Policy paper “Democracy at a Crossroads: Türkiye’s Constitutional Debate and Its Domestic and International Implications”

Date of publication: January 23, 2026

Research intern Aneta Smetanová from the Prague Center for Middle Eastern Relations (PCMR) at CEVRO University has published a policy paper entitled “Democracy at a Crossroads: Türkiye´s Constitutional Debate and Its Domestic and International Implications.”

The paper examines Türkiye’s gradual shift from a parliamentary system to a highly centralized presidential regime between 2013 and 2017 with a glimpse into the present and possible developments in the coming years. It focuses on how constitutional reforms, adopted through formal democratic procedures, contributed to the erosion of checks and balances and the consolidation of executive power under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The analysis situates the 2017 constitutional referendum within a broader context of democratic backsliding and assesses its domestic and international implications, particularly for Türkiye’s relations with the European Union and NATO.