ABSTRACT
After the Arab uprisings of 2011, many observers looked to Turkey as a possible demo cratic model for its Arab neighbors. This admiration stems from Turkey’s emergence as a major regional political and economic actor under the Justice and Development Party (JDP). The JDP (also known as AKP, for its Turkish name, Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi) is a party with roots in political Islam that has been in power in Turkey since November 2002. For the liberal advocates of the “Turkish model,” JDP’s rule represents an example of how democracy can thrive under a political party with roots in political Islam. More religious advocates of the model see Turkey as an example of how Islam can thrive and come to power in a modern democratic setting. At the same time, however, critical voices argue that despite some reforms under the JDP, the Turkish government continues to violate civil liberties and the rule of law, and they warn that under JDP’s rule, Turkey is in danger of becoming a theocratic dictatorship.
