, Columnist
Turkey’s President Doubles Down After Defeat
Notwithstanding an economic crisis and an election loss, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has decided that voters want more of the same.
Not getting the message
Photographer: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
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You can’t keep a good autocrat down. After his humiliation in the Istanbul mayoral election last month, Recep Tayyip Erdogan seemed chastened. Speaking to legislators of his AK Party, Turkey’s president said, “We don’t have the luxury of turning a deaf ear and ignoring the messages given by the people.”
He since seems to have changed his mind. Notwithstanding an election result that most analysts agree was a vote of no confidence in his management of Turkey’s economy, which is in acute crisis, the president has decided that Turks want more of the same.