In Turkey under populist authoritarian rule, despite all the pressure, exclusion and fragmentation tactics of the government, there is still resilience for democracy and a vibrant opposition. The voter margin between the opposition and the ruling bloc has narrowed significantly in recent years.
As a typical competitive authoritarian regime, the Turkish government divides the opposition, creating a perception among the public that the opposition cannot win and that their votes will not count. That is why citizens in these regimes share the common perception that the opposition is unable to win. Such was the situation before the local elections of March 2019, after 18 years of Justice and Development Party (AKP) rule, both at the local level and centrally. Now, there is hope of change that can reclaim democracy via elections in Turkey. Gaining municipal seats has given the opposition some room for manoeuver in the political game. Hence, during the Covid-19 crisis, the government targets municipalities in particular when it intervenes to provide services for the people. But Turkey’s opposition strategies aimed at tackling the populist government may provide a model for democratic movements which struggle with populists around the world.
Now, there is hope of change that can reclaim democracy via elections in Turkey.
The rise of populism in the last three decades has dramatically shifted world politics. Institute Global reported that the number of populist parties in power has increased fivefold, from four to 20, between 1990 and 2018. By gaining seats in national parliaments and coming to power, populists have had a significant impact on both domestic and international politics.
