Why Turkey just became a more difficult ally

Published May 6, 2019 7:00pm ET



It’s no secret that democracy is slipping in Turkey. But the latest indicator — an announcement from the country’s election commission that voided the results of opposition victory in Istanbul, should leave no illusions on where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stands.

March 31 was a great day for the Turkish opposition. For the first time in 25 years Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party, known as the AKP, lost the mayoral election, handing opposition politician Ekrem Imamoğlu the victory. After weeks of recounts, the result was confirmed and Imamoğlu took office in April.

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