Publication

This paper discusses why Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost considerable support in the June 2015 presidential elections and examines the challenges and hopes the new political power distribution brings. The authors identify the slowdown of the Turkish economy as the main cause of the decline in AKP’s support, and mention President Erdogan’s authoritarian tendencies as a contributing factor. They also note the impact opinions on the Kurdish Peace Process had on the outcome of the elections and conclude by examining Turkey’s tensions with Israel.