Türkiye
Turkïye exhibits low-range performance across three of the categories of the Global State of Democracy framework (Rights, Rule of Law and Participation), and it performs in the mid-range with regard to Representation. It is among the bottom 25 per cent of countries in most factors of democracy performance. Over the last five years, Turkïye has experienced no notable shifts in performance. An upper-middle income country, Türkiye's economy is primarily characterized by its industrial and service sectors, although significant portions of its land are devoted to agriculture. Major exports include textiles, fabrics, iron and steel, as well as fruits, vegetables, and livestock.
Since its founding as a secular republic in 1923, the major cleavages in Turkïye include those between ethnic Turks and Kurds, its urban and rural population, and secularism and Islam. Kurds comprise about 20 per cent of the Turkish population, and since 1984 the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) has waged an intermittent armed campaign for Kurdish independence that has resulted in 30,000 to 40,000 deaths. Kurds face significant discrimination and the situation for Kurdish civilians has worsened since the onset of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) conflict against Turkïye. Many Kurdish efforts to advocate for their rights are viewed as support for PKK terrorism. Since Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) took power in 2002, the main political divide has been between mostly rural, conservative and religious Turks and their urban, liberal and secular counterparts. With the president and ruling party identifying explicitly with the former group, the latter have faced increasing restrictions, including barriers to civic activism following the 2013 Gezi park protests, and more active political interference in academia, higher education and the judiciary.
President Erdoğan has tightened his grip on power through the erosion of democratic institutions, including the appointment of loyalists in key positions in public administration, which he has used to suppress opposition and dissent. After an attempted coup in 2016, restrictions have increased and have included a two-year State of Emergency, mass purges and tens of thousands of arbitrary arrests, and a contested referendum that abolished the parliamentary system and concentrated power in the office of the president. Despite the end of the State of Emergency in 2018, most of its expanded state powers were prolonged via an anti-terror bill which was most recently renewed in July 2021. Since then, the country has been mired in a series of overlapping economic and financial crises.
Gender equality in Türkiye lags behind other OECD countries, marked by a significant gender gap in education, employment, and income. The growth of the female labour force has been slow. As of February 2024, women constitute only 20 per cent of the seats in parliament. Turkïye stands as the “leading global host of refugees,” currently accommodating nearly 4 million refugees, with approximately 3.6 million from Syria. While Turkïye provides them with basic rights and services, their situation remains precarious, making it challenging for many to sustain themselves. Anti-refugee sentiment exists in Turkïye, resulting in reports of detainment, coercion, and pushbacks.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch how opposition and civil society fare, especially in the aftermath of Erdoğan’s 2023 electoral victory. The government’s struggle to contain the country’s long-running economic crisis or integrate Syrian refugees will also be important to watch for impacts on Rights. Other key indicators to watch moving forward are Rights (Civil Liberties, particularly Freedom of Expression, Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Association and Assembly), Credible Elections, and Rule of Law (Absence of Corruption and Judicial Independence).
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
May 2024
Ruling AKP proposes ‘agents of influence’ legislation
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has proposed an amendment to Article 339 of the Penal Code, which could lead to imprisonment of up to seven years for those who research Turkish citizens, institutions, or foreigners in Türkiye for foreign interests, harming national security or political interests. This is expected to particularly impact journalists and researchers. The legislation is similar to Georgia's recently approved ‘foreign agents’ law. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on the Turkish government to abandon the legislation, expressing strong concern that it would negatively impact freedom of the press and freedom of expression, as journalists working for foreign-funded media could be jailed under the proposed amendment.
Sources: Reporters without Borders, Turkish Minute (1), Turkish Minute (2), Balkan Insight, International IDEA
April 2024
May Day celebrations banned despite Constitutional Court’s ruling
The Istanbul Governor’s Office announced on 29 April that May Day demonstrations would not be allowed in Taksim Square, despite the Constitutional Court recently ruling that such a ban is unconstitutional. May Day demonstrations in Taksim Square have been forbidden in Istanbul since 2013, with all roads and public transport to the Square being blocked to prevent people from gathering. This prohibition has faced criticism for curtailing the right to peaceful assembly, prompting Turkish trade unions to challenge it in the Constitutional Court. In December 2023, the Constitutional Court ruled that the ban contravenes the Turkish constitution. The Istanbul Governor’s Office cited concerns for public safety as justification for upholding the ban. Opposition parties, civil society organizations, and labour unions urged adherence to the Constitutional Court's ruling. Rallies were organized despite the ban, and hundreds were detained. Taksim Square, Istanbul’s main square, holds symbolic significance as the site where 34 demonstrators were killed during May Day protests in 1977.
Sources: Duvar (1), Turkish Minute, Turkish Minute (2), Duvar (2), Amnesty International, Reuters, Al Jazeera
March 2024
Erdoğan’s AKP suffers worst electoral blow in local elections
In the local elections, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered its worst electoral defeat in two decades. The main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), won 37.7 per cent of the vote. It thus surpassed the AKP, which obtained 35.5 per cent of the national vote. While the result marks a significant expansion of CHP's influence beyond its urban strongholds to areas once dominated by the AKP, it remains to be seen if it is a longer term shift that significantly changes the political landscape. CHP won 36 out of 81 municipalities, including mayoral victories in Turkey’s five largest cities: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, and Antalya. Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu won by the widest margin seen in 40 years, reaffirming the opposition's strength and solidifying his position as Erdoğan's primary rival. In 2022, Imamoglu was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison and was banned from political activity through a Turkish court verdict, which he has since appealed, with the ruling still pending. Elections saw a near-tripling of female mayors, with women now holding office in 11 out of 81 provinces, up from four in 2019, including five major urban centers. Voter turnout was around 78 per cent, down from 84.3 per cent in 2019.
Sources: Dünya, Türkiye’s Supreme Election Council, Foreign Policy, Deutsche Welle, Reuters (1), Reuters (2), International IDEA
November 2023
Judicial crisis looms over release order for jailed MP
The Supreme Court of Cassation filed a criminal complaint against the Constitutional Court, claiming it “exceeded its authority” over a ruling ordering the immediate exoneration of a jailed opposition MP. In response, opposition parties and legal experts, including the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, have accused the Supreme Court of Cassation of staging a judicial “coup” after failing to comply with the ruling and ensuring the MP’s release. In April 2022, Worker’s Party MP and human rights lawyer, Can Atalay, was one of seven civil society leaders sentenced to 18 years in prison on charges of “assisting the overthrow of the government” for his role in the Gezi Park protests in 2013, in which Atalay served as lawyer for activist association Taksim Solidarity. Atalay applied for legislative immunity after he was elected to Parliament in May 2023. On 25 October, the Constitutional Court found that Atalay's right to “personal liberty and security” and right to engage in political activities had been violated. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the Constitutional Court’s decision and called for a new constitution.
Sources: Balkan Insight (1), Balkan Insight (2), Al Jazeera, Bianet (1), Bianet (2), Haber Turk, Amnesty International
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GSoD Indices Data 2014-2023
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