ISTANBUL // For years, many Turks saw Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a charismatic leader with a vision of change and democracy. But today, six years after his Justice and Development Party, or AKP, swept to power in Nov 2002, even some of the prime minister's long-time supporters say he has turned into a hardliner who seems to have forgotten his reformist agenda. "In 2002 he had an approach like [Barack] Obama," said Fehmi Koru, a prominent columnist who has long been considered close to Mr Erdogan. "But in the year 2008 it seems he approaches problems in a style of governing that reminds us a little of [George W] Bush." That change may have been caused by the AKP's will to stay in power in a political climate where the main opposition parties and important players like the military are opposed to further democratic reforms and where Turkey does not receive a clear perspective for membership by the European Union, said Sahin Alpay, a writer and political scientist at Istanbul's Bahcesehir University. "They are probably surrendering their reform agenda to conservative circles in order to hang on to power." Mr Koru's reference to the US president-elect and the outgoing president, in an interview on the news channel NTV last week, has become the most widely quoted phrase in Turkish media as it summed up the perceived change of Mr Erdogan from a reformer who promised change to an uncompromising politician. Other prominent writers and intellectuals, who used to support the AKP, have also voiced concerns that Mr Erdogan may have left the path of reform for good. "Is it the end of the love affair with Erdogan?" the newspaper Birgun asked in a headline this week. There are several factors behind this sense of being let down by Mr Erdogan. The AKP's reform drive to get Turkey ready for EU membership has all but dried up. A new, more democratic constitution has been promised, but no concrete steps have been taken to get the project off the ground. And most important of all, Mr Erdogan is seen to have abandoned his efforts for a democratic solution of Turkey's Kurdish conflict, opting for a more nationalist approach instead. Coming four months before local elections next March, this move is seen by some as an effort by the AKP to attract right-wing voters. A poll published last week indicated that support for the AKP is weakening. If elections were held now, the AKP would receive 36.4 per cent of the vote, the poll said, much less than the almost 47 per cent it received in general elections last year. However, other polls predict higher results for Mr Erdogan's party. In 2005 Mr Erdogan became the first Turkish prime minister to publicly acknowledge that there is a "Kurdish problem" in Turkey. At that time he said the conflict, which killed 40,000 people since Kurdish rebels took up arms against Ankara in 1984 to fight for self-rule, could be solved by improving democracy. But in a speech during a trip to the Kurdish area earlier this month, in which he criticised Kurdish radicals, Mr Erdogan profoundly shocked the reform camp. "What did we say? We said 'one nation, one flag, one motherland, one state'," Mr Erdogan said. "Those who oppose this do not have a place in Turkey. Please, they should leave and go somewhere they like." Shortly afterwards Mr Erdogan gave the impression of condoning violence against Kurdish activists after an incident in Istanbul, where people opened fire with pump guns to prevent supporters of the Party for a Democratic Society, or DTP, Turkey's main Kurdish party, from staging a demonstration. "I recommend patience to my fellow citizens," Mr Erdogan said. "But when does the patience run out?" He added that if a citizen was threatened, he should "defend himself". A prominent reformer Ahmet Altan accused Mr Erdogan of having adopted an undemocratic idea of a state that felt above its citizens, that gave a political role to the military and that wanted to prevent change. There was no reason for the constitutional court to close down the AKP, Mr Altan, the editor of the Taraf newspaper, wrote in a reference to a court case in which the AKP narrowly escaped being dissolved this summer. "It is no longer necessary to close down the party, because Erdogan himself is closing down the old AKP." Other observers, some of whom have supported Mr Erdogan so far, agreed with Mr Altan. Last weekend, the sudden resignation of Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat, an AKP deputy chairman and a leading liberal politician of Kurdish descent, fanned speculation about a programmatic turnaround in the governing party. Mr Firat said he resigned because of health reasons, but newspaper reports said he was unhappy with Mr Erdogan's new position on the Kurdish question. The man who took over Mr Firat's position, former interior minister Abdulkadir Aksu, is also a Kurd, but considered to be a hardliner. The arrival of Mr Aksu meant that the AKP's days as a party supporting reform were over, Mr Altan predicted. "Not a single thing will be done in the European Union issue," he wrote. Given a domestic political environment that was resisting further reforms and an EU that was "showing no encouragement," Mr Erdogan and the AKP had apparently decided to play the nationalist card, Mr Alpay said. But while the consequences of this shift could be far-reaching, "it is too early to say whether we are witnessing the beginning of the end of the Erdogan era". tseibert@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
RACE CARD
4pm Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m
5.10pm Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
Company%20profile
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RACE CARD
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
Scores in brief:
- New Medical Centre 129-5 in 17 overs bt Zayed Cricket Academy 125-6 in 20 overs.
- William Hare Abu Dhabi Gymkhana 188-8 in 20 overs bt One Stop Tourism 184-8 in 20 overs
- Alubond Tigers 138-7 in 20 overs bt United Bank Limited 132-7 in 20 overs
- Multiplex 142-6 in 17 overs bt Xconcepts Automobili 140 all out in 20 overs
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed