Ten Years After the Gülen Coup Attempt: Expert Accuses EU of Indifference Toward Turkish Democracy

The domestic political situation is considered to be highly tense. Ekrem İmamoğlu, the former mayor of Istanbul and the strongest challenger to the head of state, has been in detention since March 2025. In May 2026, a court also removed the entire leadership of the opposition CHP around Özgür Özel. Ahead of the verdicts, more than 200 regime critics were reportedly arrested. The CHP is one of the oldest parties in the country and is considered the most important force in the political camp of the opposition.

Domestic Political Tensions: Detentions and Removal of Party Leadership

On press freedom, Turkey ranks 163rd out of 180 in the ranking by Reporters Without Borders. International observers see this as a clear decline in freedom of expression since 2016. The treatment of critical media, opposition politicians, and the judiciary has also significantly tightened, according to human rights organizations.

Nevertheless, Turkey remains an indispensable partner for the EU and NATO. Geographically situated between Europe and the Middle East, it is an important alliance partner and a key actor on migration issues. This strategic significance, the expert said, has led Europe to look the other way when it comes to democratic deficits. The EU has focused primarily on pragmatic cooperation in recent years.

Strategic Partner: Why the EU Sticks with Ankara Anyway

The expert also pointed to the handling of international partners. Ankara has, for instance, positioned itself in recent years vis-à-vis the United States under President Trump, prioritizing its own interests. Turkey is thus seeking to balance Western alliance orientation with an independent foreign policy, which has intensified domestic criticism of Western demands on democracy.

The circumstances of the coup attempt of July 2016 have still not been fully clarified to this day. While the Turkish government identifies the Gülen movement as the instigator, critics accuse the government of having used the events for comprehensive consolidation of power. Since then, tens of thousands of people have been arrested or dismissed from public service in the course of the investigations.

The next domestic political decisions are awaited with tension. Observers are wondering how the relationship between Ankara and Brussels will develop after the tenth anniversary and whether the EU will readjust its human rights policy toward Turkey. For the opposition in the country, the situation remains difficult in the meantime: with İmamoğlu in detention and the CHP leadership removed, prominent counterfigures to Erdoğan are missing.

The expert put it plainly: "Der EU ist die Demokratisierung in der Türkei ziemlich egal". This statement stands in contrast to the commitments of European politicians to democracy and the rule of law as fundamental values of the Union. Whether consequences will follow from this remains to be seen.