CORRUPTION SCANDAL AND POLITICAL CRISIS IN TURKEY: WHAT’S NEXT? 

A wide-ranging corruption inquiry was launched in Turkey on December 17, 2013, the largest in the history of the republic. The inquiry quickly led to a political crisis thanks to a series of questionable moves by the government. Since then, thousands of police officers and bureaucrats have been reassigned. The government claims that the inquiry is a plot to overthrow the AKP and Prime Minister Erdogan from power, conspired by a clandestine ‘parallel state’ embedded in judiciary and police forces. Most of the blame goes to the Hizmet (ak.a. Gulen movement) while the US, Israel, and others, are also implicated. Critics of the government argues that, the government is simply trying to deflect very serious corruption charges that involve top cabinet ministers and businessmen close to Mr. Erdogan, by defaming prosecutors and undermining independent judiciary. The panelists will examine domestic and international implications of the crisis and the potential impact on the upcoming elections in Turkey. 

Seating is limited, please register below. Refreshments will be served.

SPEAKERS 

Omer Taspinar, Professor at National War College and Johns Hopkins University, Fellow at Brookings Institute

Joshua Walker, GMF Transatlantic Fellow, Fellow at the Truman National Security Project

Fevzi Bilgin, Director, Rethink Institute