Week in Review: Dangerous Clubs and Sensitive Elections

Rising Star

Erkan Bas. Photo: Workers' Party of Turkey, TIP.

With just over two weeks to go until the Turkish Presidential and Parliamentary elections, the electoral race is getting heated. Understandably, attention is focused on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP on the one hand, and his biggest rivals, Kemal Kilicdaroglu and the alliance around the opposition CHP.

Yet beyond this, there are some other parties and individuals worth keeping an eye on. One is Erkan Bas of the Workers Party of Turkey. The child of Bosniak migrants from Serbia's Sandzak region, he is showing potential of leading a revival on the Turkish left. We take a look at the man and his politics.

Read more: Erkan Bas: Bosniak Migrants' Son Eyes Leading Revived Turkish Left (April 24, 2023)

Strike

Journalists' Union of Turkey, TGS and Reuters journalists announce their strike decision. Photo: TGS

Meanwhile, as the days are counted down to the Turkish parliamentary and presidential elections, journalists from AFP and Reuters are threatening to go on strike. The reason is a failure of negotiations with management over pay increases amidst rampant inflation and soaring living costs in the country.

While the planned strike is perhaps not a surprising culmination of the long running dispute, it comes at a worrying time. With few independent media outlets left in Turkey, the strike could leave local and international audiences even more in the dark about the course of the elections than would otherwise be the case.

Read more: Journalists' Strike Ahead of Turkish Elections Raises Information Concerns (April 27, 2023)

Sensitive Election

Irina Vlah the appointed Governor of the Gagauzian...