TÜRKİYE ORTA ASYA HABER KKUORDİNATÖRÜ

IFJ - INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF JOURNALISTS From Democracy to Despotism: The Erdoğan Way Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's journey from mayor of Istanbul in the 1990s to the absolute presidency of Türkiye is a textbook example of how democratic institutions can be turned inward to serve autocracy. He once symbolized the democratic aspirations of Islamic conservatism. Today, he stands as a cautionary tale of how elections alone cannot guarantee democracy when the rule of law, freedom of the press, and judicial independence are systematically eroded. Ekrem İmamoğlu's arrest on broad charges such as corruption, terrorism, and even a diploma scandal reflects the regime's familiar strategy of neutralizing dissidents before they become a threat. This is the same tactic used against Selahattin Demirtaş, the imprisoned leader of the pro-Kurdish HDP. Journalists, professors, mayors—none are immune. State institutions have been hollowed out and turned into weapons of political survival. Labeling political opponents as "terrorists" is no longer a scare tactic; it's the regime's default setting. The revocation of İmamoğlu's diploma—a legal prerequisite for running for president—just days before the March 23 Republican People's Party (CHP) primaries, and his emergence as the sole and definitive candidate, is not a legal matter. This is an autocratic sleight of hand, a bureaucratic coup delivered directly to the ballot box. Postmodern Coup: Türkiye's Reverse "February 28" What's happening in Türkiye today bears an eerie resemblance to the "postmodern coup" of February 28, 1997, only now the generals have traded their military uniforms for robes and briefcases. Back then, Erdoğan's mentor, Necmettin Erbakan, was overthrown by institutional and elite pressure. Now, Erdoğan appears to be using the same tools again, this time to crush his own opponents. This is a coup unfolding in slow motion. No tanks, no declarations. Just the judiciary compromised, the press intimidated, and civil society under siege. This isn't a democracy in danger; it's a democracy betrayed from within. And the stakes couldn't be higher. The CHP is expected to officially announce İmamoğlu as its presidential candidate for the next general elections on March 23rd. With İmamoğlu as the sole candidate and the party coalescing around him, his candidacy should have been a moment of momentum and empowerment. Instead, the government revoked his diploma, detained him, and put him at risk of a political ban. Erdoğan didn't wait for the election campaign; he acted preemptively. Social Unrest and Information Blackouts: Public Fear The regime's panic is palpable. Following İmamoğlu's arrest, the government closed roads, banned protests, and restricted access to X, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. These aren't security measures, but confessions of fear. It's the people, not the opposition, who frighten the regime. And the people responded. Thousands took to the streets of Istanbul's Saraçhane district. Demonstrations erupted in major cities, from METU in Ankara to Izmir and Trabzon. The slogans were defiant, the atmosphere electric. "The day will come when the AK Party will be held accountable," they chanted. Tear gas failed to silence them. This isn't just about İmamoğlu. It's about the right to dissent, the sanctity of the right to vote, and the future of a republic in the grip of a single man's ambitions. International Hypocrisy and the Netanyahu Mirror Türkiye's descent into autocracy should shock the world, but it doesn't. Because Erdoğan isn't alone in attacking democracy under the guise of "security." Consider Benjamin Netanyahu. His brutal siege of Gaza—described by some as "self-defense"—reduced entire neighborhoods to rubble. Civilians, hospitals, schools—all were targeted in what many viewed as collective punishment, or worse. But much of the West remains silent or issues lukewarm statements. Ironically, Erdoğan is one of Netanyahu's most vocal critics. Yet he emulates the same rhetoric: all dissent is terrorism, all resistance is illegitimate, and all opposition is a national threat. This double standard is frustrating. The same governments that condemn the repression in Iran or Venezuela remain largely silent on Turkey because Erdoğan is "strategically important." But democracy doesn't care about geopolitics. It's either that or it isn't. And in Türkiye, it's not. The PKK Return: Hope or Strategy? Amidst the turmoil, an unexpected development emerged: Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed PKK, called for the organization's disbandment. On paper, this was a monumental shift; an invitation to end a conflict that has claimed more than 40,000 lives since 1984. But in politics, timing is everything. This move appears calculated. Analysts say Öcalan's statement was not spontaneous, but was likely a secret agreement made with Ankara.