The Drift Watch

Turkey – Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan represents a textbook case of electoral authoritarianism, where a democratically elected leader dismantled democratic checks and balances while maintaining the formal structure of elections. Rising to power as Prime Minister in 2003 and later becoming President, Erdoğan initially governed as a moderate reformer. However, over time, he consolidated personal power through constitutional changes, judicial purges, and institutional realignment.

The turning point came after the 2016 failed coup attempt, which Erdoğan used to justify mass arrests, emergency powers, and a radical restructuring of the state. What followed was the transformation of Turkey from a parliamentary democracy into a centralized presidential regime, with weakened civil liberties and politicized state institutions.

Timeline of Key Events

  • 2002: Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) wins parliamentary majority.
  • 2003–2011: Reforms initially praised by the West; military power curbed.
  • 2013: Crackdown on Gezi Park protests signals shift toward authoritarian tactics.
  • 2014: Erdoğan becomes President, begins expanding the role beyond ceremonial duties.
  • 2016: Failed coup attempt leads to massive purges across government, military, media, and judiciary.
  • 2017: Constitutional referendum narrowly passes, abolishing the Prime Minister role and granting vast powers to the presidency.
  • 2018–present: Erdoğan rules under an executive presidential system with little institutional resistance.


Methods of Democratic Erosion

  • Media Suppression

    Government or ruling party control over broadcast, print, and digital media to shape public narrative and suppress dissent.

  • Judicial Subordination

    Undermining judicial independence by appointing loyal judges or purging dissenting ones.

  • Electoral Manipulation

    Interference with democratic elections through voter suppression, gerrymandering, or control over electoral commissions.

  • Emergency Powers Abuse

    Exploiting crises or security threats to consolidate power through decrees, censorship, or suspension of civil liberties.

  • Civil Society Suppression

    The deliberate weakening or restriction of independent civic groups, nonprofits, unions, and grassroots organizations that hold power to account or mobilize public dissent.

Impact on Institutions

  • Judiciary: Politicized and purged; operates under executive influence.
  • Media: Independent press nearly eradicated; dissenting voices silenced.
  • Elections: Technically exist but increasingly unfree and unfair.
  • Parliament: Subordinated to the presidency; checks on power eliminated.
  • Civil Society: Threatened by legal pressure, financial restrictions, and arrest.


References

Esen, Berk & Gümüşçü, Sebnem. Democracies and Authoritarianism in Turkey. Cambridge University Press, 2021.


Freedom House, Turkey: Freedom in the World Report – 2023
 https://freedomhouse.org/country/turkey/freedom-world/2023


Human Rights Watch, Turkey’s Authoritarian Turn, 2022
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/turkey



New York Times, After Coup Attempt, Erdoğan Moves to Stamp Out Opponents
 https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/21/world/europe/turkey-coup-erdogan.html



Al Jazeera, Timeline: Turkey’s Transition to Presidential System
 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/6/25/turkeys-transition-from-parliamentary-to-presidential-system


The Guardian, Turkey’s Crackdown on Free Speech and Press Freedom