Ezgi Kuran
In Istanbul, urban planning has become a battleground for the redefinition of citizenship. Ezgi Kuran describes how, in the 2024 municipal elections, the opposition CHP and the ruling AKP exploited urban planning to change what it means to be a citizen, and present their opposing visions of Turkey's future Read more
Pelin Ayan Musil
In the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections, Turkish opposition parties suffered catastrophic defeat. Several factors contributed to their surprise victory in the recent local elections. Pelin Ayan Musil and Sultan Tepe argue that shifting from alliance to party-centred competition gave opposition parties a striking advantage – and laid bare the vulnerabilities of President Erdoğan’s political strategies Read more
Hakkı Taş
Recent data indicates that countries led by more populist leaders are less likely to have a military with veto power.  Hakkı Taş explores the populist centralisation of power that fosters control over the military, and the impact on civilian oversight Read more
Bengisu Savran
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan's authoritarian AKP has governed Turkey for more than twenty years. The regime has consistently rolled back gender rights. Despite this, many women continue to vote for it. Why? Bengisu Savran suggests clientelism and welfare benefits may provide the answer Read more
Hazal Atay
Turkey is a textbook example of gender backlash. Hazal Atay explains the structure and strategies employed by the anti-gender movement in Turkey Read more
Saskia Brechenmacher
Saskia Brechenmacher, Erin Jones, and Özge Zihnioğlu write that gender is critical to understanding popular resistance against democratic erosion and autocratic hardening around the world Read more
Abdullah Esin
The ruling regime in Turkey has created its own unique nationalistic security discourse. Abdullah Esin and Mehmet Yaşar Altundağ argue that Turkey’s rising defence industry, while increasing Turkey's military capacity, also uses techno-nationalist rhetoric to consolidate its voter base and legitimise authoritarian practices Read more
Bilge Yabancı
Does mainstream opposition always pursue a democratic and depolarising strategy to challenge incumbents' authoritarian populism? Bilge Yabancı argues that in Turkey, both the incumbent and opposition parties have exploited the refugee crisis for political gains at the expense of social cohesion and democratic values Read more
