Turkey at 100: Under the Grip of Authoritarian Nationalism

The Republic of Turkey as designed 100 years ago by Kemal Ataturk was intended to be a stalwart member of the Western alliance. A founding member of the United Nations, an early member of NATO, and a candidate for European Union membership, Turkey was a trusted and reliable U.S. ally committed to secular governance and rule of law. Unfortunately, it will mark its centennial under a radically different guise. The two-decade rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has transformed Turkey to be defined by authoritarian nationalism, distanced from the West both as a people and a government. Following Hamas’s recent terrorist attacks on Israel, for example, policymakers in Washington are looking with increased scrutiny at Turkey’s deep dies with the terrorist organization.One hundred years on, what is the trajectory of Turkey as a geopolitical and security partner for the West? What are the core security concerns held by the United States and its allies vis-à-vis Turkey and what steps could Erdogan take to change course? How could policymakers support a more prosperous century ahead for the U.S.-Turkey relationship? To what extent can Ankara claim to be a member of the Western alliance, while providing material support to terrorist entities?Join FDD’s Turkey Program for a panel discussion featuring Henri Barkey, Cohen International Relations professor at Lehigh University and adjunct senior fellow at CFR; Sinan Ciddi, non-resident senior fellow at FDD; and Sibel Oktay, non-resident senior fellow at Chicago Council on Global Affairs. The conversation will be moderated by Amb. Eric Edelman, senior advisor at FDD, with introductory remarks by FDD Senior Vice President Jonathan Schanzer.