The Economist: Ekrem Imamoglu on Turkey’s renewed faith in democracy

Source:The Economist Date:13Apr2024

Despite unfair competition, especially in the allocation of state resources to the ruling party and its candidates and government control of the media, the opposition Republican People’s Party (chp), of which I am a member, emerged victorious. In Istanbul, government officials and the president actively campaigned to support my opponent in the mayoral election. We won even though other opposition parties, which had allied themselves with the chp in last year’s elections, abandoned our coalition and ran their own candidates.

The election has also shown that citizens can form much stronger alliances than political elites. Even if parties and political leaders lose hope in democracy, citizens do not. As the democrats of Turkey, we are committed to expanding this grassroots alliance. The future of Turkish democracy and the country’s prosperity hinges on it.

The past two decades have seen a crisis in democracy, with authoritarian governments coming to power around the world. Driven by populism and polarisation, this upheaval has stoked global uncertainties, prompting people to question whether the end of the democratic era is near.

For Turkey, however, March 31st marked the opposite: the end of the erosion of democracy. It is a turning-point that carries profound implications, not only for Turkey but also for its immediate region and beyond. It shows how authoritarian tendencies can be challenged and serves as an example to the world.