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Turkish Referendum
15 | May | 2017

The Turkish people voted "yes" in the referendum to amend the Constitution. The new general law gives further powers to the president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, once it transforms Ankara, currently a parliamentary democracy, into a presidential system. However, the opposition parties are contesting the electoral results and asking for a recount of one third of the votes.

 

 

Resources | Opinions & Analysis | Editorials | News

Resources
Erdoğan as Autocrat: A Very Turkish Tragedy [April 2017]
Howard Eissenstat, POMED

Los que quieren a Erdogan [April 2017]
El Pais

Essential reading on Turkey's crucial referendum [16/04/2017]
Al Jazeera

Turkish referendum: all you need to know [10/04/2017]
The Guardian

Turkey’s constitutional referendum: What you need to know [07/04/2017]
Asli Aydıntaşbaş, European Council on Foreign Relations

 

Opinions & Analysis
Fethullah Gulen: The Turkey I no longer know [15/05/2017]
Fethullah Gulen, The Wahington Post

Erdoğan’s Post-Referendum Paradox [04/05/2017]
E. Fuat Keyman, Megan Gisclon, GMF

Erdoğan is right: Turkey’s referendum is a victory for democracy [27/04/2017]
Ibrahim Kalin, The Guardian

A nightmare scenario for Turkey [27/04/2017]
Murat Yetkin, Hurriyet Daily News

Analyzing the referendum results from Central Anatolia [26/04/2017]
Sedat Ergin, Hurriyet Daily News

How to mend a broken heart [26/04/2017]
Ahu Özyurt, Hurriyet Daily News

The AKP’s narrow win, Turkey’s big loss [26/04/2017]
Serkan Demirtaş, Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey faces scrutiny after Erdogan's 'win' [25/04/2017]
Cengiz Çandar, Al-monitor

Erdogan’s referendum victory polarizes Turkey [24/04/2017]
Salman Rafi, Asia Times

Referendum win may prove costly for Erdogan [23/04/2017]
Arthur I. Cyr, The China Post

Why German Turks Voted for the Autocrat Far Away [21/04/2017]
Jochen Bittner, The New York Times

Did Kurds determine outcome of Turkey's referendum? [21/04/2017]
Mahmut Bozarslan, Al-monitor

Has Turkey's referendum emboldened hate? [21/04/2017]
Pinar Tremblay, Al-monitor

Turkey's AKP claims Kurdish support for referendum, Kurds say otherwise [20/04/2017]
Amberin Zaman, Al-monitor

Trump's making a big strategic mistake on human rights [19/04/2017]
Max Boot, USA Today

How does Muslim world view Erdogan's referendum win? [19/04/2017]
Fehim Tastekin, Al-monitor

Post-referendum Turkey: Renewed conflicts, new allies [19/04/2017]
Metin Gurcan, Al Jazeera

How Erdogan should use his new power in Turkey [19/04/2017]
Kiran Nazish, Reuters

Erdoğan’s power grab follows authoritarian script [19/04/2017]
Melik Kaylan, Politico EU

Why the EU should terminate accession negotiations with Turkey [19/04/2017]
Steven Blockmans, Sinem Yilmaz, CEPS

Turkish referendum: Erdogan home but not yet dry [19/04/2017]
Asli Aydıntaşbaş, ECFR

Why Strongmen Rulers Love Their Emigres [19/04/2017]
Leonid Bershidsky, The Bloomberg View

It's Time To Break Off EU Membership Talks with Turkey [19/04/2017]
Markus Becker, Der Spiegel

The Turkish Referendum [18/04/2017]
James M. Lindsay, Robert McMahon, and Steven Cook, Council on Foreign Relations [podcast]

Turkey: the European response [18/04/2017]
Duncan Robinson, Financial Times

Where does referendum leave Turkey's ties with West? [18/04/2017]
Semih Idiz, Al-monitor

Calls for referendum annulment rise in Turkey [18/04/2017]
Amberin Zaman, Al-monitor

