Berk Esen is a lecturer at Sabanci University in Istanbul, who has voiced sharp criticism of the repressive actions carried out by Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a number of Turkish opposition figures. He is a writer Türkiye’nin Yeni Rejimi: Rekabetçi Otoriterlik (“The new Turkish regime: competitive authoritarian”, Iletisim, 2023, untranslated), co-authored with Sebnem Gümüsçü and Hakan Yavuzyilmaz.
How do we describe the period that Türkiye is currently experiencing?
We are witnessing a transition towards an authoritarian and hegemonic regime. The affair of Ekrem Imamoglu, mayor of Istanbul and the president’s most dangerous rival (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan)is a striking example. There are before and after March 19, 2025, the day of his arrest. This date marks the moment when we leave behind what I previously described as “competitive authoritarian regimes”, where elements of political competition remain, even though the rules of the game are no longer fair and impartial.
Accused of leading a criminal organization, the former mayor now faces a sentence of up to 2,352 years in prison. This indictment clearly depicts an authoritarian shift in power. This risks criminalizing electoral competition, making it illegal to defeat the government in an election.
However, what is less clear is whether the regime will succeed in consolidating. There are still opposition figures and groups who reject this situation. People’s Republican Party (CHP, nationalist center left, main opposition party) continue to struggle. Journalists and academics are still speaking out.
Therefore, consolidation is incomplete, despite the efforts of the government and the government. Türkiye is not yet Russia, Belarus or Azerbaijan. The regime is the same, but still unstable.
This change didn’t happen in one day…
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