Justice and Development Party

Turkey’s elections this weekend will be hotly contested, with dozens of political parties trying to get out the vote. And one of their main tools will be specially-written election songs.Turkey’s elections this weekend will be hotly contested, with dozens of political parties trying to get out the vote. And one of their main tools will be specially-written election songs.

This fall, Turkey’s AKP party ended a law that kept women from wearing Islamic headscarves in some public places. It was supposed to provide more personal freedom. And for some women, it has. But others feel it has emboldened conservatives who want to restrict women’s behavior.

What started as a corruption investigation against family members and business associates of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s inner circle has escalated with purges of the police and prosecutors who are investigating politicians. And the prime minister blames a shadowy religious leader who’s in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania.

Turkey is finally starting to acknowledge and accept its large Kurdish minority. After decades of discrimination, the government is moving to include them. But in exchange for that recognition, the Kurds may well be asked to back an expansion of the powers of Turkey’s president.

Turkey’s prime minister needs Kurdish support to enact some constitutional changes, but it is not clear that the Kurds are ready to sign on.