Summary
The rapid escalation of
anti-government protests in Turkey in recent days has exposed a number
of long-dormant fault lines in the country's complex political
landscape. But even as the appeal of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (also known by its
Turkish acronym, AKP) is beginning to erode, it will remain a powerful
force in Turkish politics for some time to come, with its
still-significant base of support throughout the country and the lack of
a credible political alternative in the next elections.
