What I didn’t Know About Turkey under Erdoğans Government

Fundraising Tour 2026 3 Minutes

I am writing this blog now that I have left Turkey. While I was there, I did not dare put any of this online.

Erdoğan: Who he is and how long he has been in power

  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was Prime Minister from 2003 to 2014, then became President in 2014 — more than two decades in power in total
  • He was re-elected as President in both 2018 and 2023, the maximum number of terms allowed under Turkey’s constitution
  • His current mandate runs until 2028, when he would be constitutionally ineligible to run again
  • His party is the AKP — Justice and Development Party — founded in 2001, conservative and drawing significant support from non-secular Turks

Is it a democracy?

  • Under constitutional reforms approved by referendum in 2017, Turkey transitioned from a parliamentary democracy to a presidential model. The role of prime minister was abolished. The Council of Europe warned that the new system lacked the checks and balances needed to prevent authoritarian rule
  • Freedom House’s 2026 report awarded Turkey the worst due process score globally and classified Turkey as “Not Free.” Analysts have downgraded it from a flawed democracy to a competitive authoritarian regime
  • Elections still take place and remain relatively competitive, but the playing field is not level

Achievements

  • In early years, Erdoğan focused on economic reforms and infrastructure that made Turkey prosperous
  • GDP per capita tripled between 2002 and 2013
  • Massive infrastructure expansion: motorways, 5G network, high-speed rail, hospitals, airports — including one of the largest airports in the world in Istanbul
  • Universal healthcare extended to rural areas; infant mortality reduced significantly
  • Number of universities expanded dramatically — from around 75 in 2002 to over 200 today, including in smaller cities that previously had none
  • Turkish defence industry built up substantially — drones, warships and armoured vehicles now produced domestically; the Bayraktar TB2 drone was used in Ukraine, Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh
  • Turkey’s profile as a regional power rose considerably
  • Diplomatic independence maintained — mediating between Russia and Ukraine while remaining in NATO

Criticism

  • Erdoğan has consolidated power through constitutional changes and the imprisonment of political opponents, independent journalists and members of civil society
  • Following the 2016 coup attempt, tens of thousands of civil servants, soldiers and academics were dismissed or arrested, alarming international observers and human rights groups
  • Turkey blocked more than 311,000 web addresses in 2024 — the highest number since 2007. Some 82 percent of blocks were imposed without a court order
  • Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested in March 2025, shortly before being formally chosen as the opposition’s presidential candidate. He faces more than 140 charges
  • Inflation exceeded 80 percent in 2022; the lira has lost over 80 percent of its value in a decade
  • Economy became structurally dependent on foreign capital inflows — vulnerable to sudden reversals
  • The AKP transformed traditional patronage into a machine politics system — pro-AKP businesses depend on the government for procurement and regulatory favours; the AKP relies on these businesses for financial support and media backing
  • Erdoğan’s son-in-law Berat Albayrak served as Finance Minister until 2020; family members and loyalists placed in key positions throughout government and business
  • Kurdish conflict unresolved — peace talks collapsed; military operations across southeast Turkey, Syria and Iraq continued
  • University rectors are appointed directly by the president; academics self-censor on sensitive topics
  • EU accession negotiations were frozen in 2018 due to concerns about democratic standards, fundamental rights and judicial independence

Sources: Freedom House (2026), House of Commons Library, The Conversation, Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI 2026), EBSCO Research Starters, Britannica, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Turkey under Erdoğan is a country of genuine contradictions. The same leader who built hospitals, universities and airports also imprisoned mayors, journalists and judges. His supporters see a stronger, more confident Turkey. His critics see a democracy that has been systematically hollowed out. Both sides are large. Both are certain. And that polarisation — between those who believe in him and those who fear him — now defines Turkish society as much as anything he has built or broken.

Published by Karsten Drath

About 30 years ago, two zis scholarships helped me to broaden my horizon, expand my understanding of what is possible, and develop more self-confidence. zis is a non-profit organization that has been awarding scholarships for study trips to young people between the ages of 16 and 20 for more than 60 years. Today, the word we use for tenacity and grit is resilience - and I've made it my profession, to help managers around the world to develop more of this inner power. In retrospect, the experiences I've had on these trips to Scotland and Iceland have been priceless for my development. After having had a childhood with some challenges, I learned that I could cycle 1,700km on my own and get wet every day without despairing. I have learned that I was able to get along with only 300 € for 4 weeks and still had a good time. I have learned what it's like to be threatened with deportation and how to get an interview with the President from such a crisis. I have understood that limitations are primarily constructs in our heads, and I want to make these insights available to as many adolescents as possible.

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