Democratization Reforms in Turkey, 1993–2004

The Turkish Constitution, which was drafted in 1982 under the aegis of the military regime, has been the subject of protracted domestic and international criticisms for its shortcomings according to international democratic norms. There had been a number of changes to the Constitution during the 1990s to address some of these shortcomings. In particular, there have been important amendments and changes to the Constitution between 2002 and 2004 that have led to significant improvements in fundamental rights and liberties, political rights, the rule of law, and civil–military relations. This essay examines the changes that have taken place to the Turkish Constitution and their ramifications on Turkish politics.