Valdai Club

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Turkey was an integral part of the Western institutional framework. However, it made a conceptual U-turn in the mid-2010s when Ankara de facto rejected the paradigm which consisted of relying on the West as the reference point in its efforts to promote social and economic transformation and modernise its economy.

Despite all the pragmatism and foresight of the diplomatic tactics of the Turkish leadership in terms of increasing Ankara’s role in the Middle East, Turkey still has a number of limitations that have prevented it from acting as a force that completely determines the regional order, Pavel Shlykov writes.

Erdoğan and his supporters will have to seriously prepare for the municipal elections in the spring of 2024, in which the AKP plans to regain control of the largest cities – the capitals Ankara and Istanbul, as well as Antalya. The municipal elections scheduled for March 2024 will be another major electoral test for Erdoğan. The president considers them “decisive” and regards them as a kind of vote of confidence, Pavel Shlykov writes.