Türkiye
Türkiye exhibits a low-range performance across three of the categories of the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) framework (Rights, Rule of Law and Participation), and it performs in the mid-range with regard to Representation. It is among the bottom 25 per cent of countries in most factors of democracy performance. Between 2019-2024, Türkiye did not experience any notable shifts in performance, although, over a ten-year period, the country did experience significant declines in all GSoD categories. An upper-middle-income country, Türkiye's economy is primarily characterized by its industrial and service sectors, although significant portions of its land are devoted to agriculture.
Türkiye, strategically located between Europe and Asia, boasts a rich history as the center of power for significant empires, including the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. The disintegration of the Ottoman Empire following its defeat in World War I sparked the Turkish national movement, led by Kemal Atatürk, which established the modern secular republic of Türkiye in 1923. Today, key cleavages include divisions between ethnic Turks and Kurds, urban and rural populations, and secularism and Islam. Kurds, who make up around 20 per cent of the population, continue to face discrimination. The Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), which waged the 40-year insurgency for independence that resulted in over 40,000 deaths, announced its dissolution in 2025.
Türkiye hosts one of the world’s largest refugee populations, primarily Syrians, many of whom have begun returning in large numbers following the collapse of the regime in Syria in 2024. Recent anti-refugee sentiment has triggered anti-Syrian riots, rights violations, and forced relocations.
Since coming to power in 2002, President Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has identified with conservative, religious and rural voters, imposing crackdowns on liberal, more urban counterparts, including restrictions on civic activism, opposition (including Kurds), media, academia, judiciary, and free speech—particularly after the 2013 Gezi Park protests. Following a 2016 coup attempt, the country saw a State of Emergency, mass purges, arbitrary arrests, and a contested referendum that centralized authority in the presidency. Although the State of Emergency formally ended in 2018, many powers persisted under an anti-terror bill, while biased media and incumbent advantages undermined electoral credibility. However, growing discontent over rights restrictions, the 2023 earthquake response, and economic decline fueled opposition victories in the 2024 local elections.
The GSoD Indices show that Türkiye has a low performance in Gender Equality, despite guaranteeing equality before the law. The country struggles with a significant gender gap in education, employment, income, and labour force. In 2021, Türkiye withdrew from the Istanbul Convention despite pervasive gender-based violence and femicide. As of September 2025, women constitute only 20 per cent of the seats in parliament. The rights of LGBTQIA+ people have been continuously constrained under the incumbent government.
Looking ahead, especially after the opposition’s 2024 local elections victory, key areas to monitor include Representation—particularly Free Political Parties—and Civil Liberties, given the risk of crackdowns. The start of the peace process with the disbanded PKK in 2025 could shape Social Group Equality as well as Personal Integrity and Security. Ongoing challenges, including the Syrian refugee crisis, restrictions on the LGBTQIA+ community, and the government’s struggle with the economic crisis, are likely to further affect Social Group and Economic Equality. Persistent concerns over the Rule of Law, especially Judicial Independence, also warrant close attention.
Last updated: September 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
May 2026
Court annuls main opposition leadership; police raid enforces ruling
On 21 May, an appeals court annulled the Republican People's Party's (CHP) 2023 congress, thereby, overturning the leadership election that had brought Özgür Özel to power and reinstating Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as interim chair. Kılıçdaroğlu had suffered repeated electoral defeats against the ruling President Erdoğan and was defeated by Özel in the 2023 congress. The case centres on prosecutors’ claims that Özel won through vote buying and pressure on delegates, despite an earlier court dismissing the allegations as baseless before the appeal. The CHP denies all charges, calling the intervention an attempted political coup carried out through the judiciary. Riot police later stormed CHP headquarters to remove Özel’s team, firing tear gas and rubber bullets at officials and supporters. The move was widely condemned as politically motivated and indicative of judicial interference in opposition politics, sparking large protests outside Parliament.
Sources: Euronews, Hürriyet, Balkan Insight, Reuters
May 2025
PKK announces disbandment and proposes peace deal
On 12 May, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) announced that it would disband and disarm, and proposed a peace deal with Türkiye. The PKK’s disbandment puts an end more than 40 years of conflict with the Turkish state that saw over 40,000 deaths. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan welcomed the move as important for security. Designated a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the United States and the EU, the PKK initially sought an independent Kurdish state but later shifted to demands for autonomy and rights of Kurds within Türkiye. Previous peace efforts collapsed, most recently in 2015.
UPDATE: In August, a 51-member parliamentary committee that includes MPs from most major parties was established in Türkiye to oversee legal and political reforms of the peace process.
Sources: Balkan Insight, Euronews, Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency
March 2025
Arrest of opposition politician Ekrem Imamoğlu sparks mass protests
Following the arrest of Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu on 19 March for alleged corruption and aid to terrorists - and his replacement by a government appointee - Türkiye saw its largest protests in over a decade despite a four-day protest ban. Around 300,000 rallied in Istanbul, and protests spread to about 55 out of the 81 provinces. Authorities have cracked down on journalists, including through the deportation of a BBC correspondent. The Interior Ministry stated that over 1,400 protesters were detained. Amnesty International reported that protesters were met with “unrelenting” force. Imamoğlu, a member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), is considered President Erdoğan’s main political opponent. His arrest has been regarded as politically motivated. In 2022, Imamoğlu was also sentenced to prison and was banned from political activity on the basis of insulting public officials. His appeal process in that case is pending. Other CHP and pro-Kurdish politicians were arrested at the end of 2024.
Update: On 16 July, Ekrem İmamoğlu was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison on a separate charge of insulting and threatening a public official. The case, initiated prior to his arrest, arises from January statements in which he alleged that Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek targeted opposition figures. He is expected to appeal the verdict, which is part of several ongoing legal proceedings against him.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Euro News, Amnesty International, British Broadcasting Corporation (1), British Broadcasting Corporation (2), Civil Rights Defenders, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), Euronews, Turkiye Today
October 2024
Istanbul’s Esenyurt district opposition mayor arrested
Ahmet Özer, the mayor of Esenyurt, Istanbul’s most densely populated district, was arrested on 31 October for alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an organisation classified as terrorist by Türkiye, the EU, and numerous governments. Özer, a prominent member of the main opposition Republic Peoples Party (CHP), was subsequently removed from office and was replaced with Istanbul’s deputy governor, a government trustee. This move has been described as a “coup” by the CHP leader. The arrest was condemned by the opposition, who view the arrest as politically motivated and as having targeted Özer’s Kurdish identity. In November, prosecutors began investigating Özer over financing terrorism as well. Three other pro-Kurdish mayors in the country’s southeast were also dismissed and replaced by government-appointed trustees following similar allegations.
Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, Hurriyet Daily (1), Hurriyet Daily (2), Medya News
Terrorist attack against state-run defence company
On 23 October, the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS), a major defence company in Ankara was subject to a terrorist attack, leaving five dead and 22 injured. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), designated as a terrorist organisation, has claimed responsibility. The Turkish government has responded with airstrikes against targets in Iraq and Syria, where they believe the attackers are based.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Hurriyet
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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2025
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Global State of Democracy Indices
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