Turkey's Local Elections under the Shadow of the Economic Crisis

Turkey is in the midst of a deep economic crisis. The currency crisis in August 2018 marked the beginning of the first phase of the 2018-2019 crisis. The effects of the currency crisis spread rapidly: while inflation, interest rates and unemployment rose, industrial production declined and economic growth stagnated. The second phase, which is still ongoing, is marked by the attempts of Erdoğan government to counteract the consequences of the crisis, partially by blaming others for the crisis. The third phase will begin after the local elections on 31 March 2019. In this article, I will discuss the background, stages and the current status of the 2018-2019 economic crisis in the context of the upcoming local elections.