Authoritarian party structures in Turkey: a comparison of the Republican People's Party and the Justice and Development Party
Author(s)
Date
2010Source Title
Turkish Studies
Print ISSN
1468-3849
Publisher
Routledge
Volume
11
Issue
2
Pages
197 - 215
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
543
views
views
567
downloads
downloads
Abstract
Authoritarianism within party structures is recognized as a central feature of all political parties in Turkey but used in a taken-for-granted manner. This article highlights the necessity to examine the power relationship between the central and local party actors and argues that the different incentive structures within political parties lead to different types of party authoritarianism. Comparing the incentive structures of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the article concludes that the CHP is close to an oligarchic type of authoritarianism whereas the AKP is close to a hegemonic type of authoritarianism. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.