ISTANBUL — Mayoral elections are underway in 30 large cities in Turkey along with other municipal races Sunday that are seen as a barometer of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s popularity amid a sharp economic downturn in the nation straddling Europe and Asia.
ISTANBUL, Turkey — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday faces the biggest ballot box challenge of his 15 year grip on Turkey, with the opposition revitalized and his popularity at risk from growing economic troubles.
VIENNA – Up to 2.5 million votes could have been manipulated in Sunday’s Turkish referendum which ended in a tight ‘Yes’ vote for greater presidential powers, Alev Korun, an Austrian member of the Council of Europe observer mission, told ORF radio on Tuesday.
Turkish lawmakers on Thursday approved three more articles in a hugely controversial bill bolstering the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as lawmakers brawled and threw objects in a session of high tension.
Turkish police on Friday detained the two co-leaders of the country’s main pro-Kurdish party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), and several other MPs in a major escalation of the crackdown in the wake of a failed July 15 coup.
Selahattin Demirtaş, the head of the pro-Kurdish opposition party in Turkey, will visit Moscow this week to speak to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and open a satellite office for his party. The meeting follows a tense several weeks in which Turkey and Russia have all but severed their diplomatic ties.
Contents: Erdogan’s party in Turkey wins landslide victory; How Turkey changed in five months
Contents: Turkey blames ISIS for Saturday’s massacre as anti-government anger grows; Turkey is seen as increasingly unstable after massacre
Contents: Massive terror attack in Ankara called worst in Turkey’s history; Kurdish politicians in Turkey blame Erdogan government for Ankara terror attack
The head of Turkey’s People’s Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtaş, stated this week that his Kurdish-friendly party had experienced more than 400 attacks by Islamists and Turkish nationalists in the last two days.
Contents: Egypt’s army starts ‘The Martyr’s Right’ operation in North Sinai; Turkey’s troops enter northern Iraq to hunt PKK after terror attacks; Violence spreads in cities across Turkey; Pro-government mobs in Turkey storm Hurriyet offices for alleged Erdogan misquote; Turkey appears to be approaching civil war.
Contents: Thousands of pro-Kurd demonstrators march in Paris; Turkey – PKK ‘peace process’ threatened by new Turkish war policy; Turkey bombs ISIS targets in northern Syria to set up ‘safe zone’; Arab News: Turkey is lying about the attack in Suruç
Contents: Turkey’s politics become vitriolic after Suruç massacre; In major reversal, Turkey will let US use Incirlik to fight ISIS in Syria; Turkish soldier killed by ISIS in first gunfight across Syrian border
Contents: Riots and violence across Turkey after Monday’s suicide bombing in Suruç; PKK kills 2 Turkish police officers in retaliation for Suruç blast; Syria’s war comes to Turkey after Monday’s terror attack on Suruç; Greece’s parliament approves European lender reform demands
Contents: Kurds blame Erdogan for ISIS terrorist attack in southeastern Turkey; Philippines reinforces grounded ship to challenge China in South China Sea
Contents: Pakistan gives ‘Save the Children’ a partial reprieve; Turkey denies responsibility for ISIS massacre on Kurds in Kobani; European leaders prepare for Greece to default
Turkey’s parliamentary elections on Sunday have resulted in a fragmented legislature that has significantly weakened the power of ruling Islamist AK Party, while bringing to power a record number of Kurds, Christians, women, Yazidis, and even members of the Roma minority.
