This week, Turkey held a highly-anticipated re-run election to pick the next mayor of their largest city, Istanbul. And now it’s a battle for the heart of the nation after the CHP, its main opposition party, has found itself reinvigorated after winning the mayoralty by a substantial margin. How have people reacted? And are President Erdogan and the ruling AKP losing political ground? Phil and Cooper explain the timeline of events leading to this week’s election, and speak with Al-Monitor contributor Diego Cupolo about what’s happening on the ground in Turkey.
- Opposition candidate wins Istanbul mayor's race in blow to AKP (Diego Cupolo)
- Intel: How Turkey just shattered many voters' already fractured trust in their democracy
- Polls show opposition candidate ahead as Istanbul rerun nears (Ayla Jean Yackley)
- As Istanbul celebrates, Erdogan-watchers hold breath (Amberin Zaman)
- Why Erdogan’s historic Istanbul defeat is irreparable (Kadri Gürsel)
Extra Listening:
- Episode #79, Mr. 4000 (12/5/2018): Ayla Jean Yackley speaks with Phil and Cooper about Turkey’s economic troubles and how it relates to the 2019 local elections.
- Episode #94, Ready Mayor One (4/4/2019): The rundown on Turkey’s local elections in March 2019.
Music: Nazan Şoray – “Hal Hal” (Spotify | Apple Music)
