The political and social fissures in Turkey are varied and deep. There is tension between civilian leaders and the military; secularists and supporters of a more Islamic-oriented society; the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who heads an Islamic party, and the military; and between Islamic groups themselves.
Today, the biggest challenge to Erdogan appears to emanate from another Islamic leader, Fethullah Gulen, a cleric exiled to the United States. A burgeoning corruption scandal, the investigation of which Gulen is alleged to have masterminded, now threatens Erdogan's government.
Since becoming prime minister in 2002, Erdogan has faced several challenges to his rule and, in each case, has prevailed: