Power Games: Can Dündar Believes Erdogan is Putin's Doppelganger in Turkey's Political Power Struggle
- Journalist Can Dündar speaks out about Erdogan's intentions to emulate Putin's rule
Welcome to the tangled world of power politics! Turkish exiled journalist, Can Dündar, pulled no punches when he compared President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's latest move to arrest Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu to a power grab straight out of Vladimir Putin's playbook.
According to Dündar, the Turkish president is attempting to emulate his Russian counterpart by keeping his opponents at bay and clinging to power. Istanbul's mayor, a stern challenger to Erdogan, was arrested in the morning. His imprisonment came just days before he was set to become the presidential candidate of the largest Turkish opposition party, CHP.
The Turkish judiciary's allegations against İmamoğlu are rooted in terrorism and organized crime, as reported by the state news agency Anadolu. Dündar sees this as an expression of Erdogan's desire to mirror Putin's hardline tactics.
In a nod to Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, Dündar also expressed concerns over the EU's readiness to embrace a new authoritarian leader like Erdogan for the sake of security. Remember, Orbán is widely known for his strong-arm political style.
Can Dündar was once the editor-in-chief of the government-critical newspaper "Cumhuriyet." As a result of his hard-hitting investigations, he was arrested and spent three months behind bars in 2015. He now resides in exile in Germany, sentenced to over 27 years in prison in absentia by a Turkish court in 2020.
Can Dündar: A Candle in the Darkness
Can Dündar, the fearless Turkish journalist, continues to shed light on the oppressive tactics employed by Erdogan. His unrelenting pursuit of truth has made him a thorn in the side of the Turkish government, forcing him into exile. However, his brave words carry the power to influence and serve as a beacon for those who seek freedom from tyranny.
Strongmen at Play: Erdogan and Putin
Erdogan and Putin are two leaders known for their iron-fisted rule and strategic power struggles. Both have consolidated power by suppressing and jailing opposition, controlling media, and capitalizing on nationalistic sentiment. Erdogan has used his strongman tactics to maintain balance between Western and Eastern alliances, while Putin has directly challenged Western dominance in global politics.
Their methods for maintaining power may share similarities, but the context in which they operate differs. Erdogan navigates complex geopolitical relationships, while Putin focuses on undermining Western influence. They both use elections and external conflicts to bolster their internal support. In essence, they are crafty chess masters, each playing their own game on the global stage.
In light of Erdogan's recent move to arrest Istanbul's mayor, Can Dündar publicly compared this action to a power tactic reminiscent of Russia's Vladimir Putin, suggesting that Erdogan is emulating Putin's hardline methods. With the impending European Union's role in the world discussed in a Parliament resolution on the Commission communication, concerns have been raised about the EU's readiness to tolerate authoritarian leaders, such as Erdogan, like Hungary's Viktor Orbán. These political power plays are under scrutiny by journalists like Can Dündar, who continues to protest the Turkish government's oppressive tactics from his exile in Europe, having been sentenced to over 27 years in prison in absentia for his investigative reporting.
