Erdogan's Turkey

Turcja: Między demokracją a autokracją

Presidential elections in Turkey are a big test for Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with his main rival, opposition leader Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, snapping at his heels. The country is facing the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades and the government has been criticised for its response to the terrible earthquake in the south.

Between Democracy and Autocracy

Turkey is a pivotal country at the crossroads of Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and the Middle East. Being at the centre of so many worlds is both a blessing and a curse for Ankara, automatically making it a key player in regional geopolitics whether it would wish to be or not. It's a complex chessboard which Recep Tayyip Erdogan knows how to navigate with skill.

Turkish Geopolitics

Turkey is a pivotal country at the crossroads of Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and the Middle East.

Mapping the World

In eastern Turkey, close to the Armenian border, an archaeological site highlights the difficult past between Turks and Armenians. Ani was the old capital of Armenia, and it’s restoration by Turkish is a bone of contention between the two countries.

Turkey-Armenia: Peace in Ruins?

In eastern Turkey, close to the Armenian border, an archaeological site highlights the difficult past between Turks and Armenians.

ARTE Reportage

In Turkey, the minimum wage has just been increased by 50%. The uptick comes against a backdrop of galloping inflation, which could push prices to new heights and put the brakes on the country’s economy in the first quarter of 2024. Managers and the middle class whose salaries will stagnate feel they have become sacrifices in this move, taken just two months ahead of the municipal elections the ruling AKP party hopes to win.

The 50% increase comes against a backdrop of high inflation and an election campaign.

Turkey raises minimum wage two months before elections

Last year, in response to the opposition's demand to send all Syrians back across the border, President Erdoğan declared, "We will never allow Kemal Bey (the opposition candidate) to send our Syrian brothers home!" But the popularity of the Turkish President has since declined, in the wake of a deep economic crisis and a lacklustre rescue response to February's lethal earthquake. Meanwhile, Turkish xenophobic sentiment has grown, with some Syrian neighbourhoods even becoming the target for looting and unrest. As he tries to retain his twenty-year grip on power, Erdoğan announced a plan for the "voluntary return" of one million Syrians last summer.

Turkey: Syrians in the Crosshairs of the Elections

Syrian refugees have become political pawns as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan tries to retain his twenty-year grip on power.

Antakya was among the most heavily affected by the earthquakes in February. Prior to the disaster, over 200,000 residents lived in the city. It differed greatly from the rest of the country because it had a population that consisted of Sunni and Alevi Muslims, Orthodox Christians, and a few Armenians living together.

Turkey: A Devastated City

Antakya was home to many religions before the earthquake. Residents now fear their communities will be separated.

The children affected by the earthquake and its consequences are regaining their zest for life in Antakya. Games and workshops help them reconnect with their peers and experience a semblance of their pre-earthquake school life. A visit from a travelling theater troupe brings smiles and laughter. It provides an opportunity to momentarily forget the tragedy and start anew.

Turkey: The Children of Hatay

The children affected by the earthquake and its consequences are regaining their zest for life in Antakya.

Arte Reportage

Turkey is often seen as a bridge between East and West. But at the moment this bridge seems unstable with war in the Middle East, a refugee crisis, and an increasingly bellicose president Erdogan. Understanding Turkey today in five minutes.

Turkey and its Neighbours

Stories of Conflict

Putin and Erdogan: Black Sea Guardians

The Black Sea bring together two powerful leaders in the region: Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Erdogan. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the completion of the Turkstream pipeline in 2020 have bolstered the sea’s strategic importance for both nations.

Erdogan's Turkey

Between Democracy and Autocracy

All videos

Mapping the World

ARTE Reportage

Turkey raises minimum wage two months before elections

ARTE Reportage

ARTE Reportage

Arte Reportage

Stories of Conflict

Mapping the World