Democratization in turkey: An analysis on the 2010 constitutional amendment

Abstract

The process of secularization implemented in Turkey has affected the constitution of the country. Turkey’s secular constitution acts as a social contract that restricted the freedom of an individual, including to practice religion. The emergence of the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP) with conservative democracy discourse tends to create a wider space of liberty, including religious freedom. Thus, this article aims to analyze the democratization process in Turkey practiced by the AKP through the amendment of the constitution in 2010. Furthermore, it analyzed the Constitution of Turkey as the primary source of this study by examining the differences pre and post of its amendment in 2010. Besides, the process of the constitutional amendment is also analyzed thoroughly. Overall, the 2010 constitutional amendment contributed to the process of democratization in Turkey, where it has affected the rights of the people, the military, and judiciary which have been given extensive jurisdiction. As a secular country, the process of democratization in Turkey was an effective step for freedom of religious practice.