Book contents
- Turkey Between Democracy and Authoritarianism
- Turkey Between Democracy and Authoritarianism
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Maps and Tables
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- 2 A Long Wave of Urbanization
- 3 From Military Rule to Civilian Politics
- 4 Islamists in Power
- 5 Uneven Economic Development and Domestic Politics
- 6 The Kurdish Revolt: Nationalism and Ethnicity
- 7 Between Europe and the Middle East
- 8 Women’s Call for Democracy
- 9 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
4 - Islamists in Power
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 August 2019
- Turkey Between Democracy and Authoritarianism
- Turkey Between Democracy and Authoritarianism
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Maps and Tables
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- 2 A Long Wave of Urbanization
- 3 From Military Rule to Civilian Politics
- 4 Islamists in Power
- 5 Uneven Economic Development and Domestic Politics
- 6 The Kurdish Revolt: Nationalism and Ethnicity
- 7 Between Europe and the Middle East
- 8 Women’s Call for Democracy
- 9 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This chapter examines the AKP’s rise to power and the decline of democracy during its rule. Even though it was a new party, the AKP had been preparing to win elections from within the Islamic movement for a number of years. The weaknesses of the secular elites ultimately precipitated its ascent to power. During the unstable coalition years of the 1990s, followed by the severe economic crisis in 2001, secular elites, including those in the military, politics, and the judiciary, attempted to repress the Islamist opposition. This had a boomerang effect that resulted in the empowerment of the AKP in a context of seemingly hegemonic secularism. The party came to power through democratic elections in 2002, with the promise of democratizing the polity, expanding freedoms for all, and pursuing Western-oriented goals of Republican modernization.
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- Information
- Turkey between Democracy and Authoritarianism , pp. 88 - 129Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2019