Panelists
Fuat Keyman, Director of the Istanbul Policy Center and Professor of International Relations at Sabanci University, Istanbul
Dilek Kurban, Chair of Dahrendorf working group ‘Europe and Turkey’, Marie Curie Fellow at the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin; Turkey expert of the European Commission’s Network of Independent Experts in the non-discrimination field
Günter Seufert, Senior Fellow of the division EU/Europe at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Berlin
Moderator
Brent Goff, Senior News Anchor and Talk Show Host at Deutsche Welle, Berlin
Following the watershed parliamentary elections on June 7 in which the AKP lost its 23 years of single-party rule, while pro-Kurdish and ultra-nationalist expectations were well exceeded, Turkey’s future is yet again in the balance. Not only will coalition agreements prove a challenging task, but the economy is reacting to the volatile situation with plummeting stock prices, and the future of Turkey’s democracy is being rehashed in light of the opposition’s new role. This Dahrendorf panel discussion will assess the reasons and potential consequences of the election results for democracy and the rule of law in Turkey. Will the peace talks with PKK leader Öcalan regain some momentum following the strengthening of the political representation and power of the pro-Kurdish HDP? Or will the weakening of the AKP jeopardise the continuation of these talks? Is this the beginning of the end of the Erdoğan era after his plans for a presidential system were vetoed, or will he find the means to rise again? Does the HDP’s ability to attract votes from the Turks signal the emergence of a viable political alternative to AKP? The panelists will furthermore explore the significance of these changes in Turkey’s political arena for Europe and the opportunities that this new departure holds for Turkey’s relationship with the EU.
If you wish to attend this discussion, please register via e-mail (haferlach@hertie-school.org).