Why is Erdogan rushing into a referendum now?
While Turkey's economic and security vulnerabilities increase, Erdogan has run out of enemies to rally his base against for the April referendum.
The public seems quiet in Turkey. One may think this silence means everyone is happy, as government statistics claim. On the other hand, one might suspect that in the current system where protests are banned, dissent is promptly punished and courts are compromised, there are almost no venues to air public grievances. Perhaps the public silence indicates a deep resentment and fear, rather than happiness with government services.
In the past couple of years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has often repeated the phrase, “We have been cheated,” as a way of escaping responsibility. Does his lack of accountability signal an approaching legitimacy crisis in Turkey?
