Is Turkey evolving towards an authoritarian rule? : An analysis of human rights and democracy in Turkey in the light of the Council of Europe

Abstract

The situation of human rights and democracy in Turkey has suffered a dramatic change since the coup attempt on 15 July 2016. The subsequent declaration of a state of emergency and its prolongation for over a year have seriously damaged the human rights situation, both directly and indirectly. Moreover, under the current circumstances, the Turkish society has approved by referendum a series of constitutional amendments that will radically change Turkish political system from a parliamentary system to a presidential system, with a important concentration of power in the hands of the executive. Many academics have been wondering whether this situation will derive towards a one-man rule. Therefore, this project assesses both the impact of the measures taken under the state of emergency and the shifts in the political regime introduced by the constitutional amendments, from the perspective of the Council of Europe (COE). Through their analysis, one might conclude that human rights and democracy have seriously deteriorated under the current situation. Although, the Turkish society needs time to adapt to the new changes, it is necessary to alert on the authoritarian character of the introduced measures.