In a momentous election on Sunday, Turkey saw a huge turnout as the country voted on whether to extend President Erdogan’s two-decade grip on power or take a more secular course. This election has become a referendum on Turkey’s longest-serving leader and his Islamic-rooted party, and it is the toughest of more than a dozen elections that Erdogan has faced.
Polls suggest that Erdogan might lose this election, which has led to a surge in voter turnout. Many young voters, who have never known another leader, are calling for change. Sila, a 19-year-old voter, said, “They have been in power since I was born. I want change now.”
Erdogan, who is 69 years old, has played a pivotal role in the nation’s history over the last two decades, steering Turkey through a transformative and divisive era. The nation of 85 million people has become a military and geopolitical heavyweight, playing a crucial role in conflicts from Syria to Ukraine. As a NATO member, Turkey’s outcome in this election is critical for Washington and Brussels, as well as for Damascus and Moscow.
Erdogan cast his ballot in Istanbul and expressed hope for a good outcome for the future of Turkish democracy. This election could decide the fate of Turkey’s democracy and have far-reaching implications for the Middle East and Europe.