Topic: 2025-Preserving Free and Fair Elections
Country: Turkey
Delegate Name: Maryam Sadullaeva
Türkiye believes citizens should have the ability to express who they want to lead the government, without oppressive forces manipulating the results. Despite the country’s progress in the journey of free and fair elections, more work still needs to be done under our current ruling. Throughout the years Türkiye has been able to alter the system in different ways, such as passing Law No. 7393, which amends the country’s election laws, and changing to an executive presidential system rather than staying as a parliamentary democracy. With this decision, the president becomes the chief of national authority and grants executive powers to the office. However, progression in preserving elections has become a priority since this was recently installed in 2018. Since 2002, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his party have been ruling Türkiye. Despite the discourse and “critiques” around the current president and the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the progress in reinforcing free and fair elections can be met.
In Türkiye’s history, military coups are a common problem in the nation’s politics. Past coups incidents have resulted in the execution of prime ministers and the imprisonment of a president and members of the Democratic Party. From tactics like these, military coups can shape the political system negatively through their influence. They can alter the result, such as historically toppling four elected governments, from what the citizens of Türkiye want. Another issue is the danger they impose on civilians, such as more than 200 people killed in the 2016 military coup. Fortunately, since President Erdoğan’s term, military coups have dropped and only one, stated earlier, occurred, which has failed. After this event, President Erdoğan has been carefully removing military officers as a precaution. This has resulted in almost 24,500 officers being removed over 5 years, to protect not only Türkiye’s elections but also the people. Yet, this is not enough. The military can and still use their power for wrongs like they have done in the past. Türkiye, and the United Nations (UN), must enforce legislation to stop history from repeating.
Military coups are an issue in many nations’ politics, citizens’ rights, and free elections. This is an important issue for The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to focus on. Especially, since the United Nations (UN) recently has not been able to make any decisions on this prominent case. It is understandable why, such as certain countries, like China and Russia, state that the United Nations (UN) should keep out of internal politics. However, reasonable legislation that limits the military’s power would be able to help nations, such as Türkiye, that suffer from military coups. Another possibility is the creation of an official plan to help countries have the resources, and strategies, to be coup-proof in a situation where they feel the need to do so. Outside the countries that are suffering from this issue, legislation can help prevent any future military coups from rising in other countries that do not usually experience this. Throughout any creation of ruling or plan, one fact is certain, military coups need to be stopped once and for all.
Sources:
“Turkey: Freedom in the World 2024 Country Report.” Freedom House, Freedom House, freedomhouse.org/country/turkey/freedom-world/2024. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
Parr, Eleanor. “Electoral Interference, Inflation and Military Coups: Forecasting the Turkish Presidential Election and Its Consequences.” Swift Centre, Swift Centre, 29 Feb. 2024, www.swiftcentre.org/publicforecasts/electoral-interference-inflation-and-military-coups-forecasting-the-turkish-presidential-election-and-its-consequences.
“Democracy in Turkey.” Chatham House, Chatham House, www.chathamhouse.org/2024/05/democracy-turkey. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
“State of Emergency Must Be Lifted for ‘Credible Elections’ in Turkey, Says Un Rights Chief | UN News.” United Nations, United Nations, news.un.org/en/story/2018/05/1009232. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
“Coups Only Make Crises Worse: Guterres | UN News.” United Nations, United Nations, news.un.org/en/story/2023/08/1140277. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Necimoğlu, Berfin, and Hossam el-Hamalawy. “Coup-Proofing Strategies in Turkey and Egypt through the Lens of Dominant Perceived Threat.” Arab Reform Initiative, Arab Reform Initiative, 14 Feb. 2025, www.arab-reform.net/publication/coup-proofing-strategies-in-turkey-and-egypt-through-the-lens-of-dominant-perceived-threat/.
