Yasemin Aydın*
In recent years Turkey has witnessed a dramatic shift from a functioning democracy toward a regime plagued by autocratic tendencies, which, in turn, has led to significant societal decay. The erosion of democratic values, coupled with the deterioration of human rights and the rule of law, has left the country on the brink of irreversible decline. The roots of this decay can be traced through various indicators, from corruption and press freedom indexes to alarming brain drain statistics and the deepening disillusionment reflected in the nation’s happiness index. Furthermore, the consequences of a coup attempt on July 15, 2016 have accelerated the systematic dismantling of civil liberties, in particular the relentless crackdown on the faith-based Gülen movement. Inspired by Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, the movement is accused by the Turkish government of masterminding the failed coup and is labeled as a “terrorist organization,” although the movement denies involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity. It’s important to note that no Western government recognizes the movement as a terrorist group.
As German philosopher Hannah Arendt once warned, societal decay begins when public engagement wanes and individuals retreat into private life, leaving space for authoritarianism to take root. This is precisely the trajectory Turkey finds itself on today. The once existing public sphere has been stifled, dissent has been criminalized and those who dared to speak out against the current regime have been imprisoned, exiled or silenced. Turkey’s slide down the global indexes of democracy and freedom is a testament to this decay, and it highlights the urgent need for global attention and action.
Why has Turkish society not reacted to this downward spiral? Since the founding of the Turkish Republic, those in power have always denied individuals the opportunity to internalize democratic culture. As a result, social awareness has never fully developed. Demanding rights from the state was seen as “going rogue,” while a culture of obedience to the paternalistic “father state” is deeply rooted. Under these conditions, society’s resistance to authoritarianism has remained weak. Turkish democracy, already paralyzed by repeated coups, has not only failed to recover, but society has made little effort to save it.
The indicators of decay
Turkey’s Democracy Index score, as compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, has steadily declined from 5.12 in 2015 to a meager 4.35 in 2023, positioning it as a “hybrid regime” rather than a true democracy. Freedom House’s Freedom in the World report echoes this decline, rating Turkey as “Not Free” with a dismal score of 32/100. One of the most significant drivers behind this erosion is the dramatic collapse of press freedom. According to the Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, Turkey ranks 158th out of 180 countries, making it one of the worst environments for journalists in the world. Independent voices have been crushed, media outlets shut down and journalists have been jailed or forced into exile for reporting the truth.
The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International also paints a bleak picture. Turkey’s CPI score dropped from 45 in 2015 to 36 in 2023, reflecting widespread corruption, cronyism and the misuse of public funds by the ruling elites. This decay has also manifested itself in everyday crime, with the Global Organized Crime Index placing Turkey among countries where organized crime and impunity are on the rise. The very institutions meant to protect citizens, including the judiciary and law enforcement, have been weaponized against political opponents, while real criminals operate with near impunity.
Yet perhaps the most tragic consequence of this societal decay is reflected in the World Happiness Report. Turkey ranked 98th out of 143 countries in 2024, with rising levels of depression, anxiety and hopelessness, especially among young people. The brain drain from Turkey is another stark indicator of this disillusionment. The Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges estimates that over 250,000 educated professionals, including doctors, engineers and academics, have left the country since 2016, seeking freedom and stability abroad. Arendt’s warning about the loss of “common sense” and collective values resonates strongly here — when a society loses its best and brightest, it loses its future.
Human rights violations and the post-coup purge
The failed coup of July 15, 2016 marked a dark turning point in Turkey’s history, giving the regime a pretext to launch an unprecedented crackdown on dissent. The Gülen movement, which had been a prominent civil society organization, was labeled a terrorist group, and its followers became the regime’s scapegoats. According to data revealed by Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç in July, a total of 705,172 people have been investigated on terrorism or coup-related charges as part of the government’s ongoing crackdown on followers of the Gülen movement. Tunç said 13,251 people in prison are in pretrial detention or convicted of terrorism in Gülen-linked trials.
Tens of thousands of people who were arrested in the post-coup crackdown and convicted of terrorism have been released from prison over the years after serving their sentences.
Following the abortive putsch, the Turkish government declared a state of emergency and carried out a massive purge of state institutions under the pretext of an anti-coup fight. More than 130,000 public servants as well as 24,706 members of the armed forces were summarily removed from their jobs for alleged membership in or relationships with “terrorist organizations” by emergency decree-laws subject to neither judicial nor parliamentary scrutiny.
The investigations and prosecutions still continue unabated despite multiple rulings from the the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in favor of the Gülen followers who were put in pretrial detention or convicted on terrorism charges following the coup attempt.
The UN Working Group on Torture underlines that what is going on in Turkey is a crime against humanity. The Gülen movement is systematically experiencing civil death. It is being subjected to eradication in a way that aims to ensure it can never flourish again, facing a process of annihilation.
