Is Turkey A Democracy - 1907 Words

Dictatorship vs. Democracy Over half of the countries in the world are considered democracies, one of which being Turkey. Turkey believes that they are a model of a true democracy while other countries believe that Turkey is very far from being considered a democracy. This has been an ongoing argument amongst many people. If we take in to consideration what it means to be a true democracy, then Turkey would only possess a few of those qualities. If we were to look at the basic structure and elements of a dictatorship, Turkey would fit into majority of them. This is what leads me to believe that Turkey should not be considered a democracy but instead a soft dictatorship. There is a lot of evidence that would prove as to why Turkey should not be considered a democracy including, lack of freedom in many different way, lack of suffrage rights, a long process of trying to become a member of the European Union, high levels of government control, and high military power. According to Josep h Colomer, author of â€Å"The Science of Politics†, the minimalist definition of democracy is defined by two basic things, freedom and elections. He mentions within his book that in order to be a democracy you must have freedom of association along with freedom of expression and information. This is something that Turkey lacks. Freedom of association means to be able to form groups or clubs and meet without interference of the government. Turkey’s government has been known to interfere withShow MoreRelatedWomens Rights And Democracy In Turkey : The History Of Turkey1208 Words   |  5 PagesThe history of Turkey stretches back about 40,000 years. Although, Turkey was never colonized by another nation state, it was once occupied by the one of the largest and long-lasting empires in history, the Ottoman Empire. Following World War I and the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1922, Turkey achieved its independence on October 29, 1923. Following a period of one-party rule by the Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal, the Turkish government decided to instead form and organize multi-party elections toRead MoreIs Turkey A Parliamentary Representative Democracy?1427 Words   |  6 PagesTurkey is a parliamentary representative democracy. Executive Power is held by the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. The President is the head of state and has a largely ceremonial role. She/he is elected for a five-year term by direct elections. Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan is the first president elected by direct voting. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers which make up the government, while the Legislative power is upheld by the unicameral parliamentRead MoreDemocracy in Iran and Turkey Essays2319 Words   |  10 Pages Comparison and Contrast between the Evolution of Democracy in Iran and Turkey, from 1900 to the Present. Name: Institution: Date: Please write on top of each of your exams its exact title as its appear below, making sure your answers are itemized (i.e., answer the points ONE BY ONE, and not combine them).  ITEMIZE YOUR ANSWERS   Mid Term Exam Compare and contrast the evolution of democracy in Iran and Turkey, from 1900 to present.  In process of writing your exam, you must provide the followingRead MoreDemocracy Of The Islamic States ( Iran Vs Turkey1813 Words   |  8 PagesDemocracy in the Islamic States (Iran Vs Turkey) Democracy is a predominant authority regime that most countries both young and mature have adopted based on its accrued benefits. Defining democracy can be a daunting task as several countries may prefer to institute governing policies rather than adopt from other states (Rowley Smith, 2009). The element of incorporating modified aspects of democracy is based on the difference in several factors that may range from religion, culture, to politicalRead MoreEssay875 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom House, an organization that promotes the development of freedom and democracy globally, is especially concerned with Turkey’s future as a nation and believes there are threats to civil liberties in this nation. This institute rates countries based on its freedom status – and in its most recent report, Freedom House considered Turkey as partly free and experiencing declines. Between its annual reports, Turkey’s â€Å"political rights rating declined from 3 to 4 [and] its ci vil liberties ratingRead MoreA Democracy Of The Middle East1304 Words   |  6 PagesVarious forms of democracy have been around since Ancient Greece and Rome. Over the years citizens have revolted against monarchies, dictatorships, and oligarchies in favor of democracies and republics. It is rare to come upon a country in which the citizens overthrew a democratic government in favor of anything else. This suggests that a democracy is the ideal form of government that citizens will continue to revolt until they reach. Francis Fukuyama agrees when he asserts that capitalist, liberalRead MoreEssay823 Words   |  4 Pagespact that had come into existence 20 years prior and would only honor it under the condition that Turkey give away three eastern provinces and allow for â€Å"common defense† bases on the Straits (Gà ¼lek, 2016). This occurred before Japan surrendered and when Kremlin’s influence in the world was at an all-time high. The Turkish government rejected th eir offer, risking being left alone by Western Democracies (Gà ¼lek, 2016). The situation took a turn for the worse when Soviet Russia began building satellitesRead MoreThe Government s Freedom Of Press974 Words   |  4 PagesSince the Turkish state was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatà ¼rk in 1923, the press in Turkey has never been free. The first government was ruled by the Atatà ¼rk’s party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which claimed to be liberal and modernist; however, they made a law which could shut down and /or censor any newspapers which they did not like. (Bulut, 2015). During the CHP era, 130 newspapers and magazines were banned. Although many parties’ names have changed throughout the years, the rulingRead MoreThe State Of Democracy Around The World1721 Words   |  7 Pagesworlds democratic state. This report will investigate and analyse the state of democracy around the various countries of the world and elaborate on the chosen countri es democratic crisis and state of governance. Originating from the Greek terms demos, meaning ‘people’ and kratos, meaning ‘rule,’ democracy essentially means to ‘rule by the people’ (Hague and Harrop, 2013, p. 43). One could argue however, that democracy is considerably more than just a form of governance. For any nation to be consideredRead MoreA Protest Over Censorship Of The Internet Essay1603 Words   |  7 PagesThe political climate in Turkey is much different from the rest of the developed world in the sense of rights and type of leadership. Turkey has been highlighted recently in world news for using the power of their government to control and block certain content that Turkish people want to put on the internet. In developed countries with strong civil rights, such as the United States, citizens do not know what it’s like to fear being arrested for just speaking their mind. The civic artifacts examined