Turkey democracy crisis: where religion, power and repression intersect

By Deniz Torcu, Adjunct Professor of Globalization, Business and Media, IE University

The arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on 19 March has put a spotlight on the state of democracy in Turkey. It marks a possible turning point in the gradual dismantling of the country’s secular and democratic pillars.

At its founding in 1923, the Republic of Turkey was established as a secular state under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Secularism was seen as essential to modern development, as it decoupled state power structures from religious authorities.

However,

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