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. Millions flooded the streets to protest the arrest and Erdoğan’s authoritarian escalation. This unprecedented move brings Turkey to the brink of autocracy, but as Berk Esen and Sebnem Gumuscu argue in a new JoD online exclusive, the Turkish people will not go quietly.
The following Journal of Democracy essays, free for a limited time, chronicle Erdoğan’s increasing efforts to undermine Turkish democracy, and the opposition’s efforts to fight back.
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.
Berk Esen and Sebnem GumuscuHow 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.
Berk Esen and Sebnem GumuscuHow Erdoğan Rules Through Crisis
Turkey’s economic and political crises have only worsened, but the autocratic president remains in power. His secret? He uses the levers of the state to shield his supporters from harm, while punishing the rest.
Senem Aydın-Düzgit, Mustafa Kutlay, and E. Fuat KeymanHow 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.
Berk Esen and Sebnem Gumuscu7 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 McCoyHow 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.
Sultan Tepe and Ayça AlemdaroğluThe Pushback Against Populism: Running on “Radical Love” in Turkey
Is there a recipe for defeating a populist? A novel campaign strategy based on inclusion and public responsiveness may show how to beat the odds in a competitive authoritarian system.
F. Michael Wuthrich and Melvyn Ingleby
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