Democratization in Turkey

This policy report attempts to address two central questions: how can we understand the present context within which the attempts for democratisation and the resolution of the Kurdish question in Turkey are situated? And, how could the democratisation process be supported, particularly by the European Union (EU) and Germany? The report is drafted as an opinion-based paper, reflecting the various opinions that exist within the political landscape in Turkey, especially those regarding the key challenges affecting the “peace process”. It does not attempt to offer a comprehensive account of the recent political history of Turkey, rather, it primarily attempts to enhance the understanding of German policy makers by depicting a highly complex, and sometimes contradictory, picture of the present political panorama.