The New Constitution of Turkey: Democratization?: Turkey's fragmented politics and society increases the legitimacy issues of the new amendments of the new constitution, even though the European Union defines them as necessary.
Author
Esmerok, Esin Deniz
Term
4. term
Publication year
2011
Submitted on
2011-06-01
Pages
79
Abstract
Forfatninger har stor betydning, fordi de sætter rammerne for borgernes rettigheder og for demokratiet. Denne afhandling spørger, hvad der sker, når en forfatning beskyldes for at begrænse rettigheder eller undergrave normer som demokrati og ytringsfrihed. Afhandlingen undersøger Tyrkiets nye forfatning og dens ændringer med en beskrivende-normativ tilgang: den beskriver ændringerne og vurderer dem op mod demokratiske standarder. Den nye forfatning blev vedtaget ved en folkeafstemning i begyndelsen af september med 58% ja og 42% nej i et land med næsten 75 millioner indbyggere. Fokus er særligt på ændringer, der påvirker jurisdiktionen – det vil sige retsvæsenet og de juridiske institutioner – og på påstande om, at disse ændringer kan favorisere én politisk fløj. Efter vedtagelsen har implementeringen, især i retsvæsenet, skabt nye konflikter om kvinders rettigheder, ytringsfrihed og demokratisering. Et centralt spor er forholdet mellem Tyrkiet og EU, idet EU har beskrevet visse ændringer som nødvendige, trods omfattende protester. Afhandlingen inddrager EU’s forståelser af demokrati, jurisdiktion, legitimitet og samfundsmæssig fragmentering. Den skitserer også den politiske scene i Tyrkiet, herunder partierne AKP, CHP og MHP. Afslutningsvis præsenteres to mulige scenarier: ét hvor ændringerne underminerer retsvæsen, demokrati og sekularisme; og ét hvor AKP’s dagsorden og den nye forfatning ligger på linje med EU’s krav for medlemskab.
Constitutions matter because they set the framework for citizens’ rights and for democracy itself. This thesis asks what happens when a constitution is accused of limiting rights or weakening norms such as democracy and freedom of speech. It examines Turkey’s new constitution and its amendments using a descriptive-normative approach: it describes the changes and evaluates them against democratic standards. The constitution was approved in a referendum in early September with 58% voting yes and 42% no, in a country of almost 75 million people. The thesis focuses on amendments affecting the jurisdictional system—meaning the courts and legal institutions—and on claims that these changes may favor one political side. After passage, implementation, especially in the judiciary, has sparked new conflicts over women’s rights, freedom of expression, and democratization. A central thread is Turkey’s relationship with the European Union, noting that the EU described some amendments as necessary despite large protests. The study engages with EU understandings of democracy, jurisdiction, legitimacy, and social fragmentation. It also outlines Turkey’s political arena, including the parties AKP, CHP, and MHP. Finally, it presents two scenarios: one in which the amendments undermine the judiciary, democracy, and secularism; and another in which AKP’s agenda and the new constitution align with EU membership requirements.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Keywords
Turkey ; Constitution ; The European Union ; AKP ; CHP ; democracy ; legitimacy ; freedom of speech