Turkey: A Land of Stunning Coastlines and Jailed Dissidents

Erdoğan hides his mounting human rights abuses behind a carefully crafted tourism campaign. Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. On Wednesday, Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay became the latest—and the most consequential—opposition mayor to defect to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP). His departure from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), one of 44 since March 2024, broke Izmir’s nearly 30-year streak as an opposition stronghold. Sinan Ciddi is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and director of the Turkey program. Isabella Bournas is an intern at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, in Washington, D.C. More We Think You’d Like