Since 2002, Turkish politics have been dominated by one party and one man: The Justice and Development Party and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. What began as the widely applauded exercise of democracy in a country that had long struggled with military authoritarianism, has now become a much criticized abuse of electoral office through populist manipulation. In the midst of regional instability and internal challenges, Erdoğan has defied his critics and only increased his hold on power, combining an appeal to both nationalist and religious sensibilities. Yet recent elections in Istanbul suggest that change is on the horizon and that gradually a new politics is emerging.