The plight of Turkey’s human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists is particularly harrowing. As documented by Solidarity with Others, lawyers defending victims of the purge have been jailed, threatened and in some cases even forced into psychiatric institutions — a tactic reminiscent of authoritarian regimes past. In the words of a Turkish activist on social media, “The police officers who caught thieves red-handed are imprisoned. The lawyers who fought against rapists have been jailed and sent to mental hospitals.” Meanwhile, actual criminals roam freely, and society pays the price.
This environment of lawlessness has led to a breakdown in social trust, as highlighted in rising crime rates and a palpable sense of insecurity. The Turkish public has become increasingly desensitized to corruption and injustice. The daughters, women and children subjected to harassment, drug addiction or extreme poverty are victims of a state that no longer protects them. As one Turkish social media user put it, “Isn’t failing to protect honest and competent people like throwing our children into the fire with our own hands?”
The deep silence of society: a key to decay
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this situation is the profound silence of Turkish society during the persecution of the Gülen movement and other dissidents. Arendt’s analysis of how societies decay resonates strongly here. When the regime began its witch hunt against the Gülenists, most of Turkish society remained silent. This silence was not just passive but reflected the people’s complicity with the regime in associating those questioning the government with “terrorism” and “treason.”
Arendt’s concept of the banality of evil helps to explain how this complicity spread. In a system where citizens are conditioned to obey without question, evil manifests itself not necessarily through malicious intent, but through thoughtlessness and indifference. The silence of the Turkish public made it possible for the persecution of thousands of people to continue without resistance. The regime exploited this silence and created a climate of fear that stifled even the slightest dissent.
Those who once raised their voices in public were silenced — either through self-censorship, fear of retribution or direct imprisonment. This climate of fear worsened as the government intensified its attacks on civil society and drove people even further into isolation.
A climate of fear and the destruction of public life
For Arendt, totalitarianism thrives in an environment in which the individual is isolated and cannot engage in meaningful political activity. The Turkish government has systematically dismantled public life, suppressed political opposition and created a climate of fear. The more journalists, academics and civil society leaders were imprisoned or sent into exile, the more the public withdrew and remained silent. Arendt’s insight is crucial here: A society that no longer participates in public life is a society that is ripe for authoritarian control.
The destruction of the free press in Turkey is perhaps the clearest example of this erosion of public life. The press serves as a watchdog of government power, informing the public and enabling civic engagement. Without a free press, Arendt warned, “anything can happen,” and it has. In Turkey, where the media has been captured by the state, the public is left with only state-sponsored propaganda. The lack of independent journalism means that social decay continues unchecked and the government’s crimes remain hidden from the eyes of the public.
Breaking through the climate of fear: an important step forward
The most urgent task for Turkey, however, is to break through the climate of fear that now dominates society. Arendt argued that totalitarian regimes thrive when fear silences public life and isolates the individual. In Turkey, this fear has prevented collective action, public dissent and even casual discussion of government abuses.
Turkey’s descent into social decay is not inevitable, but it will require concerted action to change course.
First and foremost, the rule of law must be restored. Thousands of innocent people sitting in prisons must be released and the judiciary must once again become an independent body capable of holding the powerful to account. The Council of Europe must act and ensure that the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) are implemented in Turkey. Freedom of the press must be restored and the voices of dissidents, exiled journalists and civil society activists must be heard. The international community also has a responsibility to hold Turkey accountable for its human rights violations and to demand meaningful reforms, particularly in relation to media freedom, the independence of the judiciary and the protection of fundamental human rights.
But as Arendt reminds us, societal decay is not just about institutions, it is also about people. The future of Turkey depends on the courage of its citizens to re-engage in public life, challenge the authoritarianism of the regime and demand justice for all. The climate of fear must be broken, and this requires a collective awakening in which individuals are no longer silenced by the fear of reprisal but empowered by a shared belief in the need for freedom, justice and truth.
Above all, the power of the media cannot be overestimated. A free and independent press not only informs, but also inspires action. If the press does not shed light on corruption, human rights violations and abuse of power, social decay accelerates unchecked. Breaking the silence through courageous journalism, whether within the country or from abroad, will be the key to Turkey’s recovery. Many others have shown that the fight for freedom of expression and independent journalism continues, even if they are not in Turkey. Their courage is an example for others: The way to break through the climate of fear begins with refusing to be silenced.
Turkey must return to its democratic values, and that requires collective bravery. Only by challenging fear and silence can the country begin to reverse its path towards authoritarianism. As Arendt warned, “The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be either good or evil.”
It is time for Turkish society to make a choice — to stand up for justice, demand freedom and reclaim the democratic values that once defined the nation.
Ultimately, Turkey is not the only loser in this societal decline — it is a global loss. The erosion of democracy in any country affects the entire world and weakens the global commitment to freedom, justice and human rights. If the collective state of fear in Turkey is not transformed into collective courage, social decay will plunge the country into the depths of a dark abyss from which it will be very difficult to escape.
*Yasemin Aydın is a social anthropologist and social psychologist in Germany.