International Politics and Economy

By David Rowe, Western Sydney University | – Professional golf – and increasingly world sport – is caught in a sand trap. Not the familiar hazard between fairway and green, but the Middle Eastern desert producing enormous quantities of fossil fuels. The resulting riches are being diverted into sport, disrupting its traditional Western dominance. The […]

Arms Sales

An Iron Curtain Has Descended on America

William J. Astore

( Tomdispatch.com ) – Decline. It’s a word that hasn’t been much in the American vocabulary, though, as retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, historian, and TomDispatch regular William Astore suggests today, it certainly should have been. In fact, you could argue that we’re talking about 30-plus years of all-American decline, during much of which, after […]

Bernie Sanders

As Bernie Sanders warns against Tribalism in America, Who will Stand Up to do the Right Thing?

Peter G. Prontzos

Vancouver (Special to Informed Comment) – It is, unfortunately, not an understatement to say that our world that is becoming increasingly divided, increasingly tribalized. Tribalism is also growing within the United States of course,: racism, homophobia, blue states versus red states, neo-nazis declaring, “Jews will not replace us!”, and simmering anger — dramatically illustrated by […]

Democracy

How did Turkish President Erdoğan Survive the Strongest Challenge Yet?

Marc Martorell Junyent

Munich (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won the elections in Türkiye. Again. In power for two decades, first as prime minister and then as president, Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) secured a relatively comfortable victory over Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in the runoff election held on May 28. Kılıçdaroğlu, the […]

Democracy

In a post-election Turkey, the country remains divided on political lines

Arzu Geybullayeva

Written byArzu Geybullayeva ( Globalvoices.org) -Showing up at a polling station, as one of the two presidential candidates, in a country-wide election with a pocket full of cash may not occur to leaders of democratic countries, but in Turkey, that is what the newly re-elected President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan did on May 28. The incumbent […]

Elections

What Erdoğan’s Reelection means for Turkey’s Political System, Economy and Foreign Policy

The Conversation

By Ahmet T. Kuru, San Diego State University | – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been reelected as president, ensuring that his term as leader of Turkey will extend to a quarter century. The electorate returned Erdoğan to power in a runoff vote on May 28, 2023, with 52% of votes. But with 48% of voters […]

Corruption

Free but unfair election: how Erdogan held onto Power in Turkey, and what this means for the Country’s Future

The Conversation

By Mehmet Ozalp, Charles Sturt University | – Recep Tayyib Erdogan will remain president of Turkey for another five years after winning Sunday’s run-off election over his long-time rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. If he serves the full five-year term, he will have held power for 26 years – almost the entire history of Turkey in the […]

Elections

Pro-Islam Turkish President Erdoğan Campaigned on Space Flight and New EV, but he Hasn’t Beaten Inflation

The Conversation

By Merve Sancak, Loughborough University | – President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ruled Turkey for the last 21 years. In the first few terms of his rule, Turkey experienced significant economic growth and a reduction in inequality. This was widely believed to be a reason for Erdoğan’s long-term popularity. However, inflation hit a 24-year high […]

Elections

The 3.6 mn. Syrian Refugees in Turkiye now a Political Football between the Two Leading Candidates

Middle East Monitor

Gilbert Achkar ( Middle East Monitor ) – The Turkish election scene is truly disgusting, a scene in which the Syrian refugees have become a scapegoat and the subject of fierce bidding by various parties. Recent days have witnessed a peak in this regard, reflecting the outcome of the first round of the presidential elections […]