Turkey’s Role in the Diffusion of Democracy in the MENA Region

Abstract

Since its rise to power in 2002, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) has achieved levels of political stability, economic development and regional influence that has resulted in it being regarded by both the masses and political parties of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as a potential model. Critics involved in the 'Turkish model' debate tend to concentrate on the unique circumstances that led to Turkish democratization and how these factors differ from the experiences of the Arab countries in the MENA region. Drawing on diffusion theory and key literature on democratization, this paper contends that political and social institutions need to be reflective of the geographical and historical contexts within the MENA countries and that a re-focusing of the debate in such terms could provide a more viable and realistic appreciation for Turkey as an example for other Muslim majority countries.