"The world culture entered Turkey": new conflict lines and the challenges for democratic consolidation in Turkey

Abstract

"This report recapitulates the political developments that Turkey has gone through since the AKP took office in 2002, and which have changed the landscape of political identities. The AKP rule accounts for certain leaps forward in Turkey’s democratization process. A new civic consciousness has emerged and surfaced in the Gezi Park protest. The government's reactions were repressive and uncompromising: growing control of the media and disregard of fundamental rights made it to the international headlines and are cause for concern. However, Turkey is not necessarily heading towards ever greater authoritarianism. The segments of Turkish society that demand their rights to participation and freedom fuel the struggle for further democratization. European politics can back this process through cultural diplomacy and the accession criteria but needs to be a reliable negotiating partner to meet this end." (author's abstract)