights, with Istanbul Mayor
Ekrem İmamoğlu and other opposition party officials facing
politically motivated charges. At the same time, Erdoğan is
attacking opposition media, deepening talks with Kurdish leaders,
and strengthening ties with the West — all with, at least in part,
an eye to extending his rule beyond 2028. Tol unpacks the
government’s strategy, the risks to Turkish democracy, and what
Erdoğan’s growing international prominence means for the country’s
political future.
Recorded on November 4, 2025.
Read Gönül Tol’s analysis of how Erdoğan uses Turkey's role on
the global stage to tighten his grip on power here.
Listen to Rethinking
Democracy here.