On 24 June 2018, both parliamentary and presidential elections were held in Turkey. With the elections, the constitutional amendments of 2017 came into force leading to a fundamental change in the nature of the political regime in Turkey towards even more authoritarian lines. Focusing on the last constitutional amendments and the recent elections, in this dossier, our contributors address a variety of issues that are critical to understanding different aspects of today’s Turkey.

Ece Göztepe explains the 2017 constitutional amendments, which led to a fundamental change in the political system in Turkey. Ali Rıza Güngen gives an analysis of the recent current crisis, explaining its roots in the economic policies of the last 15 years. The way out of this crisis for the AKP, however, is blocked by its own authoritarianism. Gülay Türkmen and Shai M. Dromi focus on the failed performance of the main opposition party in Turkey to underline the critical role of opposition parties in the context of democratic erosion. Sinem Adar discusses Turkish diaspora vote and possible explanations on the on-going support to Erdogan from Turkish citizen abroad.

Photo: YASIN AKGUL / AFP