Turkey haunted by ghosts of the past [18/04/2017]
Sreeram Chaulia, Nikkei Asian Review

Conciliation is not on the cards after Turkey’s referendum [18/04/2017]
Simon A Waldman, Middle East Eye

Understanding Turkey’s Anger With The West [18/04/2017]
Cemal Ozkahraman, Social Europe

Erdoğan’s Pyrrhic Victory? [18/04/2017]
Soli Özel, Project Syndicate

Dealing With Turkey’s Absolute Ruler [18/04/2017]
Marc Pierini, Carnegie Europe

What’s Next After Turkey’s Referendum? [18/04/2017]
Gonul Tol, The New York Times

How Turkey's Referendum Could Be a Prelude to French Surprise [18/04/2017]
Mohamed A. El-Erian, The Bloomberg View

The Bizarre Behavior of Turkish-German Voters [18/04/2017]
Hasnain Kazim, Der Spiegel

Victorious and Paranoid [18/04/2017]
Isaac Chotiner, Slate

Where is Turkey headed after its referendum? [17/04/2017]
Elif Esen, Ege Seckin, Mustafa Akyol, Al Jazeera [video]

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is destroying democracy from within – and he is not the only one [17/04/2017]
Faisal Al Yafai, The National

Turkey referendum: Erdogan's narrow victory [17/04/2017]
David Barchard, Middle East Eye

Where does Erdogan's referendum win leave Turkey? [17/04/2017]
Cengiz Çandar, Al-monitor

Is calm transition possible after Turkey's referendum? [17/04/2017]
Al-monitor

Why Turkish opposition parties are contesting the referendum results [17/04/2017]
Jennifer Amur, The Washington Post

Turkey's New Playbook for the Semi-Authoritarian [17/04/2017]
Noah Feldman, The Bloomberg View

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is destroying democracy from within – and he is not the only one [17/04/2017]
Faisal Al Yafai, The National

En Turquie, victoire étriquée pour l’hyperprésident Erdogan [17/04/2017]
Allan Kaval, Marie Jégo, Marc Semo, Le Monde

Erdoğan's referendum victory unsurprising in a 'strongman' world [17/04/2017]
Simon Tisdall, The Guardian

The Turkish referendum is a victory in name only for Erdoğan [17/04/2017]
Serhun Al, The Guardian

Erdoğan’s referendum victory spells the end of Turkey as we know it [17/04/2017]
Yavuz Baydar, The Guardian

Turkish referendum must be a wake-up call for Germany [17/04/2017]
Ines Pohl, Deutsche Welle

Turkey's new era as Erdogan takes it all [17/04/2017]
Seda Serdar, Deutsche Welle

Divided we stand ... Turkey faces discord after referendum [17/04/2017]
Suraj Sharma, Middle East Eye

Turkey’s constitutional referendum: experts express fear for a divided country [17/04/2017]
Simon P. Watmough, Ahmet Erdi Öztürk, David Tittensor, Ihsan Yilmaz, The Conversation

Turkey's New Playbook for the Semi-Authoritarian [17/04/2017]
Noah Feldman, Bloomberg View

Uncertain road ahead as Erdoğan claims victory [17/04/2017]
Zia Weise, Politico EU

Erdogan keeps winning because his opponents never learn [17/04/2017]
Hannah Lucinda Smith, The Spectator

The Turkish referendum [17/04/2017]
Gwynne Dyer, The Japan Times

The real winners, and losers, in the Turkish referendum [17/04/2017]
Howard Eissenstat, Reuters

An exhausting victory for Erdoğan [17/04/2017]
Murat Yetkin, Hurriyet Daily News

Nothing has changed... [17/04/2017]
Yusuf Kanli, Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey’s divisive referendum: Anatolia vs the metropolis [17/04/2017]
Serkan Demirtaş, Hurriyet Daily News

