The following report has been written by Sevtap Yokuş, Professor of Law at Altınbaş University and member of DPI’s Council of Experts.
This assessment paper provides an analysis of the struggles experienced by Turkey when dealing with the pandemic, particularly when viewed in parallel with the 2017 constitutional reforms. Ms Yokuş, sets out a thorough analysis of the legislative function in the System of Executive Presidency during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, arguing that the global health crisis has laid bare the lack of checks and balances between the legislature and the executive in Turkey. The recent concentration of powers towards the President and executive branch has resulted in an ill functioning of the parliament and an inability for opposition parties to influence or offer alternatives to the government’s response to the global pandemic. Further, the author notes that the increasing centralisation of power and decision-making has impeded local governments to implement their own strategy to directly tailor responses to the situation within their constituencies, to deal with the global pandemic. The author concludes that the global pandemic and the fight against the spread of the virus has deepened the economic crisis Turkey and that it can only be resolved through greater effort to strengthen the rule of law and democratisation in the country Turkey.
DPI would like to express its thanks to the author for producing this engaging report. The views and opinions expressed in the report remain those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DPI.