In this interview for STATUS/الوضع, host Shahram Aghamir speaks with Sinan Birdal, who unpacks Turkey's constitutional referendum that passed on April 16. In a turbulent political environment where the soft and hard executive power of the Turkish presidency is expanding rapidly, the referendum has proven the mechanism by which Erdogan can expand his control over the legislature and the judiciary. Following that, this podcast asks these questions: what did the referendum reveal about the nature of the AKP's support base, and who exactly is the opposition now?
Find all that out and more in this interview with Status.
Sinan Birdal is a visiting assistant professor of International relations and Middle East Studies at the University of Southern California.
Shahram Aghamir is a political commentator on issues related to the Middle East for public and alternative media. He is the co-founder and senior producer of Voices of the Middle East and North Africa on KPFA Radio in Berkeley. Sinan Birdal is a visiting assistant professor of International relations and Middle East Studies at the University of Southern California.