92. Hasan Aygun - Turkish Elections Unveiled: Erdogan’s Rise to Power, Dimming of Democracy, and Geopolitical Ramifications

My guest today is Hasan Aygun, who is a prominent Turkish security analyst with an extensive career in international relations, global security issues and conflict management both as a diplomat and later as a political adviser.

Some of our long-time listeners might recognise Hasan’s biography, as he appeared on the show all the way back in June of 2021. To hear more about Hasan’s extensive background and experiences, listen here.

Today, however, Hasan joins me to discuss the results of the recent Turkish elections and possible implications for the country, the region, and the rest of the world.

Some of the topics we discussed are:

• Hasan’s observations of the electoral process in Turkey
• The historical context to Turkish politics and Erdogan’s rise to power
• Description of the three dominant social groups determining election results
• Gradual decline into authoritarianism and its effects on the ‘fairness’ of Turkish elections
• Analysing the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor and credible rival to Erdogan, Ekrem Imamoglu
• Exploring the factors behind Turkey’s rapid economic decline
• Ownership of television and print media in Turkey and its impact on public discourse
• Suppression of dissenting voices and threats to journalists in Turkey
• The exploitation of migrants and Syrian refugees for political gain in Turkey
• The influence of the February earthquake on voter sentiment in Turkey
• The diminishing state of democracy in Turkey and its consequences
• Evaluating the geopolitical winners and losers following Erdogan’s victory
• Examining Turkey’s relationship with NATO and its implications
• The ‘F-35 Affair’ and its effects on Turkey-US relations
• Turkey’s ties with Russia and the consequences of Finland joining and Sweden’s imminent entry into NATO
• Exploring rumours surrounding Erdogan’s health issues