美国国家公共电台 NPR--Turkey's Erdogan secures a victory in Sunday's historic runoff election

Turkey's Erdogan secures a victory in Sunday's historic runoff election

Transcript¹

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extends his two-decades hold on power by defeating main challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu by four points. NPR's Leila Fadel talks to analyst² Asli Aydintasbas.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won a third five-year term in a runoff election. The incumbent³, who has dominated Turkish politics for 20 years, defeated his main challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, by four points. Joining me to discuss what Erdogan's win means for Turkey and its relations with fellow NATO countries is Asli Aydintasbas. She's a Turkey analyst and visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. Good morning.

ASLI AYDINTASBAS: Good morning.

FADEL: So this was Erdogan's biggest challenge to power so far. But despite an economy in shambles⁴, criticism over how his government dealt with these devastating⁵ earthquakes, and the concern around his anti-democratic practices, like suppressing dissent⁶, he won the vote. What makes him so popular?

AYDINTASBAS: Well, President Erdogan is a good campaigner. There's no doubt about that. He's a vicious campaigner in the sense that this campaign has been marked by attack ads and accusations⁷ and AI-generated footage of the opposition⁸ leader as if he is with terrorist PKK, and so on. But it is also the case that large segments of society, particularly in conservative heartland, identify with Erdogan. They could not connect with the opposition's message of democracy and rule of law. Instead, Erdogan's idea - very strong message about a rising Turkey, a new power, a country that's destined⁹ to be a global power in the 21st century - in fact, he called his campaign the Century of Turkey - resonated with the conservative heartland. There is also, you know, other issues. But I think that at the heart of it, Erdogan, in the end, sold a very appealing idea, which was to make Turkey great again.

FADEL: What would a third decade of Erdogan mean for Turkey?

AYDINTASBAS: It's not clear. Probably much of the same. I think that people who voted for opposition and want a change from different walks of life are disappointed. They're disappointed on - because it will mean continuation of Erdogan's economic policies. Some of his unorthodox or, for lack of a better word, eccentric ideas on economy and interest rates and whatnot would continue. And, of course, people who are seeking greater freedoms - hoping to come out of jail, hoping that they could live in a country with free speech and perhaps free media - are also disappointed.

FADEL: Now, Erdogan has said he has a special relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Turkey is a key NATO member. What does Erdogan's reelection mean for Turkey's relationship with Western countries and fellow NATO members going forward?

AYDINTASBAS: The president has grown closer to Vladimir Putin for a number of reasons. Part of it is dependency and economic dependency. And in part, it's also because the two leaders share a worldview and a disdain¹⁰ for liberal world order. That said, I think Erdogan is trying to play a balancing act of sorts between the West and Russia. But the Western leg of that table is missing. He's had very poor relations with the Biden administration, with European leaders. So from this point on, I think he'll be looking to see if there could be a reset¹¹ with the West, with Europe and United States. But I think he would - the election results mean that he would want it on his own terms.

FADEL: Asli Aydintasbas is a Turkey analyst and a visiting fellow at Brookings Institution. Thanks for being here.

AYDINTASBAS: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

4 shambles   

n.混乱之处；废墟

参考例句：

• My room is a shambles.我房间里乱七八糟。
• The fighting reduced the city to a shambles.这场战斗使这座城市成了一片废墟。

5 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

6 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

7 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

10 disdain   

n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑

参考例句：

• Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
• A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。

11 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。