Talk by Dr. Berk Esen After the March 19 Crackdown: Is Turkey an Autocracy?

About the Talk: 

Turkish politics was shaken by the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, along with dozens of municipal officials and senior figures from the main opposition party, in the wake of a sweeping judicial operation last month. Having first come to power in late 2002, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has systematically undermined democratic institutions and consolidated control over the judiciary, media, and bureaucracy to tilt the playing field against the opposition. In 2017, President Erdoğan pushed through constitutional changes that transitioned the country to a hyper-presidential system, vastly expanding his executive powers and eliminating institutional checks and balances. Despite this ongoing autocratization, the opposition remained electorally competitive, expanded its support base, and mounted serious challenges to the AKP’s rule—most notably by winning major cities like Istanbul and Ankara in recent 2024 local elections. The arrest of İmamoğlu—the main opposition’s likely presidential candidate marks a decisive move toward hegemonic authoritarianism as seen in Venezuela, Belarus, and Russia, where elections no longer offer a chance for change. The crackdown has sparked widespread public protests and renewed resistance from the main opposition party. This talk will explore what the March 19 crackdown means for Turkey’s political future—and whether democratic change is still possible.

About the Speaker: 

Dr. Berk Esen is Associate Professor of Political Science at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Sabancı University, Turkey. He received his PhD in Government from Cornell University and was an IPC-Stiftung Mercator Fellow in the Center for Applied Turkey Studies (CATS) at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. His research interests include the political economy of development, party politics and authoritarian regimes with a focus on Latin America and the Middle East. His research has appeared in leading academic journals. Dr. Esen is the author and editor of three books on Turkish politics. He is the recipient of the Sakıp Sabancı International Research Award for his work on democratic backsliding in Turkey and Hungary, as well as the Turkish Science Academy Young Scientist Award (BAGEP).