The Big Picture

Vincent Boland: Turkey’s elections are Erdogan’s to lose, and he has only himself to blame

The illusion of modernity which Erdogan’s reforms created crumbled on February 6 and contributed to the earthquake’s deadly impact

Recep Tayyip Erdogan:for the first time, the Turkish president faces a united if rather unwieldy opposition coalition. Picture: Getty

In an ideal world, the people of Turkey would be voting in elections today at a moment of great national pride. The republic is 100 years old this year, and there is much to celebrate. Turks are more comfortable and secure in the modern world than they have ever been; their $1 trillion economy is the 19th largest, according to the World Bank. Turkey is a regional power to be reckoned with, and has the ...