Inside Turkey’s Democratic Crisis
Turkish democracy is at a turning point: Will democratic forces be able to triumph at the ballot box in the next general election, or will the country devolve into full-blown authoritarianism?
721 Results
wikipedia turkey poll next
Turkey’s Make-or-Break Election
The forces that brought Erdoğan to power may be his downfall in Turkey’s May 14 elections. Here are a selection of key Journal of Democracy essays from the last two decades of his rule.
July 2023, Volume 34, Issue 3
How Erdoğan’s Populism Won Again
The opposition thought they had Turkey’s autocratic president on the ropes. But Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s brand of authoritarian populism triumphed. A more divisive and repressive chapter will almost surely follow.
After Crackdown, Is Turkey an Autocracy?
Turkey’s president would rather turn his country into a full autocracy than give up power. But the Turkish people are clinging to what remains of their democracy, and they are ready to fight for it.
April 2010, Volume 21, Issue 2
Do Muslims Vote Islamic?
Those who warn against efforts to promote free elections in Muslim-majority countries often point to the threat posed by Islamic parties that stand ready to use democracy against itself. But what does the record really show regarding the ability of Islamic parties to win over Muslim voters?
April 2003, Volume 14, Issue 2
Turkey at the Polls: After the Tsunami
After enduring years of paternalism punctuated by trauma, Turkish voters have pointed their country in a new direction.
April 2003, Volume 14, Issue 2
Turkey at the Polls: A New Path Emerges
The recent parliamentary victory of the AKP represents a new political course that holds enormous potential for Turkish democracy.
Erdoğan’s Latest Autocratic Crackdown
On March 19, Turkish authorities arrested opposition leader and Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on charges of corruption. Really, it was a drive by President Erdoğan to eliminate his main political rival. The following Journal of Democracy essays chronicle Erdoğan’s increasing efforts to undermine Turkish democracy, and the opposition’s efforts to fight back.
January 1992, Volume 3, Issue 1
Election Watch
Reports on elections in Argentina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Colombia, India, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Poland, Tadzhikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, Vanuatu, Zambia.
October 2021, Volume 32, Issue 4
How Authoritarians Win When They Lose
Turkey’s ruling party has developed a new tool: When its local candidates lose, it dismisses them and appoints its own choice under a guise that maintains the veneer of democracy. It is an autocratic innovation that may soon spread.
April 2016, Volume 27, Issue 2
Turkey’s Two Elections: The AKP Comes Back
In power since 2002, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan seemed as if it might be losing its hold when Turkish voters went to the polls in June 2015. Yet that “hung election” gave way to another contest in November, and the AKP came roaring back.
7 Lessons from Turkey’s Effort to Beat a Populist Autocrat
What the opposition did and how Erdoğan managed to escape outright defeat. By Murat Somer and Jennifer McCoy May 2023 Turkey’s hotly contested May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections saw a record turnout of 88.9 percent. Heading into the election, polls had given opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who was supported by two alliances of opposition…
7 Lessons from Turkey’s Effort to Beat a Populist Autocrat
What the opposition did and how Erdoğan managed to escape outright defeat. | Murat Somer and Jennifer McCoy
July 2018, Volume 29, Issue 3
Explaining Eastern Europe: Orbán’s Laboratory of Illiberalism
Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party has used its two-thirds majority in parliament to change the constitution, erase checks and balances, and make the electoral system even more majoritarian.
July 1996, Volume 7, Issue 3
Democratization in the Middle East: Turkey–How Far From Consolidation?
Read the full essay here.
How Turkey’s Opposition Won Big
Less than a year after a bitter loss, the opposition dealt Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling party their largest electoral defeat in decades. The question is whether they can now build on their success.
July 2025, Volume 36, Issue 3
How to Fight Turkey’s Authoritarian Turn
As President Erdoğan’s grip on power is slipping, his regime is turning more repressive. But Turkey may still avoid becoming a full-blown autocracy. The opposition is increasingly popular, and there remains a way to tilt the playing field to their advantage.