Turkey Under Erdogan

“A particular strength of [Bechev’s] book is that he does not attribute Turkey’s turn from democracy exclusively to Erdoğan, but emphasises ‘the authoritarian legacies shaping the state,’ rooted in the Ottoman Empire and in the long rule of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who founded the modern secular republic in 1923 and held power until his death in 1938.”—Tony Barber, Financial Times

“Bechev’s authoritative account expertly weaves together the two parallel tracks of Turkey’s move towards authoritarianism and away from its moorings in the West. . . . He explains not only what happened, but also why.”—Hanns W. Maull, Survival

“A sweeping attempt to capture the last 20 years of Turkey, Bechev skilfully traces the radical transformation of Turkey’s domestic and foreign policies under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. An outstanding book from one of the best.”—Gönül Tol, Middle East Institute

“A compelling narrative, rich in anecdotes, quotes, and carefully chosen empirical examples, enlivens an in-depth historical analysis of Turkey’s evolution from the 1970s until today. Bechev charts Turkey’s modernization, the rise of Islamist populism, its geopolitical shift from the periphery of the West to its bid for regional hegemony, as well as the weaknesses of the competitive authoritarian regime that its President Erdoğan has crafted.”—Rosa Balfour, director, Carnegie Europe

“Bechev analyzes the two decades that witnessed the evolution of President Erdoğan from a seemingly EU-friendly ‘Muslim democrat’ to a strongman. He masterfully portrays how the shifts in AKP’s foreign policy were intertwined with rising authoritarian practices in Turkey.”—Ayşe Kadıoğlu, Sabancı University