OSW Commentary - Turkish society on the threshold of a third decade of Erdoğan’s rule - Two decades of reconstruction

OSW Commentary nUMBer 558 2 The crisis of the AKP model In connection with the centenary celebrations of the founding of the republic (29 October 2023), the ruling camp enthusiastically presented the achievements of its two-decade rule, in particular infra- structure investments and social welfare programmes. [...] A unique ‘cult of the state’ has served as the bonding element between a major portion of Turkish society (excluding the Kurds) and the Turkish political scene.23 This emerged in the early years of the Turkish republic and emphasises the state’s paramount importance and historical success. [...] The present ruling elite has skilfully taken advantage of the rift between the conservative and religious part of society, which supports the government, and the secular one, which supports the opposition. [...] They stem from certain historical fac- However, despite its young population, due to the tors such as the collapse of the economic crisis and the signs of the exhaustion of Ottoman Empire and the Triple the previous development model, Turkey has failed Entente’s attempts to partition the to produce a sufficient amount of civic energy country in the wake of the First capable of challenging the stat. [...] In Istanbul, the outcome of the vote may be determined by the attitude of the Kurds who became disillusioned with the CHP’s nationalist turn which occurred at the end of the presidential campaign.