Erdogan Needs Enemies More Than Friends

By Soner Cagaptay

Soner Cagaptay is the Beyer Family fellow and director of the Turkish Research Program at The Washington Institute. He has written extensively on U.S.-Turkish relations, Turkish domestic politics, and Turkish nationalism. 

On April 16, Turkey will hold a constitutional referendum, which if passed, promises to transform the country’s governing system. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stands to gain expansive new executive powers – powers that critics say will create a de facto dictatorship in Turkey. For his part, Erdogan has branded many opponents of the referendum as terrorists and enemies of the state. The Cipher Brief’s Fritz Lodge spoke with Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, about Erdogan’s goals in the referendum vote, and what he is willing to sacrifice to get to “Yes.”

The Cipher Brief: How would a Yes vote in Turkey’s April 16 referendum change the Turkish constitution, and how would it expand the powers of the presidency?

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