Zeitgeist Turkey | Episode 20: How achievable are Erdoğan's promise of reforms with his ultranationalist ally Bahçeli?
In this episode of Zeitgeist Turkey, co-hosts Cansu Çamlıbel and Can Selçuki speak with Turkish foreign policy expert and Washington Post columnist Aslı Aydıntaşbaş about the ruling AKP government's recent promises of democratic reforms. While the Turkish Central Bank's interest rate hike is a positive first step, the AKP will need policy reforms to convince the global community, Aydıntaşbaş said, adding that their coalition ally Nationalist Movement Party(MHP) may hinder that.
Editor: Azra Ceylan
In this week's episode of Zeitgeist Turkey, Duvar English Editor-in-Chief Cansu Çamlıbel and pollster Can Selçuki host senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations Aslı Aydıntaşbaş to discuss President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's promises of democratic reforms for the country.
While the Central Bank's increase in interest rates is a positive first step in the right direction, Aydıntaşbaş noted that global capital will not flow back into the country until democratic reforms are implemented as well.
As officials from within the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have signaled a series of actions to re-establish justice in the country, a mafia leader close to AKP's coalition ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and its leader Devlet Bahçeli has been threatening the main opposition.
Aydıntaşbaş said that mob leader Alaattin Çakıcı's threats to the opposition have in fact been signals to President Erdoğan, drawing out red lines for the MHP.
The AKP and President Erdoğan will need to separate from the MHP to implement enough reforms to convince the global community of a return to law, Aydıntaşbaş added.