Moral, Mert and Esen, Berk (2026) Introduction to the Special Issue on the May 2023 Turkish Elections - Leader-Centred Polarisation, Asymmetric Cleavage Mobilisation, and the 2023 Turkish Elections. [Volumes Edited / Special Issues] (Accepted)
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In this introduction to the special issue, we situate Turkey's 2023 election within a longitudinal analysis of the country's drift to a consolidated competitive authoritarian regime. Drawing on seven articles, we contend that the 2023 elections were less a referendum on a democracy-versus-autocracy cleavage than a contest centred on the incumbent president. The ruling People's Alliance successfully mobilised ethnic and religious-sectarian divisions while the opposition pursued a Downsian defence on these cleavages. The articles trace this dynamic across three thematic threads --polarisation, electoral strategy, and voting behaviour-- to analyse how Erdoğan secured a third presidential term despite the severe economic and political shocks. We conclude by outlining the special issue's contributions to the existing scholarship.
| Item Type: | Volumes Edited / Special Issues |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Turkey; 2023 elections; competitive authoritarianism; political polarisation; cleavage politics; opposition coordination; political Islam; voting behaviour |
| Subjects: | J Political Science > JA Political science (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences > Academic programs > Political Science Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Mert Moral |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Oct 2026 15:45 |
| Last Modified: | 05 Oct 2026 15:45 |
| URI: | https://research.sabanciuniv.edu/id/eprint/54972 |
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