Episode description

The results of Turkey's presidential election are finally in and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had been forced into a runoff against his chief opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, gets to keep his job as leader of NATO’s most troublesome member.

Were the elections free and fair? Meh, says Foreign Policy/Council on Foreign Relations expert Steven Cook. This week he joins us to wrap up one of the world’s most anticipated elections—even if the suspense was never more than mild.

Erdogan isn’t either a benevolent dictator or a tyrant. He's an authoritarian of his own flavor—and at least 52 percent of Turks can’t get enough of it. In the 20 years he's been in power, he's mostly been a man for his moment, mixing Islamist beliefs with strong ties to at least military modernity. Before the May 28 vote, the 69-year-old had won many elections—by a lot. He was a popular reformist mayor of Turkey’s largest and most storied city, Istanbul. He did so well there that he and his Islamist Justice and Development Party, AKP, moved up to the national stage.

So, Steven, what’s next for Erdogan and the rest of the world that has to deal with him?

Listen to the show to find out.

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