The Structural Roots of Turkey’s Power Struggle

German Marshall Fund of the United States, February 4, 2014

Galip Dalay *

A fierce power struggle between the governing AK Party and the Gülen Movement has dominated Turkey’s political scene, generating wide interest both domestically and internationally. Thus far, conjectural factors have been largely blamed for the crisis. Yet, it is the structural factors that have facilitated the feud and can better illuminate it, specifically Turkey’s overly centralized and identity-imposing state and the Gülen Movement’s inclination to attempt to influence policy even while not in government. This poses a grave challenge to Turkey’s democracy and civilian politics. Turkey needs to address these structural challenges by devolving power to local administrations, eliminating the state’s ability of social engineering, and increasing the transparency of religious groups.

* Galip Dalay works as a researcher in the political research department at the SETA Foundation in Turkey. He is also the book review editor of Insight Turkey.

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