Erdogan Plays Conservatism Card Ahead of Upcoming Elections
- The amendment won’t actually change the existing order
- Erdogan plans to consolidate his base with controversial vote
Tayyip Erdogan
Photographer: Oliver Bunic/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is working to consolidate his conservative voter base ahead of next summer’s election with proposed constitutional amendments that would expand the right to wear headscarves in public and prohibit same-sex marriages.
The move is intended primarily as political stagecraft, as the ruling coalition, led by Erdogan’s AK Party, doesn’t have enough votes to pass the amendments. But then, there isn’t any practical need to pass them.