Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves to supporters during the last rally in Istanbul on April 15 ahead of Sunday's referendum. Turkey is voting on a contentious referendum on constitutional reforms to expand Erdogan's powers. Polls before the vote showed Turks evenly divided as they choose whether to approve constitutional amendments that would transform Turkey’s system of government from a parliamentary to a presidential system. Deadly attacks have been carried out in Turkish cities by the Islamic State, unnerving the public and troubling the economy. “His populism is effective in large part because it is heartfelt,” wrote Howard Eissenstat, a professor of history at St. Lawrence University, in a recent paper that was sharply critical of Erdogan and the proposed constitutional changes.

Source: Washington Post April 16, 2017 04:06 UTC