Here's how Turkey slid into a dictatorship under Erdogan. Tell me how this is any different than what's going on right now.
Constitutional changes to consolidate power
Constitutional changes to consolidate power
- Expansion of presidential powers: In 2017, a constitutional referendum approved changes that replaced Turkey's parliamentary system with an executive presidency. This change, which abolished the office of the Prime Minister, eliminated traditional checks and balances by concentrating vast authority in Erdoğan's hands. The president was given the power to issue decrees, appoint ministers and high officials, and intervene in the judiciary.
- Circumventing term limits: Erdoğan was elected president in 2014 and 2018. When running for a third term in 2023, he argued that his first term did not count toward the limit because it occurred under the old parliamentary system. This interpretation allowed him to run again and potentially remain in power until 2028.
- Purge of state institutions: After the failed 2016 coup, the government declared a state of emergency for two years and conducted massive purges across the public sector. More than 127,000 public servants, including soldiers, judges, teachers, and police officers, were dismissed. In July 2025, it was reported that more than 126,000 people had been convicted in relation to alleged ties to the Gülen movement, which the government blamed for the coup.
- Targeting the judiciary: The purges specifically targeted the judiciary, with thousands of judges and prosecutors dismissed or arrested. This enabled the executive branch to exert unprecedented control over the courts, making them compliant with the government's agenda.
- Arbitrary detentions and prosecution: The crackdown led to the detention of nearly 400,000 people over a decade, with convictions often based on tenuous links to the Gülen movement, such as having a specific messaging app or bank account. The UN has ruled that such widespread detentions can amount to arbitrary and politically motivated deprivation of liberty.
- Attack on media freedom: The government has closed hundreds of media outlets and arrested large numbers of journalists, leading to a dramatic decline in press freedom. A September 2025 report ranked Turkey 159th out of 180 countries in press freedom, noting an increase in violations against critical outlets.
- Marginalization of political opponents: Erdoğan's government has actively undermined political opponents, particularly the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). A major turning point occurred in March 2025 with the politically motivated arrest of Istanbul's popular mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu—a prominent opponent of Erdoğan—on dubious charges.
- Exploiting crises: Following an electoral setback in 2015, Erdoğan leveraged a rise in terrorist attacks to foster a climate of fear and regain support in a snap election. Critics say he has consistently used crises to justify authoritarian measure
