Polling for Power

Appearnces to the contrary, not all states and regimes in the Middle East are collapsing. Recent elections in Egypt and Turkey produced the results desired by their respective presidents – Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

For Sisi, the nationwide elections for parliament completed the restoration to power of Egypt’s authoritarian “deep state” and reinforced his status as unchallenged leader; for Erdoğan, his Justice and Development Party (AKP) regained its absolute majority in parliament and thus ensured his continued unrivaled status.

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