Erdoğan seizes geopolitical opportunity to suppress democratic opposition

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“Trump’s undemocratic actions at home have fostered a global environment where authoritarian leaders feel emboldened to suppress dissent even further,” she stated.

Given Trump’s frequent calls to imprison his political rivals, it’s unlikely he would reprimand Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—either publicly or privately—over the incarceration of İmamoğlu. In fact, during an interview last week with the staunchly pro-MAGA Tucker Carlson, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff described a recent phone conversation between the two leaders as “great” and “transformational.”

Although this conversation took place before İmamoğlu’s arrest, Trump himself has made no effort to temper his attacks on political adversaries. Just last week, while visiting the U.S. Justice Department, he referred to his opponents as “scum,” “savages,” and “Marxists,” adding for good measure that they were also “deranged” and “thugs.” This rhetoric aligns with his ongoing campaign of political retribution, a pledge he made during his first official rally in Texas.

With such a dynamic, it’s no surprise that Erdoğan has little concern about facing Trump’s criticism. The two leaders have praised each other for years, and Erdoğan has even publicly stated his support for Trump’s peace initiative in Ukraine—sentiments that are undoubtedly appealing to the former U.S. president.

Erdoğan isn’t alone among world leaders sensing a shift in the geopolitical landscape. Other struggling autocrats—or aspiring ones—also seem to believe they are entering a new era, one in which they can discard traditional democratic norms and reshape the system in their favor. This perspective is shaping their policies as they learn from one another, embracing tactics such as targeting LGBTQ+ rights, scapegoating migrants, suppressing independent journalism, taking control of public broadcasters, or shutting them down entirely.

Beyond simply adopting similar playbooks, they also appear willing to assist one another. As Turkish authorities imposed a ban on public gatherings and restricted access to social media, Trump’s close ally Elon Musk suspended prominent Turkish opposition accounts on his platform.

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This version keeps the substance of the original while refining the wording for clarity and readability. Let me know if you’d like any modifications!