Case Study: Turkey and Erdogan
How Recep Tayyip Erdogan transformed Turkey from a parliamentary democracy into a presidential system with concentrated power — and the role of a failed coup.
The Rise
Erdogan's AKP (Justice and Development Party) came to power in 2002 promising democratic reform, economic modernization, and EU accession. For the first decade, Turkey experienced genuine progress: rapid economic growth, reduced military influence in politics, improved Kurdish rights, and EU accession negotiations.
But Erdogan's democratic credentials began eroding around 2013. The Gezi Park protests — initially about an urban development plan but broadening into demands for civil liberties — were met with severe police violence. Erdogan dismissed the protestors as 'looters' and 'terrorists.' A corruption investigation implicating Erdogan's inner circle was suppressed, with prosecutors and police reassigned. The pattern of attacking independent institutions accelerated from there.