How the Turkish referendum has split the community in Australia [17/04/2017]
Mehmet Ozalp, The Sydney Morning Herald

Turkish democracy has just died; Europe could not have saved it [16/04/2017]
Douglas Murray, The Spectator

Erdoğan declares victory in his pursuit of one-man rule [16/04/2017]
Alpaslan Ozerdem, Bahar Baser, The Conversation

Sin el consenso social necesario [16/04/2017]
Ilke Toygur, El Pais

RIP Turkey, 1921 – 2017 [16/04/2017]
Steven A. Cook, Foreign Policy

Uncertain road ahead as Erdoğan claims victory [16/04/2017]
Zia Weise, Politico EU

After referendum, Turkey is more divided than ever [16/04/2017]
Simon Waldman, The Globe and Mail

Turkey’s President Erdogan is set to gain sweeping power after a controversial referendum [16/04/2017]
Tim Fernholz, Quartz

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: is he a threat to Turkish democracy? [16/04/2017]
Kareem Shaheen, The Guardian

Turkey Referendum Victory Would Remove Erdogan's Restraints [16/04/2017]
Zvi Bar'el, Haaretz

Kurd Leader to Haaretz: Erdogan and Allies Seek Dictatorship via Turkish Referendum [16/04/2017]
Entrevista a Bese Hozat, Haaretz

As Turkey Gears Up to Vote, Its 'Traitors' Speak Out [15/04/2017]
Lauren Bohn, Tugba Tekerek, The Atlantic

Turkey is sliding into dictatorship [15/04/2017]
The Economist

Another moment of destiny for Turkey [15/04/2017]
Murat Yetkin, Hurriyet Daily News

Is Turkey Still a Democracy? [14/04/2017]
David Kenner, Foreign Policy

Turkey’s Good-Governance Referendum [14/04/2017]
Gulnur Aybet, The New York Times

La Constitución de Erdogan [14/04/2017]
Eduard Soler i Lecha, El Pais

Turkey could be about to leap from division to despotism [14/04/2017]
Elif Shafak, The Guardian

Referendum May Seal Turkey’s Drift Away From Europe [14/04/2017]
Aaron Stein, Real Clear World

Will Turkey’s referendum mark the end of democracy and the birth of ‘Erdoğanistan’? [14/04/2017]
Simon P. Watmough, Ahmet Erdi Öztürk, The Conversation

Turquía, anclada a un referéndum [13/04/2017]
Javier Solana, El Pais

Adiós a Turquía [13/04/2017]
José I. Torreblanca, El Pais

Presidential Referendum: A Pivotal Moment in Turkey's Prolonged Election Cycle [13/04/2017]
Emre Erdogan, German Marshall Fund

How Kurds Could Tilt Turkey’s Referendum [13/04/2017]
Ayla Jean Yackley, Foreign Policy

A divided Turkey heads for historic referendum [13/04/2017]
Semih Idiz, Al-monitor

Why all this worry if ‘Yes’ has already won? [13/04/2017]
Murat Yetkin, Hurriyet Daily News

The Turkish constitutional referendum, explained [13/04/2017]
Sinan Ekim, Kemal Kirişci, Brookings Institution

The high price of saying ‘no’ in Turkey’s referendum [13/04/2017]
Can Dundar, The Washington Post

Turkey's referendum: A democratic quest [13/04/2017]
Ayse Sozen Usluer, Al Jazeera

Turkey’s Referendum on Dictatorship [13/04/2017]
Michael Rubin, Commentary

The Constitutional Referendum Will Not Stabilize Turkey [12/04/2017]
Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, German Marshall Fund

The Putinisation of Erdogan [12/04/2017]
David Hearst, Middle East Eye

Turkey's future: The West’s mounting Erdoganophobia [12/04/2017]
Ahmed al-Burai, Middle East Eye

Turkey’s lose-lose referêndum [12/04/2017]
Sevgi Akarçeşme, Politico EU

From Istanbul to Madrid: five things to know before the Turkish constitutional referendum [12/04/2017]
İlke Toygür, Real Instituto Elcano

