oiip

12.10.2026
19:00 - 20:30

Bruno Kreisky Forum
Armbrustergasse 15, 1190 Wien

Turkey has been in a multiparty democracy since 1945, but its democratic development has repeatedly been interrupted by military interventions and the suppression of political opposition. Since Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002, Turkey’s political system has undergone a profound transformation, accompanied by growing restrictions on press freedom, human rights and political opposition.

The CHP’s landslide victory in the 2024 local elections raised hopes that voters could still alter the political balance through the ballot box. Yet the subsequent arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erdoğan’s most prominent political challenger, and increasing judicial pressure on the CHP such as the removal of the party leadership by court ruling highlight that the regime ready to reverse electoral defeat and reshape the political playing field through an instrumental judiciary.

The panel will discuss, among other questions: Is Turkey crossing the line from electoral democracy towards outright authoritarianism? How much resistance can Turkish society and the opposition mobilize? Can a divided opposition mount a credible democratic challenge? And how resilient is Erdoğan’s increasingly personalized system of power? Finally, what can the EU and European political parties and civil society do to support democratic institutions and Turkey’s parliamentary opposition – and help preserve the possibility of genuine political competition?

Participants:
Berk Esen
Sabancı-University

Görkem Yaz
MetroPOLL Strategic and Social Research Center

Moderator:
Cengiz Günay
oiip

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