Turkey After the 2023 Elections: Do Existing Paradigms Still Work?

Abstract

Speakers Senem Aydin Duzgit, Sabanci University Evren Balta, Ozyegin University Ahmet Erdi Ozturk, London Metropolitan Ali Bilgic, Loughborough University Discussant Daniela Irrera, University of Catania This roundtable delves into the 2023 parliamentary and presidential election results in Turkey, which have been identified as the 'most important' elections in 2023, in relation to the transformations the country has been facing in the last decade. Turkey, which has often been articulated as a compelling case study of democratic decline in the world, has gone through substantial transformations in the years preceding the elections such as the introduction of the presidential system, becoming an immigration country, and sharp economic downturn, to name a few. The roundtable speakers will challenge the validity and accuracy of established political ideas and approaches to study Turkey’s domestic and international politics, seeking new perspectives that can capture these substantial transformations more effectively. Among others, the speakers will explore rising Turkish nationalism in the context of refugee movements in Turkey, political Islam, the Kurdish question, changing ideological divides and fault lines, and the future of women and minority rights in Turkey. They will also explore potential regional and international implications of the transformations Turkey has been experiencing.