Is It Too Late for Turkey’s Democracy? [12/04/2017]
Elmira Bayrasli, The New York Times

How Erdogan uses Turkey's mosques to push 'yes' vote [12/04/2017]
Pinar Tremblay, Al-monitor

Not a very fair referendum campaign, is it? [12/04/2017]
Murat Yetkin, Hurriyet Daily News

Turkey will never be the same after this vote [11/04/2017]
Henri Barkey, The Wasington Post

The stakes are huge in Turkey’s referendum [11/04/2017]
David Gardner, Financial Times

Turkey's referendum: A democratic quest [11/04/2017]
Ayse Sozen Usluer, Al Jazeera

Turkey's opposition: Referendum will deepen problems [11/04/2017]
Entrevista a Sezgin Tanrikulu, Al Jazeera

Turkey Will Never Be the Same After This Vote [11/04/2017]
Henri J. Barkey, Wilson Center

Turkey’s Constitutional Debate: Presidentialism Alla Turca or Parliamentary Government [10/04/2017]
Ilter Turan, German Marshall Fund

Dismissed law scholar dissects Turkey's referendum [10/04/2017]
Entrevista a Murat Sevinc, Deutsche Welle

A Gift From God [10/04/2017]
Can Erimtan, Berlin Policy Journal

How Erdogan's Referendum Gamble Might Backfire[10/04/2017]
Eren Caylan, Maximilian Popp, Der Spiegel

Renegade ultranationalists could derail Erdoğan [10/04/2017]
Zia Weise, Politico EU

Win or Lose on Referendum, Turkey’s Erdogan Spells Trouble [10/04/2017]
Mohammed Ayoob, Real Clear World

Fears of foul play hang over Turkish referendum [10/04/2017]
Mahmut Bozarslan, Al-monitor

Turkish Voters Take to the Seas [09/03/2017]
Umar Farooq, Foreign Affairs

‘If there is one man in power, he can cut through the mess’: a Turkey divided ahead of key poll [05/04/2017]
Stephen Starr, The National

Turkey is about to use democracy to end its democracy [05/04/2017]
Tezcan Gumus, Quartz

Eyes turn to Gul as countdown begins to Turkish referendum [03/04/2017]
Amberin Zaman, Al-monitor

Erdoğan’s power grab [31/03/2017]
Zia Weise, Politico EU

Five reasons Erdogan will win the Turkish referendum [29/03/2017]
Omair Anas, Middle East Eye

Looking Beyond Turkey’s Constitutional Referendum [27/03/2017]
Marc Pierini, Carnegie Europe

Will Turkish anger at Europe hurt or help Erdogan's yes campaign? [18/04/2017]
Suraj Sharma, Middle East Eye

Turkey and the Codification of Autocracy [10/03/2017]
Steven Blockmans, CEPS

Constitutional changes in Turkey: A presidential system or the president’s system? [24/01/2017]
Amanda Paul, Demir Murat Seyrek, European Policy Centre

 

Editorials
Erdogan’s referendum win is Turkey’s loss [20/04/2017]
The Japan Times

Turkey is a lesson in how democracy can end, as if we needed it [19/04/2017]
The Sydney Morning Herald

Erdogan’s ugly win could cause all kinds of problems — even for him [18/04/2017]
The Washington Post

Turkey Takes a Stride in the Wrong Direction [18/04/2017]
The Bloomberg View

Democracy Loses in Turkey [17/04/2017]
The New York Times

The Guardian view on the Turkish referendum: Erdoğan entrenches himself [17/04/2017]
The Guardian

Avec la victoire du oui, la Turquie en pleine régression [17/04/2017]
Le Monde

Erdogan must use his new powers wisely [17/04/2017]
South China Morning Post

Turkey referendum: Mr. Erdogan rising [17/04/2017
The Hindu

Turquía, sin freno hacia un 'sultanato' aún más autoritario [17/04/2017]
El Mundo

