For decades, the United States existed as a direct foil to communism and authoritarianism worldwide, from the beginning of the Cold War following World War II to the improvement of U.S.-Russian relations with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, the U.S. has been known as the worldwide defender of democratic ideals, perhaps as a pejorative element in some sense — we did invade Iraq, after all — but there is no denying the impact our country’s zeal for freedom has upon global democratization. Even so, it is puzzling that with the (presumed) passage of the recent Turkish referendum, our government and indeed the world at large has remained silent in the face of clear affronts to the ideals of freedom and democracy. That is not to say it would be our business or in our best interest to intervene, but the granting of new, arguably dangerous, executive powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was an act deserving of the utmost scrutiny. It is a bellwether for the creeping nature of authoritarianism, and as such, should not be ignored.
The referendum regards amendments to the Constitution that would provide Erdogan with a much greater degree of power, absolving him of any need to consult with his Vice President or Prime Minister — the latter position is, in actuality, entirely dissolved by these amendments. As such, the government hinges on his relationship with the Parliament alone; considering the referendum also allows him to remain the leader of his party upon his inevitable re-election, the support of a legislature stocked with Justice and Development Party representatives allows him to wield an unchecked degree of power. Once known as the man who led Turkey into a new democratic era in the early 2000s, he wishes only to undermine the state for his own gain; he giveth, and he taketh away.
While organizations such as The Venice Commission and Human Rights Watch have derided the amendments as a danger to the sanctity of rule of law and an indubitable attempt to create an authoritarian state, few heads of state have commented on the issue — President Trump actually congratulated Erdogan on his victory, a strange exception to the rule.
More should have been done to shield Turkey from a fate such as this, and it is lamentable that little can be done at this juncture. But we should view this as a warning, for the maintenance of the principles we hold so dear is in our hands as constituents and citizens of the world. It is our duty to ensure our government never follows a similar path: not now, and not ever. Discourse is perhaps the best method of ensuring those around you and those abroad remain informed, as a wave of far-right fervor washes across Europe. We must make clear to our global counterparts that we will not allow a similar fate to befall them.
