Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a press conference during an extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 18, 2018. Anadolu Agency/ Press Association. All rights reserved.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that presidential elections planned for November of 2019 have been moved forward to June 24, 2018. This announcement represents the next in a long string of actions that has led to a definitive shift away from competitive democracy in Turkey.
It’s important to understand that these are not simply routine elections; they will mark the official break with a parliamentary democracy that Turkey has maintained for over half a century, giving way to a presidential republic. In a narrow victory that opposition parties vigorously contested, the Turkish electorate approved these changes in an April 2017 referendum. The eighteen approved amendments to the constitution granted sweeping new powers to the President and abolished the office of Prime Minister. These new powers include the ability “to appoint ministers, prepare the budget, choose the majority of senior judges, … enact certain laws by decree,” announce a state of emergency and dismiss parliament, as reported by the BBC. The reform’s backers argue that it will streamline decision-making in a country where parliamentary politics have frequently led to inaction. Opponents worry that this change will eliminate any checks on the fulfillment of Erdogan’s dictatorial aspirations.
Nonetheless, despite a narrow victory, a majority of Turkish voters approved these reforms. Why, then, should it matter when they are held? There is far more to achieving democratic outcomes than holding elections. Democratic functioning requires robust protection for basic freedoms, such as freedom of association or expression, so that genuine competition can develop. The total absence of these rights in present-day Turkey forecloses any possibility of fair outcomes from these elections.