The Guardian view on the Turkish referendum: Erdoğan entrenches himself [17/04/2017]
The Guardian

Avec la victoire du oui, la Turquie en pleine régression [17/04/2017]
Le Monde

Erdogan must use his new powers wisely [17/04/2017]
South China Morning Post

Turkey referendum: Mr. Erdogan rising [17/04/2017]
The Hindu

Turquía, sin freno hacia un 'sultanato' aún más autoritario [17/04/2017]
El Mundo

Erdogan se impone [17/04/2017]
El Pais

Globe editorial: Say no to Erdogan’s naked power grab [13/04/2017]
The Globe and Mail

Référendum en Turquie : le pari très risqué de M. Erdogan [13/04/2017]
Le Monde

Turkey’s Dangerous Path Away From Democracy [29/03/2017]
The New York Times

Erdogan and his spat with Europe [13/03/2017]
The National

 

News
Erdoğan rejoins Turkey's ruling party in wake of referendum on new powers [02/05/2017]
The Guardian

Erdogan Leads His Country into the Abyss [21/04/2017]
Der Spiegel

CHP vows to continue struggle against system changes [26/04/2017]
Hurriyet Daily News

Erdogan says Turkey won't wait at Europe's door forever [26/04/2017]
Reuters

Turkey placed on damaging democracy watchlist by EU [25/04/2017]
Middle East Eye

As Erdogan gains power in Turkey, a weakened opposition tries to stand in his way [19/04/2017]
The Washington Post

Turkey’s electoral board to investigate referendum complaints [19/04/2017]
Politico EU

Turkey extends state of emergency for 3 more months [18/04/2017]
China Daily

In Supporting Erdogan, Turks Cite Economic and Religious Gains [17/04/2017]
The New York Times

Turkey’s Vote Could Mean the End of a Courtship to Join the E.U. [17/04/2017]
The New York Times

Turkey: Erdogan victory with an asterisk? [17/04/2017]
Deutsche Welle

Erdogan left with a divided Turkey after referendum [17/04/2017]
Deutsche Welle

Turquie : Erdogan évoque un référendum sur les négociations d'adhésion à l'Europe [17/04/2017]
Le Figaro

International monitors deliver scathing verdict on Turkish referendum [17/04/2017]
CNN

Opposition calls for Turkish vote annulment after Erdogan wins powers [17/04/2017]
Reuters

Erdogan consuma la deriva desde el pragmatismo a la autocracia [16/04/2017]
El Pais

Erdoğan gets backing to strengthen his autocratic grip on Turkey [16/04/2017]
The Guardian

Turkey referendum: Erdogan pledges lasting stability amid fears of a power grab [15/04/2017]
The National

"Un país con la reforma constitucional de Turquía no puede entrar en la Unión Europea" [15/04/2017]
El Mundo

Turkey prepares for tight vote that could strengthen Erdoğan's grip on power [15/04/2017]
The Guardian

The vote that will determine the fate of Turkey’s democracy [15/04/2017]
The Economist

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, du réformateur au «sultan» [14/04/2017]
Le Figaro

Erdogan and opposition play last cards before vote [13/04/2017]
Al Jazeera

En Turquie, un référendum à quitte ou double pour le président Erdogan [13/04/2017]
Le Monde

No poder decir 'No' en Turquía [13/04/2017]
El Mundo

Idea of a non-democratic Turkey to be clinched if yes votes prevail in charter referendum: CHP leader [12/04/2017]
Hurriyet Daily News

Turkish rifts stir up Germany as referendum nears [11/04/2017]
Financial Times

Why Turkey's constitutional referendum on Sunday is such a big deal [11/04/2017]
USA Today

Turkey's referendum runs deeper than 'Yes' or 'No' [05/04/2017]
Deutsche Welle

‘No’ campaigners find themselves victims of violence ahead of Turkey referendum [30/03/2017]
The National