The old and the new: Nationalism, islam and democracy in Turkey

Not too long ago, Turkey was hailed as a model for the post-Arab Spring Middle East and North Africa, an inspiring example of how Islam can be combined with secular democracy and market capitalism. These hopes proved to be short-lived as demonstrated by a series of political crises — all inextricably linked to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's rapid authoritarian turn.

The aim of this paper is to account for the well-documented deterioration of democracy in Turkey, with a special focus on the intricate nexus of nationalism and Islam.