Turkey's Economic Miracle Under Fire

Turkey's political stability under Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and its integration into the globalized economy helped turn it into a regional power. But the global connections now seem to challenge Erdoğan's increasingly authoritarian style. Protests led by young urbanites, empowered by social media but alienated, are giving pause to foreign investors who helped spark Turkey's economic boom. The decade-long rule of the Justice and Development Party - Adalat ve Kalk'nma Partisi, or AK Party - led by Erdoğan may be past its zenith. The demonstrations, resulting in injuries to 5,000 and arrests of more than 900, have revealed a disturbing flaw in Erdoğan's leadership style. Puffed up by his successes at home and in the region, he's failed to grasp the essence of democratic behavior and the potency of social media in a country of 74 million with 66 million mobile phone subscribers and 32 million internet connections.