The dissertation focuses on the changes of the Turkish political regime in the context of the EU. The goal of the dissertation is to analyse the changes of the Turkish regime during the rule of the AKP, from 2002 to 2023. The dissertation observes the European context of these changes, in particular, the role of the accession negotiations with the EU and its effect on the Turkish regime. The dissertation is mainly based on the theoretical approaches of A. Przeworski (1991) regarding liberalizati... show full abstractThe dissertation focuses on the changes of the Turkish political regime in the context of the EU. The goal of the dissertation is to analyse the changes of the Turkish regime during the rule of the AKP, from 2002 to 2023. The dissertation observes the European context of these changes, in particular, the role of the accession negotiations with the EU and its effect on the Turkish regime. The dissertation is mainly based on the theoretical approaches of A. Przeworski (1991) regarding liberalization processes in authoritarian regimes and their possible outcomes, as well as the theory of partial regimes by Ph. C. Schmitter (1992), and S. E. Skaaning’s regime transitions theory (2006). The dissertation tests two basic hypotheses. The first hypothesis is related to the core of the research. H1: The Turkish regime has been a hybrid regime for a long time; after 2002, it went through a short process of liberalization, which did not result in democratization; on the contrary, it moved towards the strengthening of authoritarianism. The second hypothesis evaluates the European context. H2: In the long term, the economic disadvantages of integration of Turkey with the EU became apparent, and the negative image of the EU in the eyes of Turkish society did not create sufficient pressure on the regime to continue liberalizing or even democratizing changes. While the first hypothesis is verified, based on the other two sub-hypotheses; the second hypothesis, also based on the other two sub-hypotheses, was not confirmed. The dissertation states that there has been a shift in the political regime in Turkey towards authoritarianism which currently represents an authoritarian situation (Skaaning). This shift was accompanied by a narrowing of the regime’s power base after the unsuccessful liberalization, and stabilization of power took place through the change of the partial regime (from parliamentarism to presidentialism). The dissertation did not confirm that the deviation from liberalization reforms was based on the economic disadvantages of cooperating between Turkey and the EU or the negative perception of the EU by Turkish citizens. |