Recent developments in the Turkish political landscape hint the country’s shift to what critics may call an even more authoritarian rule
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Turkey has witnessed waves of protests following the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on corruption charges. With the arrest of more than a thousand demonstrators, critics fear a slide towards authoritarianism.
On Monday last week, a European Commission spokesperson urged Turkey to “uphold democratic values”. However, neither Commission President Ursula von der Leyen nor her European Council counterpart Antonio Costa have publicly addressed the issue.
The underlying reason seems to be the EU's urgency to maintain cooperation with Turkey, especially given its already tense ties with the United States.
Radio Schuman also looks at another EU strategy unveiled today – on how the bloc intends to prepare itself for all emergencies, and also explore a list of the EU’s trade partners in iron and steel.
Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with audio editing by Johan Breton. Music by Alexandre Jas.