Merve Arslan, a teacher, struggles to reconcile her own perception of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey with that of his critics. “He’s not a dictator,” Ms. Arslan, 28, said. “He’s a democrat.”
The New York Times: In supporting Erdogan, Turks cite economic and religious gains
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech at the conservative Justice and Development Party (AKP) headquarters in Istanbul, on April 16, 2017, after the results of a nationwide referendum that will determine Turkey's future destiny. Erdogan on April 16, 2017 hailed Turkey for making a "historic decision" as he claimed victory in the referendum on a new constitution expanding his powers. The "Yes" campaign to give Turkish President expanded powers won with 51.3 percent of the vote a tightly-contested referendum although the "No" camp had closed the gap, according to initial results. But Turkey's two main opposition parties said they would challenge the results.
