TURKEY: Governing the Unpredictable through Market Imperative

Abstract

This chapter analyzes Turkey’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, arguing that Turkey’s authoritarian regime type rather than populism per se is the central factor in making sense of its crisis response. The key features of Turkey’s response to COVID-19 were neither apparently denialist nor overwhelmingly conspiratorial. However, double standards, extensive data manipulation, a lack of transparency, and suppression of dissent have become characteristic features of Turkey’s handling of the virus—all of which point to an authoritarian style in the management of the crisis. Extensive school closures and age-based restrictions on movement are also some important components of the crisis response. Overall, the neoliberal market imperative and the absolute prioritization of the economy/business are ultimately what shaped the policy choices of the Turkish government.