The New York Times - June 5, 2013
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — FOR the past few years, there has been a general optimism about Turkish democracy in Western capitals, especially in Washington, thanks to the economic strides made by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, known as the A.K.P.
These optimists, and even those who admit that Turkish democracy has its
shortcomings, tend to subscribe to the political scientist Seymour
Martin Lipset’s famous modernization theory — the idea that greater
democratization follows automatically as a country becomes more
prosperous. Turkey has been growing rapidly and steadily over the last
11 years, the theory goes, so perhaps all we need is patience. By this
logic, Mr. Erdogan’s own economic success will inexorably bring an end
to his authoritarian style of government.
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