Ali Bakir
Qatar and Turkey’s enduring partnership has allowed Ankara to re-emerge as a security provider in the Gulf for the first time in over a century.
In one of the most fiercely contested Presidential and general elections Turkey has ever seen, President Erdogan secured a resounding victory last month.
Seven leading opposition figures had joined forces to unseat Erdogan and his entrenched ruling AKP party, but their efforts proved insufficient.
The two camps presented starkly contrasting visions for Turkey’s future, with divergent perspectives on identity and foreign policy.
The opposition’s strategy, however, was more fixated on ousting Erdogan than providing a substantial alternative. They resorted to a desperate pattern of waging fear campaigning, using racism and hate narratives to exacerbate polarisation within the Turkish society and put pressure on the president and his supporters.
This tactic, however, failed to yield the votes needed for a victory. Even after a crushing defeat, the opposition, self-proclaimed democrats, did not take responsibility or resign.
Opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu remained obstinate in the face of calls to step down, despite a track record of losses against Erdogan and the AKP since 2010.