Erdoğan’s Final Countdown to Absolute Power?

German Marshall Fund of the United States, February 19, 2015

by Emre Erdoğan *

Apart from still acting as a party leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also acting as an executive president, which is in contradiction with Turkey’s parliamentary system. Such an unusual political practice is possible only because the prime minister, the real holder of executive power, has agreed to devolve his powers to the president. But Ahmet Davutoglu does not have too many other options. It is clear that Davutoglu needs Erdogan’s hand to govern. On the other hand, this de-facto arrangement cannot last forever since even a charismatic leader like Erdogan cannot continuously act against the constitution. Davutoglu’s performance for the next few months will crucial for Erdogan’s political fate and his desire for presidentialism.

* Emre Erdoğan, Ph.D., is an expert in public opinion and foreign policy. He is one of the founders of Infakto RW, an Istanbul-based independent research institute, and a professor of political methodology in Istanbul Bilgi University and Boğaziçi University.

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