Commentary

Apr. 07, 2014 | 12:18 AM

Erdogan has used antagonism to stay in power

Sinan Ulgen| The Daily Star

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on April 07, 2014, on page 7.

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Summary

Turkey's beleaguered Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) have emerged victorious from last week's local elections.

The local elections were widely seen as a referendum on Erdogan.

Turkey's international standing has thus suffered enormously from Erdogan's strategy of internal polarization.

President Barack Obama and Erdogan rarely speak with one another anymore, whereas Obama once considered Erdogan among his favorite world leaders.

Turkey remains a large and important regional power. With his popularity reaffirmed, Erdogan could still move in a different direction.

If Erdogan believes that a higher level of antagonism is necessary to retain power, he may remain oblivious to the harm done to Turkey's international standing.