Washington, June 6: Senior U.S. lawmakers and policy experts have issued a stark warning that Turkey is increasingly drifting away from democratic governance. Concerns are rising over political repression, judicial independence, and the arrest of opposition leaders ahead of the significant NATO summit in Ankara next month.
During a hearing by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, lawmakers from both parties questioned whether President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government would allow meaningful political competition. Critics have pointed to escalating actions against opponents, journalists, and civil society.
Co-chairman Representative Christopher Smith stated, “Today’s hearing raises a very important question. Can Turkey find its way back to freedom?” He argued that Turkey’s democratic institutions have weakened to the point where restoring fundamental aspects of civic and political freedom—such as the rule of law, free and fair elections, judicial independence, religious freedom, and internationally recognized human rights—will be extremely challenging.
Smith highlighted the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in March 2025, who is seen as Erdoğan’s strongest political rival, marking a critical turning point. “His arrest occurred on the very day his party was set to announce him as their candidate for the upcoming presidential election,” Smith noted.
Co-chairman Representative James McGovern remarked that the situation in Turkey has deteriorated since previous congressional reviews. “I believe conditions are worsening,” he stated, referencing reports from human rights organizations detailing pressure on opposition groups and journalists.
Several witnesses indicated that Turkey is moving towards a state described by political scientists as “competitive authoritarianism,” where elections yield little political change. Harvard University and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace scholar Andrew O’Donohue informed representatives that Turkey is at a decisive crossroads.
He stated, “Turkey stands at a dangerous juncture. It is transitioning from ‘competitive authoritarianism,’ where elections are not fair but the opposition can still win, to ‘full authoritarianism,’ where the opposition cannot gain power through the ballot box.” O’Donohue expressed doubts about voters’ ability to choose new leaders given İmamoğlu’s imprisonment and legal actions against the main opposition Republican People’s Party.
Henry Barkey, an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, argued that power has increasingly centralized around Erdoğan. “The situation that has emerged over the past decade is not just about the theoretical weakening of democracy; it is a system of governance centered around one person, increasingly focused on the political existence, institutional rights, and personal preferences of that individual.”
Former political prisoner and American citizen Serkan Golge provided an emotional account of his nearly three years in Turkish prisons under anti-terrorism laws. Golge told lawmakers, “I escaped from prison, but surviving is not justice.” Reflecting on the impact on his family, he recalled his son’s plea during a border check after his release: “No, Dad, not again, not again.”
Golge argued that Turkey’s anti-terrorism laws are being misused to criminalize legal activities. He urged Washington to pressure Ankara to comply with rulings from the European Court of Human Rights.
The hearing also addressed the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara in July. Witnesses urged the Trump administration to raise human rights issues directly with Erdoğan. O’Donohue emphasized, “The Turkish government wants to cooperate with the U.S. As a democracy, we have the capacity to link this bilateral cooperation to Turkey taking more steps to protect human rights and democracy.”
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