Elections in Turkey: What to expect?

John Peet, Elif Shafak and Dimitar Bechev will discuss the upcoming elections in Turkey, and how their outcome will affect the political development of a country poised on the precipice of turbulent change. 

Guests

John Peet, Europe Editor, The Economist

Elif Shafak, Author

Dimitar Bechev, Head of Sofia office, ECFR

Turkey has entered a critical year in its political development, marked by local elections on 30 March and its first-ever direct presidential polls to be held in August. Their outcome will set the direction of Turkey's domestic politics, relations with neighbours and with the EU. The panel will take stock and discuss the fallout from the municipal vote, at a time of growing political polarisation within Turkish society coupled with turbulence in the economy, and explore scenarios for the future. 

 

Elif Shafak is a founding member of ECFR and an award-winning author, columnist and political commentator. Amongst the many books she has written are HonourThe Forty Rules of Love and The Bastard of Istanbul.

Dimitar Bechev is the head of the ECFR's office in Sofia. He is the editor of What Does Turkey Think, a collection of essays by Turkish analysts, policymakers and academics exploring how questions of identity, democratisation and Ankara's evolving foreign policy are seen from within the new Turkey. 

John Peet is the Europe Editor of The Economist, specialising in Russia and Turkey. Before joining The Economist he was a civil servant, working for HM Treasury and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1976 to 1986.