Development of democratization processes in Turkey in the late Ottoman and early republican periods

Since the start of the third wave of democratization and the end of the Cold War, the study of democracy and democratization has occupied center stage in the field of comparative politics. The focus of this work has been diverse, ranging from questions such as the origins and design of democracy to its overall quality and sustainability. Turkey, which is the subject of this paper, is a unique example of a secular country with a Muslim population that has a long history of democratization processes rooted back in the late Ottoman Empire (although the quality of its present democracy is debatable). It is also worth bearing in mind that complex phenomena such as democratization are never linear, but rather experience ups and downs. This paper focuses on the early steps towards the establishment of a democratic regime in Turkey, such as adoption of the First and Second Constitutions in the Ottoman Empire, proclamation of the Republic, implementation of Atatürk's reforms, and transition to a multi-party system. Thus, it could be argued that the foundations of the democratic regime in Turkey were laid as far back as the Tanzimat period. The Ottoman experience of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary life has strongly influenced the further democratization processes in the country during the 20th century. However, the early republican period was not a democratic regime, although its legacy contributed to the formation of some background conditions for a democratic system. The real political liberalization in Turkey started in 1946 with the transition to a multiparty system.