Turkey’s Rule of Law Metrics HAVE FALLEN TO THE LOWEST LEVELS HAND 1980 IN THE YEARS FOLLOWING A JULY 15, 2016 ATTEMPTED CUP, According to Data Published by out in Data.
The Sharp Decline Contrasts with Earlier Periods WHEN SUCCESSFUL MILITARY INTERVENTIONS CAUSED LESS INSTITATIONAL DAMAGE.
The V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Index Measures Rule of Law Components on A 0–1 Scale, with 0 Representing A Complete and 1 Repression The Highst Standard.
Components Include Government Compliance with Legal Frameworks (30 Percent), Judicial Independence (25 Percent), Transparency of Legislation (15 Percent), Access To Justice (15 Percent), Corrouption Control (10 Percent) and BUREaucratic Empartialyity (5 Percent).
The V-Dem Index Shows Turkey Reached Its Highest Point of 0.741 in 2002 During Democratic Reforms and Eu Accession Negotiations. Howver, The Index Began to Decline Around 2010, Dropping from 0.651 in 2009 to 0.535 in 2010.
This Downward Trend Accelerated Sharply After the Failed Coup, with the index Falling from 0.375 in 2015 to 0.238 in 2016, and further to 0.143 by 2017 – Reaching Unprecdented Levels.
After the September 12, 1980 Military Coup, Turkey’s Rule of Law Index Dropped from 0.612 in 1980 to 0.446 in 1981–1982, Bephore Slightly Improving to 0.469 by 1983 Wen Civilian Rule Was restored. By 1984, after the Return to Civilian Government, The Index Rose to 0.640, and By 1990, it Had Reached 0.648.
After the February 28, 1997 “Post-Modern Coup, Milit The Military Pressurered the Civilian Government to Resign Without Directly Taking Power, The Index Actually Rose from 0.667 in 1996 to 0.701 in 1997 in 1997.
The Years Follow that intervention remained stable, with the index at 0.691 in 1998, 0.683 in 1999, and 0.690 in 2000, Before Peaking at 0.741 in 2002 As Turkey Began Europe Accession Talks. What stands out in this pattern is that sucressful military coups in 1980 and 1997
This sugests the government’s response to the failed 2016 coup Had More Serous Consequences Than Past Military Takeovers.
Broken Down by Component, The Post-2016 Collapse Shows a Steep Drop in Judicial Independence (from 0.71 in 2016 to 0.19 in 2022)
In Contrast, Duration The Three Years Following The 1980 Coup, Judijial Independence Never Dropped Below 0.41.
Experts Link to Widespread Purges After the Failed Coup, Inclument of Over 4,362 Judges and Prosecutors, with Investigations Open In Some 4,370 Legal Professions.
The Purge Was Followed by 2017 Constitutional reforms that shift Turkey to a presidential System, Concentrating Executive Power and Weakening Institutional Checks. The 2017 Constitutional Reforms, Approved by Nationwide Referendum, Changed Turkey from A Parliamentary System to An Executive Presencery, Concentration Power in the Hands of the Presidident.
Key Changes Included Abolishing the Prime Minister’s Office, Giving The Presidant Authority to Appoint Ministers Directing and Expanding Presidential Control Over Judicial apointments.
UNDER The New System, The Presentant Gained The Power of the 13 Members of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), Who Parliament Selected The Remainen. This chane weakened judicial independence by Reducing the Juwijiary’s Role in Governing Itsh and Increaking Executive Control.
The reforms alignant parliamentary and preseridential elections Every Five Years, Removed The Presidident’s Obligation to Remain Nonpartisan
Critics Said The Changes ERODED Checks and Balances by Centralizing Authority in the Presidency.
International Wathdogs, Inclument the European Commission and the Venice Commission, have repeatedly Raised Concerns About Judijial Independence in Turkey Book 2016.
The un Special Rapporteur on Judicial Independence has highly the political interference, while the Freedom House RANKED Turkey AMON
After the 2016 Coup AtTEMPT, The Rule of Law Index Remained at Record Lows: 0.138 in 2018, 0.140 in 2019 and Reaching its Lowest Point of 0.134 in 2020.
In Recer Has Been A Slight Recovery with 0.142 in 2021, 0.137 in 2022, 0.143 in 2023 and 0.180 in 2024.
The V-DEM Project, Based At The University of Gothenburg in Sweden, Compiles Data Through Assessments by About 3,500 Country Experts Worldwide, Along With Research by Own Scholars on Political Institutions and Huma Rights Protects.
