New beginnings or business as usual?

TURKEY - Report 04 Jun 2023 by Murat Ucer and Atilla Yesilada

Erdogan’s new Cabinet is full of surprises, highlighted by the return of former economy czar Mehmet Simsek. Simsek though, is only the tip of the iceberg in a Cabinet characterized with conciliatory and capable names drafted from party and civil service. The new Cabinet appears to have been granted some real authority by the President, to do “something” different.

What may that “something” be? The fallback option is to think that Erdogan has another election to win in March 2024, until which time he will play nice, as he did myriad of times in the past when he felt his back making contact with the wall. However, the personnel change is too drastic, and the emerging rhetoric from it versus from the President are somewhat different than what we are used to hear, which raises the suspicion something else might be afoot. Erdogan may have been told by his foreign pals that he should expect no more financial aid until he sets the economic house in order. Or, he may have been forced by his party to recognize that his ways have eroded support and made it very difficult for him to establish a legacy.

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